The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1876-11-16
MY VISIT HOME.
BY VELoNA.


and kissing me a dozen times, "for you
look pale enough. Poor childi 1t would
be so much better for you at home."
"ChildW l answered, laughing,
though there were tears In my eyes.
"You forget that am older than you,
Lin"
"But you are younger, after all. L
have three children, you know" raising
her finger at the last words, and darting
of as ataint cry reached her ears.
l followed, and met her at the door,
with wee little fellow in her arms,
who put up his red lips for a kiss. 1t
was such comfort and luxury to be ut
terly free from everything and every
body, for a little while, that hardly
knew how to enjoy it enough.
"You see we have heen very busy this
spring building the barn yonder," Lin
said, as we were sitting on the piazza
after tea, "but we are all through now,
and have nothing in the world to do
but to take care OF YOU"
"Where are the three children, in the
meantimer' Iasked, smiling a little.
80, they take care of themselves, most,
ly. Do you know l thought you would
come home This summerp
"Did you, WhyW
~ am afraid you will not like it If /
tell YOU"
Il shall, certainly. 1t is something
new for you to have mysterles.n
swell, Doctor Grey is minister here"
"Linp And l felt the hot blood rush
ing INTO my face.
"Yes, though he made me promise
that l would not tell you unless you
came. He SAID you would want country
rest soon, and you see he was right"
| answered nothing. My brain was in
wnirl.
you are not angry, Asia?"
"No, no." l answered, hastily; "but 1
did not mean to see him again."
| "You need not see him once this sum-
mer il you are not strong enough. We
can 20 to the other church, and be will
understand by that, that he is not to
| come here"
| "And he will understand that 1 am a
coward also, which would be far worse
| lie shall not have that satisfaction, /
Will meet him."
The church bell commenced to ring,
"W hat is thatY' L asked.
"Tnere is a meeting this evening"
"And you wish TO g0W | knew how
rigid she was in all religious obserVan-
ces.
Certainly not. I am going to stay
with you, my dear sister,"
mo, you are not, for will 60 with
YOU"
Her face frightened, She had not ex.
pected that.
Doctor Grey will be there" hesitat-
ingy.
| sooner over"
And you are strong enough? We had
| better not go, Asia, after all. You are
tired Tonight"
If keep you away from church, l
shall not stay more than a week." and
so it was settled.
If there was any one in the world that
i wholly loved and trusted, it was nv
sister Lin; and, truly, there was never
one more deserving of it. She was one
OF those rare women, who have the UNI
conscious power OF bringing the good up
permost i'll ones heart, aud sinking the
evil; and when with her l felt as a child
does in its mothers arms, soothed anu
quieted, if not arrest.
| We walked down to the church
through the soft summer twilight, con-
Yersing quietly of the years that mad
come and gone since we had walked 1t
hand in hand fresh from our mothers
parting kiss; and, with u kind OF sting
Ing pam in my heart as lstAought of all
had been given to the world and lost to
heaven since then, went in through the
Weather-beaten doors, and sat down by
my sisters side.
Presently the minister entered, and
walking softly up the aisle, went behind
| the altar ana sank upon his knees, In
voluntarily my head dropped. How
long it mad been since l mad prayed |
Somehow l thought Of it now, in the
silence of this solemn old church, with a
shudder OF remorse. Worldly as l had
been, and wholly given to fashion and
| folly as Doctor Grey had believed me to
! be, l had not lost all consciousness of
| the future yet. The surety that there
was something unknown, a tribunal in
the dim and hazy distance, perhaps, but
there, which l had to face, and dared
not defy, Kept my conscience awake in
a measure, and added to my hearts
bitterness when l stopped to think.
His deVotions done, the minister rose
| from his knees, and his eyes fell upon
my face. l knew at once that be recog-
nized me, though he did not allow his
gaze to be directed toward me again
during the whole service. AT the close,
ne came down the aisle quickly, and
shaking my sisters hand, said, with a
rare smile in his eyes:
"Your sister has come at last, and did
not dream Of finding an old acquaint-
ance here, either, l suppose"
II certainly did not tuink of seeing
you, Doctor Grey" l answered, giving
nim my hand.
He covered it with his, saying in his
deep, earnest way:
Il am glad to see you, truly" and we
passed out, leaving MIN 10 meet others
of his flock.
How still the night was, and how
calm and bright the stars shone in the
sky 1t was warm, too, but L telt chilled
10 ice. Lin took my arm as we stepped
off The church steps, and walked on si-
lenIly beside me; then, seeing that l
shiVered, she took off her shawl, and
putting it over my mantle, said:
II am used to the air, you know, Asia"
| l was hardly conscious of what she
was doing. L was thinking OF the time
when Doctor Grey had last stood before
| me, and Of his words:
"The woman who throws down love
for worldly pleasures, will one day reap
the reward she so richly deserves" And
| when l scornlully told him that love
mi ght be lound, perchance, i'll that same
gay world which he condemned, and that
| for one | made no pretensions to this
grand religion he protessed, and could,
therefore, keep my temper better, his
|