The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1876-12-01

e.ou D., Th., ,hs ..;n had hoo,
i.,~..wl.on And ..,h nm,
Or. - Rs. h., ..v.d, IN, .o;i
-. :. w.on en-. o,..,;on w.. mn,
.h,,L ,hs;, be.d. ..dlv, No, man,
...,, Iii \. ..,,.a ,,on . .h;o an.
w.,, down In . ,vnho,,,
ws.n a.. r.r. :, Tho ,o.. hecam,
lnown mo, xho had ,hu. far b.l,
.,oosc,me a. .m;le or,n Mary Archer
and 4, .cel bc, anil, in return. sh,
x.. Known N no a. gud and true a,
n. 90. ,,..,,;s;,, and ma, oe .rr.,
Lnev ,b,, she would do her mart to
ward making an earthly heaven Of III,
ho,~. o,s, ~h;ch s,r,une m;yht lead
ber % rrc.;de. Among them WIZ,
Lob, I,c,,relI a man older than Ma
nv. and A man Of wealth. He offered
her . he and asked To become hi.
wife: But she had no heart to give
him
The months and the years rolled on
and Il vo. known that the shin Fsdes
had been lonx at the bottom Of the sea
and not N worl had beep heard from
any her screw That they had all
been lost was beyond a doubt.
In time Mary's mother fell sick
and died. and Mary was left alone with
her crippled brother. She kept the
little cottage, but it was not all her
own. There was a mortgage upon il,
and upon Mary the mortgage lay heav
ily. Percy, the cripple, could eat but
he could do no work. lie was a con.
slant care. and he repaid his sister in
love when he could repay her in no
other way. She found work at dress
and so she labored on, pray
ing for strength to perform her duty
to the living and the dead.
Years, years, years, with little OF
with much ct gloom, ana
with much. very much, OF care ana
labor!
Tears 'our'anu''"e"'y s'"eo ''"'
night when raul went away 80 re'o'
lutte and SO hoPeiu'' ANA Ma'y ar
cher was no" 'or'yiour' luz o",e
and the labor had maze 'helr marx
but they had not de'rac'ed from her
beauty. The freshness ana the oloom
were faded but the r'Peness Oh ner
true womanly nature, I'D iaith ana re-
'ignation' had come win a beauty
that can not fade-the beauty OF good
ness and Christian DEVOTION
But it was growing darker without.
Percy had been very sick, with need
of more care aud more medicine. The
interest on the mortgage was two years
overdue. and the man of calculating
business who held it had forclosed and
sued for possession. The cottage could
not be much longer her home. OF her
self she thought not at all; but what
would become of her helpless brother,
In this straight John Lettrell came
10 her once more, and offered both her.
self and her brother comfortable home
for the rest of their days. What could
she tell him? Only that she had no
heart to give him. And yet he pressed
his suit. He would teach her to love
him N time. And he left her weep
ing with the INDIGESTION that had grown
from the one weak spot-duty to her
He told her that he would
come again, for he thought he saw his
way to hope.
"May, DEAR" whispered Percy, as
she bent over his couch, and smoothed
his pillow. "why don't you accept the
home he offersY Mr.. Lettrell is good
man. o, my sister, not for my sake
moi for mine-but for YOUR own!"
Hush, Percy! Not now-not now.
o, nv poor heart I"
And she went out to the little sitting
room. and sat by the window where
she had sat long. long years ago, while
the man whom she must ever love-
either living or dead, walked on hi
way to the great city to go forth upon
the sea. The grand words Paul WIN
ship had then spoken sounded again in
her ears; she saw him again, as then,
nut the hlua ribhOn abOul his neck