Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1881-07-14

sympathy ana are sure 20 WIN fecors
where even the SIGH Of pity
Us priced more highly IN the sight Of Him,
Vac ssss Ehs hesvt. than golden giAs from hands
| That scAFre can know their countless treasures
ls@"
replied the teacher and winding bel
arms abou. her young pupil, she kisseS
the glowing lips that dad indeed seen
formed 70 breathe only s'ntiments &c
ceptable to heaven. When the sound,
Of the afternoon piano practice rAad
ceased, Rachel went to the j6est, =
agreeable 20 the wtr1~s &c @<- -
aif.ss.ssa = Sss .'.isa.py.SoilSSSf yS lSf 0se.W' W,G
with her birds, which she had Jet OuI
for their daily fFofic. The lovely, sPir.
itueIle face with O wealth Of blonde
hair kinkling over the low brow and
about the white temples; the 1.-THE fig
ure, clad m pale blue muslin with 6lmy
Iaces, unjewelled, save by the Perfumed
gems procured from natures blouterie;
with one round bare arm resting on the
pink satin fakes that termed the elbow ol
the chair holding in the upaurned hand
the sporlive mocking bird; the canasy
with rufled wings, perchedOO the cIus-
ter Of tea-Fose-buds eRtwiRed with the
white ribbon that looPedthes short sleeve
at the plump shoulder, and the dimples
that chased one another over her
creamy cheeks, like fairy spirits frol-
licking through the petals Of lilies, in
answer to the silver-laugh over the
birdy contest for the sweets OF her lips
with wh.ch she had tempted them, she
looked the living realization Of the
poets idea as expressed in the FIRST
part of the preface TO this chapter
Not even to the strangers glance could
she have been mistaken for merely the
petted child Of fortune. Nay, for
though born where wealth scattered
profusion around her cradle and in
creased its expenditure at every re-
turning birthday, this sweet child had
grown up under the Christian direction
OF parents, who loved their only one
too well 10 devote her to the hollow
lormalities Of the world: 10 make sac
'rifice OF the fresh young soul 10 the
trivial and meaningless surface Of life.
Not for tie wealth that could count
with the Indies would they have marred
the rarely lovely spirit coming 10
them as q divine blessing, by foster
ing the pride Of worldly possessions
and encouraging the selfsbness that
warps and hardens the heart. From
the hour she could understand the uses
Of charity, she was taught 10 dispense
it, and was furnished a full purse
to exercise the teachings which her
gentle nature imbibeG as by intuition.
Since the health of her mother had be-
come too precsrious to admit Of her
making the wide round Of charitable
visits that she had made one of the
duties Of her means and time, Lucy had
taken her place and every Saturday,
for the past several years, in her pony
carriage, driven by Pow hatan, the aiore-
mentioned pater famIlias, attended by
"mammy" and often accompanied by
Miss Moss. she devoted the whole day
to her visits among the LOsOly and the
needy. Her great delight was in the
old and infirm and the little children.
In the one, she read the salutary les
son, passing away" in the "gray
locks, folded back over the wrinkIed
temples" she saw the dawning OF that
morn which always comes with gladder
light when the gates unlift and the
messenger comes forth with palms to
greet the weary pilgrim from life's
Iowliest walks. In the other, she was
reminded Of the "hand'' stretched forth
to bless and the monition, "unless you
become as one Of these" and, young
as she was, she ministered
around the uncurtained couch
Of pain and poverty"
with the soothing Of older hands and
hearts. Dismissing her birds to the
freedom Of the blooming jardinet, she
listened with tast-falIing tears to the
story she drew from Rachel, having
changed her seat so as the figure Of
Pity would seem to be shellering the
poor mother who sat on a hassock al
her feet. With her soft white hand
lald in tender sympathy on the clasPed
dark ones, she looked The living an
swer to the poets appeal We have quot
ed at the head OF this chapter. In
concluding her story, Rachel drew from
her pocket the pictures Of Lucy and
Morley, and after polishing with her
apron the glass that covered the dear
faces as il jealous of the stray notes
that had fallen on il, the devoted old
servant said, trying to steady her voice:
al couldn't come without these; IL
would have broke my heart to leave
all behind"
"I'll take you back" said the pity
ing child, passing one hand across the
old face as she extended the other TO re-
eeive the pictures.
30, the beautiful bright iacel No
wonder you mourn for the light OF
those eyes; love your Lucy at once, ;"
and she pressed the picture enthusias-
ticaIIy to her lips. "And this is the
dear, good brothes," she continued,
with the same impulsiveness; 20, how
grand! He looks like my Apollo Bel
vedere," said The ingenious girl, look
ing around upon the group Of ststuettes
on q pedestal near The piano. When
her eyes returned to the picture .hey
wore that dreamy gaze, born oi some
feeling she could not define, for its sud
den strangeness iFresistibly questioned
the thoughts--probably one OF the in
delibIe shades Clotho mixes in the weft
Of Destiny-whether light or dark
will only be shown in the fulIing.--
-hs.~ -.~--nsa..~o e. ~mAasn then. "a