Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1878-08-15

Don't scream SOP said poor
mother, looking toward the Hun
ters' side windows.
AS if the Hunters didn't know
all about my failing charms, and
no doubt took an inventory Of them
half yearly to Send abroad to the
eldest son, who had been away in
China these five years and more,
and would likely never come back
again. At least he had written to
me to that effect when he went
AWAY. | had the old letter yet in
secret recess of that same old Du-
reau where lay the convenient
switch of hair.
Time was when / needed no curls
shorn from maidens across the seas
or manufactured from home materi-
al. ! had plenty of my own. Jack
Hunter cut one of them off with his
penknife that night when we parted.
Il don't know he said, savagely,
whether | most hate yon or love
you who firted and fooled away
the truest affection a man ever had
for woman
He hacked the the curl from my
head with his perknife; and looked
at me as if he was halt tempted to
do me further butchey and God
knows I didn't care then if he had
drawn the knife across my throat.
l should not have rested him.
Don't go, Jack = I cried out at
last, holding the edge of his coat.
Don't 90 anyway, so far as China !;
if you Go; I shall commence to dig
a hole when you get there: They
say that China is right under us;
and Pll begin with little pick and
shovel as soon as we get news of
your arrival. Then you can begin
on your side, and we will meet each
6ther half way.
He flung roe from him with
something like an oath. 'You
would joke and laugh over my
grave he said, and went away, not
to come back again.
Who would have believed it pos
sibles
That the years could come and
go; the sweet summers bloom and
fade, the heart of the roses lose
strength and fail and fall away, to
come again as sweet, as strong, as
fresh as ever, and Jack, my Jack,
never come back to me? Yet he
was not dead-nor welded That
was one good thing. And he was
out there among those women with
narrow eyes and stinted feet, and
he didn't as yet know word of the
language. lie was growing fat, he
wrote home to his people next door;
and bald. which didn't iilattet on
the top of his head SO long as he
could keep enough to cultivate a
pigtale. This was hetessaty, as he
meant to step up for Chinese man
darian, and was already embrcider-
ing gown fol, the purpose on spare
nights: And felt; when they read
me the letter; that it was Jack s
turn now to make merry; when
other hearts were sick and sad.
Ii he had only sent me one little
line! He showered gifts upon
other pcople--chests of tea and
pfacels of silk, lovely bits Of dec
Grated china, big soft beautiful
shawls of Grape. He sent gew- gaws
and gold to so many others f; if he
had only given me one little word
They must have told him | had
been sorely punished that my mis-
chlevons gayety he had whitfield out
like the fame of a candle that
even the beauty Of which he had
been SO proud and fond was gone
every bit of it gone. sleepless
nights and useless reptnings, long
wearisome days, endless years filled
with wild yearnings for that which
seemed forever hopeles; had robbed
me of all. The old bloom of the
heart took with it the Grimsott cheek
the laughing eye, and the light,
elastic step. Even my HAIR fell ont
!: Alas poor me, the flesh fell from
my bones. AS 1 limited before, i
was not very ailuring object tia
greeted me in the glass on til,
morning of my twenty-se1efitl
birth day: 'Aroint thee, witch =
cried, and wiped away with tn,
hand towel some salt tears that fel
upon the dimity bureatt covers ant
upon the grave Of Sad, sweet hetiio
ries. Then 1 put on my ugly brow
dress, and the hldeous bonnet t,
, match, aud went off to the church
pausiHg at the portal to look long
/, ingly over at the cool, qniet grave
of some of our old reighbors.
soft wind stirred the loug gras
there ; few birds hoped ightl
D and featlessly about!
Il sH6# calmly; GalfHl ! smile the dead
Who do not therefore gfieve!'
l,t tThe Yea of heaven is Yea,'