Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1881-06-10
Nellie's Grave.

A LADY correspondent OF lie Burling-
ton Uowa) Ha,eleye, in q late letter from
Nevada. has the following beautiful
paragraphs:
Riding the other day | cane upon an
old buryinG ground, whence al OF tue
graves have not been removed. Ihere
is one surrounded by fence, hut tn"
stone has fallen backwards, revealing
the simple inscription. Neiiie-died
Yesterday" Died yesterday, so and so,
every day it is written. Every day
flower is plucked from some sunny
home: a breach made IN some happy
circle: jewel taken from some treasury
Of love. Perhaps it Was gentle babe,
whose laugh was like the guSh of sum-
mer rIils lettering in the green wood
whose little life was perpetual htsuy
of May.time crowned with tue passion
flowers that Fever fade. Perhaps II
vas a youth, hopeful and generous.
reaching forth with earnest struggle Tor
the guerdon in the distance; or perhaps
i. was a mother called to rest, 10th 10
leave behind her the tender cares Of
wifehood and motherhood; OF perhaps
it was an aged. man, bowed with years
and burdens. and even as he looked out
upon the hills for the coming OF the
angel host, he sank into dreamless
slumber, and on his doorpost next day
was written, "Died yesterday.
Aud there seemed to me II most pa
thetic thought in this inscription on
the lonely grave. 1t will still be as
Yesterday to the hearts Of the scrrowing
loving friends, on whom the blow o!
sffliction fell. And in the one word
Nellie" there is infinite trust. that
those who trust Him here, He then will
not deny; that with Him, an angel fair
still lives Nellie, and that "amid the
worlds assembled race, they shall know
her little face"
Prudence and in our evening talks
together have woven tender little story
| out of the baby's grave on the bleaS
hillside.
But FAUST tell you who Prudence is
and that is best done in telling what
she does. For the four years since the
opening of the school she has faithfully
managed its musical department. She
ia full of music, written and unwritten,
and it is always bubbling over in carol
or song, hymn or anthem, or cheerful
smiles and hopeful words. She has b
Sunday school class Of half dozeu
boys, whom she is trying to train for
the ministry, but (sub rosa, If you
please, I do not believe she will sue
ceed). She spends good part of her
leisure time looking after those boys,
and how large fraction of what she
earns during the other half, l will not
venture to say. You see she is prudent
for the hereafter. "laying up treasures
in heaven" hence her name.
Aud how does she look? That is a
hard question to answer in words.
Think of all the fretfulness, complain
ings, discomfort, selfshness, narrowness
and ugliness you ever saw in faces
then think that the face of this friend
of mine is as far from any of these as
freedom is from bondage.
But say goodbye to Prudence. now,
until you greet her in the pages of my
novel.
1 know of man (by sight who
would make q first-class villain. He
may be perfectly honest, but his hair
grows low on his forehead. his gray
eyes CLEAN with steady, cruel glare,
under bushy. beetling. sandy eyebrows.
I know to-day two women who are base
and treacherous as if the very blood of
Judas Iscariot filled their veins, and
they both look child like and Innocent.
but it is an innocence born of cunning.
I pity them, for their lives are sordid,
narrow, bitter and soulless. It is an
odd thing how very much franker a
manner some types of hypocrites wear
than really frank person ever has. 1
know q man VINO can, on occasion. tell
cowardly lies with as steady gaze of
his light blue eyes-sunny, clear, I'M
fiinching blue eyes-into your face as
an honest man could give, but, even as
he speaks, his lips blanch and the
trembling chin betrays the coward.
But, thank God, there are tender,
brave. loyal and true lives all about Us
There are these, everyone knows them
who inspire one with the belief that
this is q glad and glorious world; there
are those from whom familiar words
come to us fraught with new meaning,
for their faith, high, clear and sweet,
spiritualizes every thought; there are
powerful souls, so dsuntless, that with
brave cheer they rise above the veriest
tempest OF sorrow in this sorrowing
world; there are those, steadfast and
helpful, whose tones haunt the memory
like q sweet unknown voice heard in
the still night weaving Song familiar
and filled with some undyipg Joy of
our far-off days.
Oh, yes, the materials of our web are
all about us, just IS the weeds and flow
ers are. just as passions and loves and
hates are verywhere-jast as there are
little sins and big sins. holy aspirations
and sordid aims. grandeur and mean
ness, spiendor and squalor everywhere.
and always where men and women
gather together and scheme and strive
and push and struggle and live and die.