Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1877-01-02

, she looked up, the blush on her chez
became deeper, II don't believe, tina
, after all, it is half as much of troubl
! as I thought it was. So I'll tell yor
, Ralph Duane's visits to ElmwoOd hav
been quite frequent recently! I hav
: learned to love him! His manly integ
rity of character and his gentle sweet
ness of disposition have won my heart
He has, only last week, asked me to b
his wife! Now, my precious Cousin
Philip, the advice I wished is wha
shall tell him ?" and, folding her lit
tie hands and resting them on Philip
knee, she looked up into his face.
There is trite and truthful maxim
which says: Blessings brighten a
they take their flight" AS Philil
Haxton looked down into the dark
SOULFUL eyes of this Cousin, just at thi.
moment when they were lit up with {
brilliancy which sincere, truthful low
alone can impart, he thought her thu
pure ideal of all he ever dreamed of no
bic wOman-One who can make of hel
home sacred shrine to which the hear
of her husband can turn in weary houl
of bitter care and crushing trouble FOL
that unselfish sympathy which is moi
found in the world, for encouragement
in failure and for word of kindly ap-
proval to reward in success. In one
short, sad moment all the precious
hopes of his earlier years come fitting
before him-he thought of the bright
sweet home, of which he had dreamed,
whose most sacred charm and sweetest
| fascination would be the beautiful char
acter of Edith Haxton-he remembered,
how many of his thoughts had been OF
her; how very much of purpose of heart
and life her kindness and gentleness had
inspired him with; how frequently in
hours of temptation her bright face had
stood before him spectre-like, guardian
angel, to WOO him from evil and lead him
| into paths that were right and true =;
how much of his very life she has filled
and how his thoughts of her have given
golden hue and cOloring to all the pic
lures of the future and have enabled him
to see in the sky of life always bright,
silvery lining to each cloud.
These were the thoughts that filed
Philip Haxton's mind in this short, Bit
ter moment while Edith is waiting for
a reply.
do not know whether Cousin Edith
is noticing how agitated he has become,
or how pale is his face. Little, surely,
is she dreaming of the struggle that is
going on in his heart-a struggle be-
tween self and right. Cousin Edith is
waiting anxiously for reply-how will
he answer her?
With noble, unselfishness few ever
possess he crushed his own hearts eager
longings, and says:
Dclx> l. =: IL,
ly worthy of true woman's love. /
am sure the offer he has made you is
sincere. He will make you faithful
and one whom you can trust. He will
struggle to make you happy. If you
Hove him accept his offer of marriage
and be sure that no one wishes for you
q brighter, happier future than does
Cousin Philip"
Some human actions seem to partake
far more of the divine than the human.
None will argue that it was human ma
ture for Philip Haxton to sacrifice thus
all his own fond dreams, and, with a
genuine unselfishness, plead the cause
of another. There are few John AL
dens in real life. ~
II lily value your kind words. spo-
ken of Mr.. Duane, Cousin, and thank
you warmly for your advice and express
sion of good wishes, And now, I am
sure, you will keep as faithfully this Sc
cfet rs You have ai%aysrkept mine.-
Come, now, it is quite time we were re-
turning to the house."
The homeward walk is taken almost
in silence.
Edith's heart is filled with strange,
sweet joy--with a picture of a happy
future before her.
But, Philips heart! Alas! it is full
of wild anxious throbbings. Little
does the shappy girl at his side know
about what is going on there! Nor will
he mar the joy Of her heart by telling
of his own love. There was a time,
when, if he whispered his devotion and
pledged his VOWS, he might have been
made happy, but his feeling of charac-
teristic modesty and self-depreciation
bade him not, and, "now," he says to
his wildly beating heart, "'tis too late" !"
How many are the hearts in whose
burden taken up again with only, "It
might have been," to stay the hearts
beatings.
Philip Haxton does not speak his love,
but sternly resolves that 1t shall make
him better man.
So are there, ofttimes, in human hearts
deeply seated affections which are fond
ly cherished but which the fate "that
shapes their end" bids their possessors
never to divulge. They are unwritten,
unexpressed! But, God may be thanked
for them and they be made an incentive
to better and holier living, to host of
kindly deeds for others good, and to
faithful efforts to become worthy and
true. They make up the great inner
and unseen part of human experience
Let them be used to purify the nature
and become propelling motive urging
forward.
Kanawha Falls, w. Va.