New-York tribune., 1880-06-20

t the sun began to SHINE and the birds began to sing
again. 1t felt In the family to be foolish, or wofs
but none Of the Shakers could home through field
or wood without staying to pluck some token on thc
Tesessy to GO out and find the summer FOR herself
Her bed was decked with 6oughs OF wildng bloom on
tie sheves and windOwsa the sylvan and campestral
flowers their delicate coors and faint 1ragranGes
noud s1ar from s ser W vice somefng surely must
be wrong about all this mnstcrinR to love that might
ious of the nuuke sisters could determine upon the
sin and while they wondered IN just what sort @ they
another community urrived TO pronounce II no evil Dut
an INSTINCT to e % Them bnusht and laid at
Egcra's bedside rug which she had worked whit the
kept fearfuly hidden away her closet from compunc-
| tion for Its likeness TO craven image: ,,
Egera first went out on the Goth OF May that siGnal
dare when the Spring, whatever her previous reIacC-
brings up all arrears WITH I'll the rDt Is hc
Spmng &nd al y wbe she Reeps the
crs npacnce she watched the orchard trees some
omen door as the day was chill SOFT that the blossoms
would never come and even when ~ every TIP & S Zine ine
Of bud 1n6 @ S o TeGS bS the dece of
rose and snow would unfold The orioles and the
bObonks sang the airy tops and from the clover
field the oats already high enough TO brighten and
darken in the wind The canes OF the oack9erIes and
raspberrics the garden tufted with DARK green
and beyond the brOad leaves OF the pepant ana the
Elder osephs relis were Set thick with short vovety
leaves Of pmkisi-Ove when suddenly In warm night
!
plcblossOms had come. " am going out under theln
The girl said. when she saw them and she set resoute
face against the fond anXieties OF Sister Frances
| DR.. Boynton was right in one thing. Ford did
| exert an "antagonistic influence which gradually
neutralzed Egera's imaginary psychic power;
but the influence was something very different from
the poor old philosophers misty doctrine OF opposing
| spheres. Egeria herself did not comprehend the
real nature of the tie that drawing her toward
| this man, whose life by a series of accidents had
| become strangely mixed up with hers and her faith
| er's She half believed half-teared, that lie did
| exert mysterious control over her will
as tbs doctor complained and she drew
back in alright. just as she drew back
from the spirits. The conflict between unconscious
love and uncertain fear is charmingy indicated in
Mr. Howells's poetcal pages. Egeria and Ford have
been watching the sunset:
"Tne curtain is now down." said Ford D.,... a..
She started to her feet and looked around ""hy the
"Didnt lS you know that :" he asked:
NO." she said sadly " 1t seemed as II III wouid last
longer. But nothing lasts" -,
mo, nothing lasts" lie repeated But generally
things last long enough could have stood another
hour or two OF sunset however. And sometimes I've
known days that would have hern WILLIE TO o. nave ave
world" ,.., .,o -. cha o.,.o,
| turning swiftly upon MIN that strange searching
glarTGS. $40, o,uor0 What "a tho ,notterr
"Nothrng-nothinC. Let us go down." She took his
hand and cunC to 1t III descending as II eager TO escape
10 him from some fear OF him.
The doctor died without seeing his droll mistake,
and it was only after sorrow and separation and
misunderstanding that Ford, returning to the
Shaker community, where Egeria was again guest.
nut an end 10 the error -
She only turned on him that face OF intense resistance
Iieaycn's sake" he exclaimed dbn't look ut I'll
| that way what Is the matteri" -
ION, why did you come back y she crled Why
couldn't You have stayed away and left me III peace T.
lie stood motlonees while his hoIFs seened to fall IN
/ min la ntW
had built them on the fears Of those fantastic Go m
the reasons against Them He could have Laughed at
the ghasty wreck but that he was too sick at heart lie
moved his feet heavily If the long grass were letters
word he could nat "we be said at last, II ask
lest you any more. Only. before Co. tell me-yo9've
not told me yet-hst you forgive me- EgsIish Hes
now spoke 1t aloud for the frat time without knowing It,
yon than ever But am going out o' your way now
try to forgive and to tell De so Let me have yonr
ppq Weeping While be waited for her response Well
will 20. s bes. for me to know finally t9@ although
| you have always abnorred me-"
"N0. no! nt ! didn't say that"
! But II You made say that forgnve You -
1" Make YOU say It Nothing under heaven could make
you say IT what 10 1t You mean I"
Size looked up aud her Iiteous search over
When you first there in Boston, and when You
hurt me wns we %eIt ater M te % a SGeI Gnu @ LoH"
| him wnen went with you into the woods, and neg,
| a. u
couldn't Ought to hatO you Did you expect Yes.
will will never let you go, now, VII you tell me
| hcip me shall have to DO for myself; but whatever
my life is 70 be. am gong to have 1t my own and It
that is true I" repeated Ford, in stupefaction. II
But the impulse which had carried her to this point
failed her, apparently and left her terrified at her own
GoIaFd her, bird stoSps for flight II What is
lr,l: !" ne reiterated. Tell ne what you ineanr'
He wondered If perhaps some rumor OF hie talk
with Ehu had come t. her, aud che had wished 10
| punish his presumption In trusting the Shakers
wIcak upon him her maldenly ndignatlon at the
commTntys meddmg ling seemed out OF ,a Hecpi%g m
nk nothing else and ne darkly approached 1t: II
that have come to you in anything but tie humblcsI.
the mnsi rcvcrcnt spirit beseech you not to believe II
Has Elihi--Or Frances Is 1t something they have
said s.,, ann atm .n,n,s awor a, =, l.. mich,
Then what IS II surely you won't leave this
perylcxity II there is anything that can do or
IN, Oh, 60 for PHYS sake /"
| 81 can't g now. =" said tine young man. " won't 60
TIL you have told me whut you mean You must tell
tell you thai would show that was ana he
gnt when he used to b a2n na want Taa doe 10 Deeye r IT, IT,
chance. that you STAYED for his sake. Indeed IN
deed get to thinking again that you never tried to
In what way r. lie asked, but CLEAN Of light.
| lurid enough began 10 steal upon his cOnuaon Her
alternate eagcrncss aud reuciaucc TO be with hln; her
broken que ons. tile gestures the looks the tones that
had with mystery tue happiness he had known
with her In the last weeks before her fathers death
anu made II at Its sweetest fearful and insecure, re-
cured him with new meaning, and Il profound com
passion qualified his despair ana made MIN gentle all
patient " Is IL pOssihc," he asked. that you nlear
ihat old dcusOn Of your fathers about me And c0ud
you cllcve that would try TO control you against your
wl--tO some unnatural power over yOu Ah!' he
cried couldn't take even your forgiveness now for
you might think thar had extorted itr He looked
sadly her. she did not speak and he had struggle
keel pity OF her from turning TO execratOn or
the unhappy whose error could thus rise from his
grave cloud her SOU but he ruled him ef-not with
omnous remembrance OF hIs former attempts TO
separate cause from her fathcrsand brokenly
| tnued ." Well nave deserved that, too. But know
that before he died your father to mind
about those things and believe that uOw wherever ne
is uubiuR could grIcve him than to know that no
had left you In that hideOus superstition" lie LOOKED
with grave tenderness at her hidden face How could
vo thiuk "--and now his expressed his wounded