Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1877-10-27
BEHIND THE CLOUDS.


"And row men see not the bright Iigh
which is in the clouds; bit the wind passesh
and cleaEselh them"
"You are Inean-yOu are mean as you car
be, EsIIeIi'
"Esiher Rowland looked up into the Il ash
Ing eyes before her. Oh, how like her dsa
fathers. at that instant. the passionate fac
seemed But even that did 1T m I'VE her"
al car no. help IT, Albert. 4 dare say YOU
think 80 Idol must seem unkind 20 you
but CO mot give you the money"
why" sad the boy fierceIy.
"For more reasons than / CT toll you -fo-
more Than you can understand. Ole of to est
dsys you Will see and thank me FOR H."
ii see all | want 10 nOw-thl5 You try N
keep NE like a bsby-I woa'L bear it any
longer. All the boys say So"
Gall the boys?
Eyes George West and-and well, Dies
Haswell said SO only this aftern Do1."
A flush stole up TO the fair forehesi I, ain
ly visible through the curling. wavy masses
OF brown hair tossed over in the cartiessnsSs
"Dick HasweIi,' said Esther, proudly
"And my BROTHER listens TO sue ad 1ce All
allows HIM TO speak unexpectedly OF mo-
"He's not half so bad as people say he is, -
the boy answered dOggedly, stunning
Esthers clear eyes as he spoke
"YOu have made me still mora decided, IL
possible, Albert" she began, colby; but she
saw anelher face-her moth er's- wistful and
pleading. aud she heard those last grieving
s words, , nae e VIII De trial I? you. Esther,
r.
with him-his willfulness so be gentle-aI-
ways gentle, as 1 would have been"
Her voice sOftened, and the proud, d is
dainful look that for a moment had marked
the likeness between brother aud sister So
strongly, passed away
al would explain all to you if you would
listen, but you never believe me when tell
You that those boys only follow you about
ard hatter you because you have more
spending money than they, and ii is partly
to keep you from them that do not give it
won
ITS a lie, Esther. You lie. You know
ycu do, You want TO spend ii all on your
"Oh stop, Albert, stop; you will be sorry
No won't. swear I'll have ii yet"
please stop; listen, Albert"
s'I've listened long enough and in his
rage the boys face grew hvid and the veins
stood out upon his temples. Where hal
Esther seen that look before? she knew
only too well, and hid 1t from her with her
hands
1t was the very attitude in which her
mother shrank that last miserable dey from
her fathers menaced blow, but which fell
q heart that had borne on patiently for years.
you've done every thing you could do TO
drive me to IL. It's your own fault You
nave thwaried me p.. In every wayIyou
be the oldest. You took possession OF every.
thing when mother died, aud i should like
to know fits not as much mine as yours?
You make me wear old clothes and keep
me without a cent 10 spend, that you may
save, and save for your own purposes. Give
me some of that money" The young girl
gathered mp the shining gold pieces scattered
on tbe desk before her with quick, resoiute
movement; but In a second another hand
was over hers. She uttered a cry OF pain as
the sharp edges of the coin were pressed
INTO her slender fingers. There was mo-
mentary useless struggle-a sudden dim
ness of sight - then the ring of the metal as
the hard was forced open and Its contents
dashed 10 the foor, and a dull heavy echo of
the house door clashing To behind retreating
footsteps.
Esther stopped down mechanically to
gather up her little hoard, dizzy and stuDe-
ned with what had passed.; but when IL sud
denly came upon her in It's full extent an 4
all its miserable consequences she sat still,
crouchlng down In her shame and misery.
"1t Is so undeservet-so uudeserved," she
moancd, rocking 70 and fro. 81 have tried
hard TO he patient with him; have toilet so
hard and denied myself everything for his
sake. Is this the recompense? Is IL just-is
II mercifuH Oh, mother, thOl knowest how
j have Struggled on, Oh, my Father, tn At
sees in secret;' And as she raised her wrung
I'd ward heaven an answering thought
= Ting into her heart bearing the
II re comforter. "Thy Father which
secret snail re- war. thee openly"
able was spread for the evening
(which her brother had come when
.piised her at her desk laying aside the
.,.-e hoard that had excited this outburst.
There lay part OF IL, Still shining from the
faded velvet cover of the desk, aud a part
she had recovered from the floor; but after a
lor & and fruitless search she found that he
had made good his word-he had taken two
pieces with him. II was not the loss that
she cared fora little added 20 her daily self
sacrifice, and 10 could be made good; but tn e
cutting, reproschful words, the theft by vio-
lerce, stung her to the soul.
ale must see 1.-THE will come to himself
again and De sorry for this, ii do not meet
MIN hars N.Y. she thought; so she drove out
the natural feeling OF resentment, aud In all
geDtleness watched for his return.
The evening passed-oh, how slowly!
He had often stayed away for hours after
the alterations that had become more fire.
quent OF late, but his bed had never been
empty before, and when morning came aud
she saw its undisturbed outlines, a sick fore
Soding came over her that were with her on
No one had seen him, or would acknow-
le4fe that they had, since the very hour in
which he had left the house. The HowIands
lad not many friends. They came TO Wood
burn q broken-down family, to hide their
poverty and misfortunes, and so shrank with
ties Of It's Inhabitants. But now, in Esther's
new trouble, q universal sympathy was
awakened, and, amer search and hurry
all sgreed, from the little she told them tho
he had LEFT the house In anger, with some
money In his possession,) that he was miss
ing voluntarily, and not through violence or
accident With this hope she was forced 10
least, but With what restless anxiety no
lookeY-On could tell. She had not, like mo II
young girls, q conndant OF her own age, IL,
indeed, We except the friendship that had
grown mp between herself and casual &C
quaintance-a stranger the past year, when
Agnes Graham had come as an invalid. 10
pass the summer among the Berkshire hills.
An accidental meeting, chance converse
ton, mutual friends among the poets, aud
the two girls, without calling themselves
friends, become such in feeling and In many
q pleasant token of continued rememb rance
since their separation.
But Agnes Graham In her beautiful city
nome, surrounded with all that care and