Western sentinel. [volume] (Winston [i.e. Winston-Salem], N.C.) 1856-1886, 1880-03-04
THE GUTTA PERcHA RING
AND WHAT CAME OF 1T.
By MAGGIE THOMPSON.

The evening sun was sinking !;
yet the lingering rays tinged the
distant tree tops with gold, and
cast brilliant halo around the
dark-hlue mountains which rose
like mighty giants along the east
crn horizon. Nesting at the foot
of these mountains Is n little "villa"
which overlooks the sea and is
tbronged with wealthy, gay and
frivolous people, whose only
thought is to dress and to surpass
their fellow beings in the goods of
this world.
Far away in lonely grove,
where no sound of inerri,nent from
the villa conid reach, sat a young
girl who at the most could not
have seen more than eighteen sum
mcrs' bloom and then die in the
the lap of golden autumn. Her
dress was black and of the coarsest
frabric, relieved by snowy cuffs and
dainty rnffie. Yet as she sat there
with the declining sunrays playing
hide and seek among her chestnut
trcsscs, and such a iar-away look
in her liquid brown eyes, was far
lovelier than any vision that foated
through the dreams Of painters un-
der the sunny skies of Italy. Her
eyes droop and fasten themselves
on her delicate waxcn hands which
lie idly claspcd on her knee they
are free from ornament, save her
third finger, on which rests a tiny
ring of black. Tears spring to her
eyes and trcmble on her cyelids,
her whole frame quivers. Can that
tiny ring canse her this sorrow
Ah yes it has history.
In the little village of A.,
there lived two widows. To cheer
their humble fireside was given to
one brown-eyed girl to the other
blue-eyed, flaxen-haired son.
These two children entered with
one heart into all their childish
sports together they played in the
little brook, and brought home the
COWS from the pasture, and thus the
weeks, months and years passet
away, until Helen, a blushing gir
of fifteen, and Wallace, IL lad o
eighteen, could hardly realize they
would soon have to leave off child
ish sports. Early one morning
when everything seemed happy
the sun shone brighter and TIN
birds sang s~eeter than is wont
but in all this happiness
The black camel named Death kneeleth ono
at each door,
And mortal must mount to return neve
HI)re.
This time he bore the patien
mother across the great desert +
that brighter shore. Wallace wa
: homeless and rarcntless now, so h
determined to leave his native vii
lagc and seek his fortune in froeig
n lands. With tears in their eye
they took their last walk under til
clems, and to revisit for the las
time their chiidhood's haunts.
n Wien the evening sun was sc
n they stood at the cottage gate, an
nrder the evening stars they vowe
over to remain true, and on he
third finger he slipped a tiny blac
q 2 ring this sealed their VOWS.
:, "Helen," said he, "when I max
d enough to buy You IL neat little col
tage in the valley, [ will return"
IL They took their last fond EN-
: brace, burning kiss, and he we
8 8 gone.
Oh F.! how dark and gloomy every
! thing seemed to Helen now. Sl
9 never realized until now how muc
!. sunshine there was in the clear blu
: eyes of Wallace.
Weeks and months passed b,
is bnt no letter came to cast one ra
e. of light across her gloomy path.
a. year rolled by and had been mum
g bered with the things that wer
a. Helen thought her bitter cup fnl
p. but one more drop was added. o.
T. T. bleak December evening Helen
u mother lay dead on her couch.
g few words, short prayer, ar
b. Helen's mother lay in her last res
ing place.