The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-01-16

by the light of small lamp that stood on
table hard by. fierce, bitter wind was
holding high revel without, lnshng the
sea into tempestuous fury. shrieking aud
moaning about the slightly built house as
though II would toar II IN pieces uttering
cldritCh oucs that sounded like echoes
from the fronzied lips OF drowning, ship
wrecked mariners; yet the girl never lift
ed her head or ceased her work for one in
stant-indeed, but for the rapidly moving
bands one might have taken her for some
fnir SAINT turned TO stone by wicked.
malignant fairy. She was only fisher
Rrl, In the coarse dress OF the women of
her class; but she was 80 exquisite that on
looking ut her the dull room and all her
common hOnely surroundings faded away.
Her iuco caught the eye and held il; her
expression touched the heart, and wrlIng
II; for her beauty had evidently been of
the sweet. gay, dObonnnir style, and the
impress OF misery now stamped 80 deeply
upon Vt struck one with n painful sense of
discOf dance. life should surely have held
more OF sweet, less OF bitter, TO the lips of
such All one rs =" our Dlnah." Now and
again, among some rough, fisher pOpula-
ton, YOU Will chance upon some such
Hover rs this growing up. rare and delicate,
In tho midst Of their unbeautilul work IL
day lives seemingly sent from heaven to
prove that God does not keep all his fair
est blossoms for the gently nurturpd
and the purely born but bestows His
royal gift OF beauty a. generously on
the poor ns on the rich. on those who
toll aud SPIN ~ on those who live like
the lilies. Aud SO, for her beauty and
sweetness sake, tins Young girl was ten
DERBY loved by those poor people, who
strOve 10 shield her from hnrdships aud
ward Oft misfortune from her. Yet trou-
bic passed them all by to take up his rest
ng-piucc with "thcir Dmah." No woman
surely ever sat bordering over "A sudd,T
fate than did she TINT night, yet her eyes
were dry and her lips calm, aud the bright,
thick hair was woven round her little head
a ID ~ a..
could look on her face and doubt that, ns
lar AS God permits human hearts to break,
hers had broken. An old woman slept
soundly on scttlc Nv the side ~ the fire,
dog lay nj her feet; other companions
Diuah had none. The clock struck eight,
and the girl litcd her head. mechanically
counting the strokes abound, repeating the
I lust with "A look of horror in her face. ns
IN Ough II bore some fatal significance TO
her mind. The nets slipped from hcrhands.
ana from her bosom she drew "A PLAN
gold locket that looked out of place with
the cOarse garments she wore. II contain
ed The colored likeness of n very fair. blue
eyed young man, whose gay, sunny smile
seemed to mock tue pale girl who looked
AT him. Long and carefully she examined
II, line by line, feature bV feature. less as
though she were welcOminga beloved iare,
than as II she were seeking something that
one moment seemed within her .rusp the
next eludcd her. "WaS he false," She said
TO herself" Is he false? for am sure that
he lives. Did ho ever truly love me, |
wonder, even at the beginniuyf They nll
thought he loved me 50, and perhaps he
uld-just for little. | was ALWAYS cod
and proud to stephen. and no Thought
did not love him, ana thought so too ana
then Maurice came and tooa INV fancy
Did he not win the hearts III all women,
aye, and men; And | was false to stephen.
aud to ali my better instincts; there was
INST over my eyes, aud | could
not see, only somehow | never feli
~ "a LOO.
stephen s....PelhapS IT was because WAS
not sure oil my OWn-Dut diu not know
that TIL later. Aud stephen never blamed
ine-ncver slammed me by Il word, only one
day We came face TO face suddenly alone,
and he said, GU are happy, Dnah and
| Answered, Yes. Then so am /, dear
he said, and went away that was all. And
/ think II was soon alter that, when Maur-
ices love was ~ Ms hottest aud maddesf, /
began To suspect he was not good--uOt ike
Stepheu....llc dropped strange words
sometimes Of other women, and used TO
call me httlc Puritan, and "a spoiled saint;
aud remember one LAY II came over me
IN sudden flash thit perhaps he had loved
those Others rs well as he had loved me,
ana saw hls icklc passionate nature quite
clearly, und : 'enIed ~ see myself some day
diOHt, Just rs he had ,ett those others when
once ms .ONe lever iur me WAS past. And
men thcn-l taluk my heart went back TO
stephen. when | SAN how idle my fancy
had been; ....Dut II was too laic, our
wedding pay WAS fixed, and though
Knew N was a terrible mistfike; stIli IA
had made my bcd 50 must | lle on II.
Sometimes | thought MauIcr had found
out loved stephen best; but could not
DE surc-OnN toward the end taucied he
cared Tor me loss, and | was glad, for |
thought perhaps he would release me from
my prom 90. None OF the ncchbors
ever suspected what was in our hearts:
they rcckuncd HIM the pattern OF lovers,
aud indeed he was "A brave one, WOoihg me
III a
never have thought OF; but then stephen
was only plhin itshc man, while Maurice
mo one knew whence hc came or why he
took up this llic-it was done Tor n Wnlm,
some SAID And then came that terrible
night Wncn Maurice dld not come, ana
they came to me telling how stephen was
arrested tor ms murder IL knew then
what bitter trUt my ialscncss had caused
TO rippn, hat Knew also that stephen vas
no murdcrer-it was not IN INN; ana
ii NauTlcc died that night nud | DO
not think LS dId. tor loved him
once. and should fefi it-i1OiO II. il he
were deadl il was by AGO. lent, not through
stephen. 1t Is true no Que ever heard OF
him from that day 10 this, and That he has
been advertised Tor, anu great search made
TOR INN, All Ia no purpose, but feel sure
he Is alive aud well NJ the present moment.
All, Maurice! Mnurlce!' she erred bitterly.
you worked stephen harm enough, but
you never DID MN crueller wrong than
when you went away like that, and lett
OItpnen 10 DO callcu mNlutIGr.' Sne
PUT the locket away, aud covered her face
with her hands. "To die" she said below
her breath" To die like that, and II is my
dOing-all. Why dad ! not love him FIRST
instead of last What were Alaurlces ways
to MS true and stead nst hearth And
have all the rest OF my he To live out alone
-alone!'
.
1t was Sunday evening, and the few
friends who desired 10 wish Stephen Hat
ton farewell had done 80, aud TAX IN Their
departure, Lisa last of all. sobblng bitterly
AS she went. Neither father, mother
brother, nor sister had lie, nor any to call
klth nor KIN with him, so that the sudden
suspension of his life would leave no gap
in any home oTcle; aud as TO ms acquaint-
anccs, why, they would bear his loss Wi h
the equanlmlty such people always mani
lest So long AS neither themselves, their
wives, their chIIdi en-, nor their cattle, come
TO signal grief.
" she Will not come now said stephen,
half aloud. lie was walking restlessly up
and down his cell, with u bitter disap-
polntment written on his face. At that
moment the heavy bolts and hnTs of the
cell door were Withdrawn, and n woman
came IN ClOakcd and hoOdcd-it was Dmah.
" For n quarter OF an hour" sad the
jaller, IA he departed.
Neither spoke until his steps had died
AWAY in tho distance. then lOuub frppf