Weekly Trinity journal., 1879-12-27

Ellner Jake nOIu OF my mana, Rosie,
or go in front of u.s." said Annette
"We'll never get to church with you
stepping on our toes every minute"
Rosie was not in the mood for being
confined to anybody s hand so she rar
on, and skipped to little tune, which
having entered her head she must need
sing:
"A pigwim and stwanger here,
Wappy. wappy, wappy."
"It's a Sunday school hymn, yor
know" said Annette.
(Which being interpreted means:
"'A pilgrim and stranger here,
Happy. happy, happy p"
"Yes."
us there any personal allusion to par
ticular pilgrims and strangers intended p
"Oh dear, no ~
GAN pilgrims and strangers at liberty
to apply at pleasure ?''
81 don't know any law to the contrary ,
"What beautiful morning, isn't it p
LOVELY"
"A pilgrim and astranger here,
Happy, happy, happy"
he hummed, with crescendo emphasis
on the words of the last line.
1.-THE bell has been toling long time, u
said Annette. "We'll be late"
Never mind said he. Don't hurry.
We can be early to church any Sunday
in the year but you don't often get such
morning for walk. It's golden OPP
portunity for walk. Let's be the two
wise people in the world, and improve it..
How audaciously people do tri1e with
their opportunities, don't they ? They
expect to pick them up like pebbles when
ever they happen to want one ; and don't
know them for precious stones when they
are lucky enough to find them"
Annette burst into a saucy laugh. =
81 beg your pal don," she said, "but it
carrled'me back to Sophomore Exhibition.
know heard you get that off, with that
very gesture"
But she fingered, as the last peals the
bell got few and far between, in warning
that the time was short and after the bell
stopped tolling, fingered not so much be,
cause he asked it as IN defiance of GER
tain thought, suggested in some rounda
bout manner by his remarks.
She suddenly, and unaccountably, felt
the dreary vastness of the world, with its
facilities for separating lives. Plenty Of
room in 1t, she thought, FOR two people to
walk far apart all their days. And she
thought how the two who walked so
pleasantly together now in the glow of
morning. might walk in ways that ran
asunder through lite's afternoon and even
ing and she knew--she knew very well
that it would be put tt dali, dark after
noon and n dreary evening for one of
them, if that should come to pass
"What are you thinking about?
Where's your smile ?" said he.
Here" she answered, as it lighted her
eyes again, ard dimpled her cheeks for
why should she not smile =? What was
there in life to cast single shadow on
her face ? She had youth, health, come
illness, and happy home, which common
blessings were aglow to day in the light Of
love. She never thought Of doub Biting the
love which had been told her in thousands
of looks ard tones through all the vaca,
tions Mr.. Martin had spent at Liberty
Hall ; and she had learned in this last
vacation its value to her future life.
Now whether that witching smile came
out for him, or for one who passed by
love and jealously caused Mr.. Martin to
doubt for simu ltaneous with its appear
ance was the appearance Of Jack MacIl-
vaine, handsome cousin, on very init
mate terms at Liberty Hall /; and who,
Rosie had privately informed him, lovod
Annette n whole house>full."
1t may have been that doubt which
clouded his meditations during service.
1t may have been because certain species
of Joy court the relief of sombre possibil-
tiles, or it may have been because coming
events do really cast their shadows be-
fore, that Frank and Annette, sitting side
by side, felt the shadow of separation over
their souls.
AT any rate it was during service that
Frank made up his mind to have no deal>
ings with shadows, to slight no more OPP
but to know that day wheth-
er he or the odous cousin were lord of
their lsdy's heart. He bethought Of
little custom always observed at prayers
on Christmas day, and determined to
provide for it.
But he found that such we're the de-
mands of the household upon the elder
sister, that what with the baby and Rosie
and the father and mother and the grand
dinner, there was 10 getting her alone for
a moment; and as the time for prayers
drew near his mood waxed doiorous, until
half uncensciously and to Rogers intense
delight, he hummed
"a pilgrim and stranger hear,
Lonely, lonely, lonely"
"Vacations don't agree with your
brains," said Roger. TITS clear case
of softening. There goes the bell for
prayers. Brace up"
Perhaps he would meet her in the hall.
Perhaps he could get moment, and say
it all in a moment. But she was not in
the hall. She was down in the parlor,
nursing that everlasting baby, who was
allowed to be ubiquitous to-day, because
Christmas only came once a year. He
threw himself in chair opposite her, not
quite clear in his mind whether he wanted
thrash the cousin or the baby.