The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-05-20
CHAPTER XNyIL


- OLD FnIESD.
The night was already gathering to-
gether her darkening shadows now, and
the wind clouds betokeued an approach
ing rain. The dim highway wound
around the foothills and lost itself in the
dark green forest that stretched away
toward the mountains upon the one
hand and the river upon the other.
John Ingletou was in hurry, and he
put spurs 20 his horse and galloped furi-
ously adown the road. he was in a
hurry because lie was feverisb, and
feverish because lac was excited. In q
little while he was opposite the rustic
cabin that contained his seli-imprisoned
counterpart, aud he suddenly reined bis
mettled horse ami FOR en- instant forgot
his aimless haste. Thick darkness was
settling down upon The air; the gentle
rain began 10 palier lazily upon the
earth, and low moan Of the sad night
wind sunk like tie chill Of death upon
his heart.
There was a solitary light IN the little
window, behind which he knew Lie
was sitting, and its one steady ray sent
ont a CHEEKY CLEAN into the rain and
wind and gloom.
"Light Of my soulr' cried the wan
derer, "would to God ! might follow
whithersoever your ray might attract
me-"
A low strain Of vocal music mingled
its melody with the rythmic misercre Of
the sad night wind
He bowed his bead aud listened in
tently. The words formed a fit accom-
panimeut to an old-time melody which
be had heard sometimes in the rural
singing class in his boyhood, when
Lie had carried the "air' and ravished
his senses with her untutored yet nat
urally gifted power Of song.
"Oh, is 10 wen TO sever
My heart from thine iorevcre
Can forget theee Neverl
Farewell, farewell forever.r
Sang the lonely inmate Of the loWly
cottage. The voice died away, but O. e
listener seemed riveted TO the spot.
80, my God! Why can [ not enter her
sacred presence aud revel in the sweet
enjoyment Of her precious smiles ," lie
exclaimed, half audialy.
Again, as if In response 20 his pas
slonate query, the sweet voice Of ,he one
whom be knew that God had made for
him, and for him only, rang out in soll-
tary sadness, and the very soul Of mel
ody welled upward on the listening air.
When shall we meet again,
Meet ne'er 70 severe
when shall love wreathe her charm
Round us forever?
Where Joys celestial thTin,
Where bliss each heart shall on,
And words OF parting chill
Never no never 9"
'I am not worthy to enter her pres
euce,n said her listener, sadly. 81
would only incur her displessure if I
should attempt It,"
Aud then a voice, so near that it
seemed to echo from within the inner
most chambers OF his being, and so
startling that it affected his senses like
an electric shock, exclaimed in COM
manding yet hopeful accents:
"Waiti wait, wait ~
With an involuntary motion he again
put spurs to his horse ard galloped for
ward iu the gloom.
"Yes, God helping me, iCW wait ~
he said, with emphasis; "apd 1 will
make myself worthy Of her before We
meet again. Aud wherever 1 60, or
Whatever lot may befsll me, 1 shall
never forget the light of love and truth
that has beamed upon my senses
through her window tonight, iHumi-
mating my spirit with a heavenly radi-
Ence, as chaste as virgin snow and as
warm as eider-down. No, Liza, YOU
shall never be ashamed Of John Inele-
ton. For your sake, I will scale the
heights Of fame, aud walk bare browed
beneath the very psrapets Of heaven
For your dear sake, the world shall DO
me honor and when, at last, We strike
harps upon the shores Of the great
Hereafter, where there is no marrvinc
nor giving In marriage, but all are a.
the angels in Heaven, I will Law tbe
hard-earned laurels Of my life at Won,
feet, and we two shall walk hand in
hand together through the vernaI maze.
of that better country, where indeed
"fBliss each heart shall ON.
And words OF parting cali
Never, no neyerr"
Could John Ingleton have lived lonl
under the spell of a rhapsody like this
he would have been ready for transla
tion, ike Enoch Of old, who "walk,
with God, and was not; for God toe
him." But who shall say that q
rhapsody, while it endured, was D.
real? Who shall prove that it was no
a foretaste OF higher life that is yet /,
come in some form TO all who read ;hes
pages?
Lie, too, was ca rapport with th
selfsame ecstasy. Why she had place
the candle i'm the window, she had 10
stopped to ask herself; but she ha
thought of him, and him only, whei
che did it, and, as she sat in her littl