The Brookhaven ledger. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1875-1883, 1878-06-06
BROOKIIAVEN MISS. JUNE 1875 s@s VOL:
lesdssa except BY sIimbins dow

1e fehched except by climbing dowr
an almost impossible gulf, probably L
be hurled headIong 70 destruction.
What mans life was Of such ittl,
worth as to be put in the scale. Of th,
feeble child's? a silence fell upon th,
group-a silence broken by d woman
voice.
Save him!'' she cried; "save him
He is my all!" ~ '',''' =
AT her words Ralph Raymond startet
to his feet. 80
What was it she asked OF HIM? for III
felt as thongh her words appealed dircc
to him. To save this jchiid-with hi
own hands to erect the barrier onc'
more between them Ito risk his life ii
saving the life which is to destroy hi
future hopes and happiness.
But there rises before him anothe
picture of atonement-a atonement for
past. Hands made worthy which wer'
all unworthy, cleansed which wer'
stained; life solid and blotted Offered
for 5ns pureA .a.4seS. ssas
Men, 1 am readyr' he said, an(
stood at the pits mouth, oos ,,s
Then for one moment, crossing tt
Mabel's side, he bent low and whisper
ed in. her ear: s..fs :, ..;a;se4 w.
II will save him, Mabel, for yonr, deal
sake, and if I perish in the effort yor
will let this atone. " - s,,,z, - -.e.,i,.,i
Then, in the presence of them all, he
raised her hand and pressed it to his
lips, stepped back aud permitted the
rope to be placed around his waist.
% Step by step in the gray dawn, mid
silence broken only by the songs OF
waking birds. or the lowing of the dis
tant cattle. with the bright earth above
him growing farther and further from
his sight, he took his perilous way.
The songs he had heard that night
again sounded in his ear; accompanied
by loud laughter and coarse Jest, and,
strangely mingled with them, the hymn
his mother had sung to the boy stand
ing at her knee-the boy as pure as the
little fellow he now went to save.
Lower and lower he climbs downward,
with the dim wonderment growing in
his brain whether he ever again will
see the sunlight, or smell the fragrance
of the flowers. -.., .ti
Never! His foot slips. A groan
breaks from those watching-a moan
from a woman's pale lips. His foot has
slipped. He has fallen and wrenched
the rope from the grasp of those holds
ing it. s7a- e.. .ss
But no! Almost by the side Of the
bow he catches at branch. 1t bears
his weight, and a cheer follows, long
and loud. ,t yft =s Ess -
At last his hand grasps the boys
arm, He calls his name. There comes
no answer. He bends and looks into
his facet is the face of the deadl
Slowly, sadly, he binds the rope low
cred to him round the child's body, and
it is appraised to the sunlight its eyes
can never more see. Then lie turns to
follow, seeing only woman's agonized
face, hearing her cry of despair, with
no thought for the danger in which he
is eugulfed.
But life is sweet, and clinging IN
to it's possession, he fights
his perilous way upwards, and, with
the shouts of those around, feels his
feet once more touch the solid ground,
and falls faint and exhausted.
When he once more opens his heavy
eyes they rest on Mabel Halford's face.
and he knows they have borne him to
her hoEe. But from her form they
wander to the child standing by her
side, whose white, dead face he last
saw in the darkness, .. s.- .--.
He was only unconscious" she says.
tenderly: "Oh, Ralph, how can
thank you?" Te t s a't
"By giving me yourself, he answer
ed. very low. .Haye I not won the
right to help you in your care of him.?
And Mabel, sobbipg out her happi-
ness. knew that he was right, as she al
most revently answered:
eyes. -. ..-..-......- .-..-r j