The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-01-06

many absences Of the day was changed
to a wondering pity that they could heed
lessly miss such delightful refresh
ment.
Faithful thoughtit was scarcely worth
his while to stop at the Interpreter s
house, but, OH how much he missed!'
she thought, with a pleasant adaptation
Of the wonderful old allegory to her own
case. but moment after. noting the
look of pleased appreciation upon the
heiress's expressive face, a little worldly
leaven naturally crept i'll among the
higher thoughts, and she wonde ed II
Miss Thornleigh wouldn't pay the extra
fifty that the soprano had insisted upon
in addition to her present salary from
her own purse rather than lose so desir-
able q singer? it was more than probable,
and she would remember to introduce
the subject at the very earliest oppor-
tunity.
But worldly thoughts and calculations,
however innocent, took flight like Il
brood OF startled ground sparrows, as,
in his calm, sweetly-reyerent tones, the
minister announced his text for the day:
"Behold. | bring you good tidinSs of
great ioy;' and with warming nod at
one of the orphans" whose Christmas
spirits were threatening to get the upper
hand of church decorum. and run over
in Il laugh at sight of Miss Thornleigh' S
spaniel perched upright upon the
cushioned seat at his mistress's side,
Miss Meredith settled herself comfort
ably in the warmest corner of her own
pew, close to the register, and prepared
to listen With loving appreciation to her
brothers exposition of the sacred text.
And as she listened she forgot the
scantily-filled pews, the mischievous,
restless children in the seats opposite,
even the proud, beautiful woman who
had occupied her thoughts so short a
time before, and something that was
almost sob rose from her warm sensi-
tive heart as, with a tender solemnity
that might have touched far less i'm
pressible nature than hers, the preacher
made his closing appeal:
'Let us bury to-day, beneath the man
ger at Bethlehem, every hardness that
has made our own lives unlovely and the
life of our neighbor miserable, and may
this blessed Christmas be to our hearts
the burial stone of all past wrongs and
grudges, the resting place of those white
robbed angels Of peace and good will,
who shall proclaim to our enlighi ened
souls the joyful tidings that the Merciful
vet lives to bless and aid his merciful
children"
Perhaps" unused tne conscientious
little woman, Il haven't been quite as
cordial to Miss Peabody since she ac-
cusel me of meddling too much i'll par
i.h matters, but Ill call there tomorrow
and carry her jar of my raspberry jam
she'll like it, l know" and having forti-
fed herself with this laudable resolu-
ton, she found time to glance at the
face of Miss Thornieigh, while with a
little natural pride she measured the
effect of her brothers eloquencc upon
that lady's mind.
And as she looked, she wondered, in
voluntarily, how some people could call
the beautiful heiress cold and naughty
looking.
The proud eyes were meekly down
cast. now. and a tremulous color had
crept into the usually unrutiied cheek,
while all the hardness seemed to have
slipped away from the disturbed and
quivering mouth, leaving only a smile.
mt once so tender and thoughtful, that
the most timid supplicant would have
taken courage from its very gracious
ness.
1t was not the first time that Helen
Thornleigh's soul had been forced to ac-
knowledge the claims OF Il nobler, broad
er charity than the old narrow "eye FOR
an eve" creed, but to day the words of
the preacher, commonplace and simple
as they might seem to others, had for
her strange and almost irresistible
power, and as she bowed her forehead in
mute reverence during the closing bene-
diction, wave from the unforgOtten
past swept broadly over her soul, bring
ing with it IA flood of bittersweet men,
cries of those other days, when with
unchildish devotion she had invariably
yielded her own way and wishes, III great
as in little things, to the elder sister, who
was, in her Girlish Imagination, II para
gon OF beauty, grace and virtue, until,
as the years slipped by, to her simple
daised chain, and with girlhoods open
ing roses came that wonderful awakening
of heart and brain that only loves touch
can compass, it was that sisters hand
that stole the cup OF JOY from her very
lips. wounded 10 the death both her love
and her pride, and with the selfish AFRO
gance OF an INDUCED and pampered ma
ture, set herself, IN a fit Of jealous pigue.
to win to her own side the promised nus
band of another, and that other her own
sister.
1t was no secret; the very loafers at
the street corners could tell the story of
that bridal night, with its missing bride
groom and bridesmaid the cruelty in
sulting message that the morning tele-