The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-03-27

young wife oceasioned more anxiety to |
those about her than her dead In the fol.
lowing days, after her discovery on Easter
morning, stretched insensible beside the
sofa. Plunged in the depths of despair
or maddened by grief, she crouched beside
the bed, silent and frozep, or threw herself
prone upon the floor, tearing her hair.
She demanded Of the kind doctor, with
haggard eyes, if the young man above
stairs had been her own husband, and be
endeavored to soothe without understand
Ing her. She besought the inanimate
clay to forgive her for sleeping II did
not know we should have only few mo
ments more together before our life should
end, she moaned, Then she demanded
Of her companions, the earth, the sky.
"Where has he gone? How shall |
ever find him again y
Words of consolation and resignation
fell on deaf ears. The landlady aud the
women went in helpless sympathy, but
May shed no tears. The doctor alone re-
tanned bis usual eomposare. How often
had he witnessed similar scenes Tele-
grams werc sent and received, friends we're
Fastening to the aid Of she living, and to
obtain a last glimpse Of the dead; all those
silent aud professional duties were trans
piring about her, of which she took no
heed. She clung desperately to her post
beside the bed, and remained there, dry.
eyed, wild, launching those reckless re-
proaches at God aud man which frequently
mark the passionate ebullitions Of first
grief. If there was a mercifhl Saviour,
who heals all wounds Of the soul, as the
clergyman said, He had forgotten her /
If there was a God, he had only robbed
her Why could not another be snatched
away by the angel Of death Then silence
would ensue, dreary, immobile, rigid, the
young watcher sitting with elasped hands,
aud her face Of the same blue pallor as the
marble face on the pillow
The lauGlady detained the doctor out
side the door.
"She has not slept or tasted food for
twenty four hours, she whispered. "IIer
brain will turn. The shock was too great
for her, and she has the look Of mad.
woman already"
The doctor held a letter. An idea
came TO him. The letter had Just arrived
by the post, and could not concern the re.
cent bereavement. He entered the cham.
Der of death, approached May, and pre-
sented the letter, saying, in natural tones
"This letter has just come. You viii b,
kind enough to open it.
Surprised, she raised her head, received
and mechanically tore opeu the envelope
An Easter card was disclosed. An up
rooted plant dropped on stone parapei
with rays Of sunshine slanting down in
golden tide, and in these rays the word
were traced,
AN the Resurrection,
And the Life.
May read the card, and turned it owe
in her hand. The doctor paused benin
her; the landlady stood in the doorway
Then a sound became audible 10 the room
tumultuous sobbing, and the widow fe
on h knees, clasping one of the dea
hands, and covering it with tears an
kisses.
81 am the resurrection and the life
, she repeated, tremulously. ooh, belove'
| shall fiud you again =
The Easter card had fallen on the foo
The doctor raised it, aud placed it on ii
/, foot Of the bed.
When the winter Of another yei
brought its SHOWS and clear star,lt night
! Agnes Clement still wrought 10 her studi
the glass covered piazza. The place wi
changed. Flowers now bloomed ever
, where, with the difference between Il
piazza and the conservatory that the arti
had painted. Roses swayed lightly {
their stalks in the sketches on the wa
yiolets and daisies were scattered in pr
. fusion over boxes and fans; fairies peep,
from blossoms on ornamented cards; pc
trait heads smiled from the centre Of dis
es garlnnded 10 ivy aud ferns. A CLAN,
into the domain Of sister Anne would al
have revealed little additional luxuri
and comforts unattainable with the mode
salary of Humphrey. Agnes had learnt
to love her task, and dealt tenderly wi
the flowers; hence her success. 0ecasio
ally her attention strayed TO a dista
corner eonsecratcd to Beatrice iu Par
= disc and 0phclia, and at such momeu
: she sighed
: Opposite the superb conservatory st
!. bloomcd in the sunshine, and here a
peared occasionally pale young lady
deep mourning, whose grave face seem
> to have forgotten how to smile. The q
tist recognized her ms the girl in the pit
dress and jewels, and associated her ga
: with the absence of the brilliant you
man. That was all Between them W
a gulf, and thought did not span il. IL
Agnes penetrated the spacious mansion
: her neighbor, she would have seen
u Mays chamber, placed where her eyes
held il as the first object in awakening,
Easter card framed in ebony, and veil
: with Grape. Sir Arthur Helps has writtt
ave are all so intertwined that the sal
u 4 l.