The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-04-15

beeNlHS Va pLaise Ano pleasure, Dut the
fascination Of her presence, her winning
smile, her light-heartedness, her knowl-
edge of books, her warm sympathies in
some things which interested him most he
had found companionshipi and she, in turn,
had paved the way into this grave mans
heart and quietly entered.
"And now, on this summer night of
which we have written, when the day had
been sung asleep by the water and the
birds, he had offered her his love and she
had rejected it, He had laid his whole life
at her feet, to his honest and sincere grief,
to find his gift unvalued.
"'Can it be, dear Fannie he had said,
holding the trembling hand in his, that you
have purposely deceived me p
"'No, Mr. Renwick, and then she felt
the hot blood rushing up into her face.
He was waiting for her answer, his search
ing eyes fastened on her face. DO not
I'll INK ME heartless, she continued; indeed,
indeed, l am loo young, and my present
life too sweet, to think of throwing around
it the sombre shadow of matrimonyr
''She looked up and laughed then, but
the flush had not died out of her cheek,
nor the hand he held grown steadier.
But your love, Fannie-what of that p
"She bit her lip, and then she an
swered-
"'Ah, yes; but I do not think I have
ever loved-as yet
''He wrung her hand then, and turned
and left her. She watched him pace be-
meath the trees-watched him until he
strobe away toward the lonely parsonage
with dim hope the while that he might
yet come back to her before he left. Me-
chanieally she turned away from her watch
beside the window and ascended the stairs
to her own room. There she took up her
diary. 1t was handsomely bound in Rus
sian leather, with gilt edge and clasps, but
the daintily written pages breathed only OF
selfish life. Here she had entered all her
firtations, her various lovers words and
her replies. Tonight there was another
conquest to be added But Fannie was
weary, and, somehow, she did not feel like
recounting the scene through which she
had just passed, but she wrote on until
with a sigh her head lay on the unfinished
sentence; her long beautiful curls covered
the book, and her fair fingers, one of which
was encircled by sparkling jewel, lay like
snow-fakes against the dark mahogany
table.
"She had fallen asleep and dreamed.
Dreamed that she was knocking at heavens
gate for admittance. She heard the echoes
of song, the vast swelling of the wondrous
music of the angels choir. Angels were
everywhere, their snow-white pinions span
gled with the glorious reflections from the
diamond throne.
"'Oh, that I might enter!' was the
prayer upon her lips as she stood amazed
without the peally gates. When, 10! there
futtered toward her a pitying angel say
ing
"'What wouldst thouf'
""That l may enter
"Then in her dream he took her hand
in hist was softer than the zephyr's
touch-and led her on beneath ieweled
arch toward marble tablet. Here he
paused saying to her, Read !" She looked,
and 10, book lay on the tablet. 1t WIS q
diary. The angel made an entry, and then
she read in unmistabable characters he,
own diary, word for word as she had writ
ten! An angel had been keeping this
same true record Of her life. How misera.
ble-how paltry-how wretchedly sinful
it all seemed, now read in heavens pure
light!
SHE read on and on until she had fin.
ished, and 10. the angel was gone.
Heavens gates were shut against her, anc
she awoke with an impression too deer
ever to be erased.
''The days wore on. Fannie's dream
was ever present in her mind, and every
day she tried SO to live that at evening she
might have something to record of a WORK
in that vineyard in which the laborerl
are few and the fields are white unto har
vest.
'"The Sabbath came once more. She hac
had not seen Mr.. Renwick since her re-
fusal, and his absence had only proved tc
her own heart how dear he was to her
She had resolved to speak to him, to ash
him for an opportunity the coming week
to confess all aud be forgiven. She haG
trifed with him, wounded and grieved him
and now nothing but life by his side, de-
voted to the Masters work, seemed worth
the having. 1t would be great humiliation
to her-for Fannie was proud-but even
though he might have repented of choosing
one who was SO unworthy of him it was
but right that he should know all.