Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-08-06
REUNITED.

On wild October night, Elsie Raymond
sat beside her solitary fireside in deeI
thought-in thonght that, truth to tell, wa.
tinctured by sadness. 1t was not often tha
she sat thus, for she was the most cheerful
and busy of little women, the best of sister.
and aunts, and the kindest of neighbors. Thi.
being the case, she found little leisure fCl
thought or solitary musings, for, in somt
one of these relations, work enough was al
ways provided for her.
But tonight she seemed to have arrived
at one of the halting places in her life. Hel
young sister Sophia, the last of her charges,
had that morning been married. The old
gray homestead had been left desolate wher
her smiling face went from it, at least 81
Elsie thought. True, she had a tribe OF
small nephews and nieces staying with her,
while their mother. Elsie's sister Mary, and
her husband accompanied the bridal party
on their tour, but they had long been asleep
and there was no token of their presence in
the somewhat prim-looking room, except 4
great basket of playthings in a corner, and
row of shoes, headed by Willie's '.new
boots, and closed by baby Elsie's tiny
bronzed slippers, that were ranged against
the wall.
Elsie's father had died suddenly, the vic
tim of a fatal accident, and his widow,
overwhelmed by the sad and terrible be-
reavement, soon followed him. With her
diving breath she commended her youngest
children TO the care of tteir older sister,
and eXacted from her a promise that she
would devote her life to them. The girl
could hesitate at no demand made il the
last feeble accents of her diving mother.
She lifted the little unconscious babe from
the feeble arms that clasped it, and holding
it close to her bosom, and looking upon the
fearful faces of the little group gathered
around that dcath-bed, gave the required
promise.
In an hour her mother had ceased tO
breathe. and Elsie's life-wOrk had begun.
But it was not until the sad ceremonies of
the funeral was over, and the little family
had returned to the deSolate home, that
Elsie fully comprehended all that she had
undertaken.
None who have truly loved will fail to
comprehend the struggle that for the fol-
lowing weeks went on in Elsies soul. Ii
was no slight sacrifice that Was demanded
of Elsie: duty and love, her promise to the
dead and her VOWS to the living, were the
antagonists that contested every inch of
ground. John Francis loved Elsie full well
enough to have aided her in her life task.
He saw no reason in the duties she had I'M
dertaken why she should not fulfil her
VOWS. and in becoming his wife divide the
burden of her responsibilities and care.
But she thought differently. She felt
that she had no right to allow his generosity
to lead him into such a sacrifice. lie was
Young, and life lay bright and long before
him. Should she allow the shadow of her
care TO project across the sunny path =
Should she seek to lay upon his shoulders
the burden that weighed her down and
doomed her to life of lifel She could
endure and sacrifice much for the children,
so dear TO her by tics of bloOd-the sacred
legacy of her dead parents. But TO him
they were nothing, save for her sake, and
she might have seen him grow weary and
with the untimely cares that
marriage with her must throw upon him.
So Elsie and John Francis parted, as they
feared. forever. When her lover found
that no arguments nor prayers could change
her purpose, that she had solemnly recorded
her vow to the dead, and was fully pre-
payed to perform it TO the uttermosI, even
to the sacrifice of her dearest hopes and
most cherished wishes, he disappeared from
the neighborhood without farewell to any
who bad known him
After a tine letter came TO the parish
clergyman TO tell that he was safe, and
about to sail for foreign land, and from
that hour. for all those twenty years, no
tiding of John Francis had fallen on Elsie
cars. When she knew that he
was gone and would not return, she very
carefully gathered together every little me,
mento of the happy season oi her love, anu
locked them in the casket be had gwen her,
to be the shrine OF her af1ec-
tions. Then, sternly and uncompialnlngly,
she turned to her life task.
Year after year rolled on. Elsie spun
and wove, and directed her maldens ana
her farm laborers, and taught and nursed
her brothers and sisters, and in all Things
strove to supply to them the place of the
parents they had lost.
In time the wounds of her heart healed,
at last they cedscu W blcSu az !.
and she learned to find solace in the allec
tion of her children, as she called tnefh'
while habit made her duties light, and al
most pleasant. o,
The midnight hour had already passed
when Elsie rose to retire. Her long, lonely
xig;I had made her timid and nervous, ana
she could hardly repress shrek of alarm,
as lust at that moment heavy knock was
heard at the outer door, and resoundeu
through the house ,
But Elsie's only thought was oil sum.
mons 10 some sick or dying bed, for in tllal
Quiet neighborhood, people were seldoni n
abroad at night on less urgent erranos' 81,
Sm;I;ng at her causeless alarm and SUI,
trembling in spite of her bravery, she uiula ).
the fastenings of the door, and threw II
open. ,o,a dark
r;d;ng cloak. stood upon the threshold.
Rv the light of the flaring candle Elsie
hold She could not distinguish his lace
She only saw the strange eager iooh =, a
pair of very bright eyes, as tne S''"i's
bowed in answer to her salution-
.eMadam, " he said, 81 am oenign.eu, .@t a,
Won see, and in trying to reach the next