New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-01-29

/ VTWTTt,
day long upon couch near the window Of her room,
! where she can the lake. She saws she loves to
| watch the changing shadows that pass across its
surface. aud hardly knows whether sEe loves 1t best
| on a sunny day "A cloudy one. / heard lady say
| to Mrs. Coyeney the other day that poor Miss
! Mannerings lie hing upon thread" So this IS
the sad side of my story, you see hut am glad
with all my heart tnat | have seen and known her
before that slender thread has snapped in two.
want you and my dearest mother to try and believe
IN me inst little It VIII hcip me moro IMAM any
thing else in the struggle which must come. to see
that You do, however little il may he. IL must be
hard thing for You 10 forget and iorgi;e the past
and 10 put some faith in the future; but dear
father-try do ali these things for me"
We can most OF us bear great sorrow once we
brace ourselves to meet il; but the touch of an
nnlooked-for Joy Is sometimes more than the full
heart can endure.
When he had read TINS far in his boys letter,
Ruhvcn DyOtt crossed the room sharply sat down
beside his desk. hid his face upon his arms. aud
broke out crying like a child.
Sometimes in a black and stormy sky tiny rift
appears. through which struggling sunbeam
strikes the world
Ruthvrn Dvott and his wife Alice had Ofttimes
made them feel like weary travellers beneath sun
legs sky.
Now came the rift overhead and the sunray of
hope. Ru hyen saw his wfe's sad face soften to a
smile; noted new buOyancy in her step; Lifting
of the misty dmness that had stolen the light from
She was none of those Jealous mothers who grudge
TO see the work ing of any influence save heir own
IN the lives Of their children Only let her be- sure
that Influence was for good and she could tina k
Heaven for il rs for "A welcome boon, She set in
her PRAYERS the name Of tins new friend whom ,.I
Cuthbcrt had grown to love; she knew that the
hand which shOuld lead him back to the lost path
way of recttude must lead HIM back to her--his
She felt as if her hoy innocent and loving, was
about to he given back 70 her.
When the SUNDAY came round il so CHANGED that
tbc esson for the dav cont9inpd the parable of rhe
prodigal son. and rs Alice listened TO the eXnltant
cry: For tnis my son was dead ana IS alive again
vas lost and is found her husband saw the big
tears gather and fall, and knew that they were
For Cnthbert's father and mother believed in the
sincerity of his repentance believed in the reality
of his determination for the future and Alice had
written to Inn letter that no one else; not even
her husband eTGr saw-a letter IN winch ., she had
botcd ont, of the future as radiant with hope ana
firm resolve. o,,.,-. -.
and were full of plans for his welfare Hitherto he
had cast aside all opportunities OF making career
for himself i'm life: things would be different
he would work with Them not pnll against them.
T}ut inste al of the expected arrival came sum-
dearest father wrote the bOv, will you come
mn here as quickly as you can An old friend wants
to see You. If Won do not come at once y oM VIII
come TOO latc. Miss Mannerng was once MIllicent
Warner. Sho had to change her name to take pos
session of some pTOpcrtV: hut she says Won VIII re-
member the name she bore in DAYS long past
Father she has been o much to me- will You not
do rs she asks and come and see her before she
dos7 She is feeble one can hardly hear her
sneak. Yesterday we thought she would not live
TIL night $500. -. 49,.
bour- md tell her no Cuthhert's mother hesseS
her name: 90 and see your old friend, dear hus-
bandr
to take 4 last farewell of the woman he had loved
lone wears AGO. and to whom he now owed debt of
stenpnq i'm to claim the future.
she Inv in darkened room. Her worn and at
tenuatrd frame draped in snowy wrapper
whose folds were scarcely whittier than the face of
the diving woman. or the sun luynriani mar ihhr
WIS mt back from her brow. The small, high
featured, ccar-cut face that he remembered so well
looked m ut him. The sensitive, dellc2teIy chs
elIed uosirils bad crown transparent {; the mouth
was deeply lined the Inns pa'lld: Int the old sweet
ness lnri;ed in the smile hat greeted HIM. 1t was
not q meeting of maUv words ut first hearts were
too ful for pa to he eloquent. go
'Puthron ole friend said Milly, and then, with
her hand i'm bis. kent silence.
You have been so good began Ruthven pre-
sent'v.
that is what wanted 50 much to see vou for; your
how has done Won and his mother great wrong. but
T believe in him Ruthvrn. DO Won have faith in
him TOO feel that rhp turning point in his vOung
life has come Il that ne will take the straigh.
road now Surely dear friend, rhe old imDul Sive
WAYS that used 10 srold you for long ago. have
hung about Won still for sometimes. il seems 10
me- Won have been hastv wIrh the lad and met his
expression Of sorrow with hot word or two that
would better have been left unSaid. As 10 your
wife-ah. Rutnvcn, should like TO have seen vour
virn-vou viii see that i'm the time tn cine her boy
will make mn to her for the main he has cost her in
thc uaat and she viii not grudge the tears she has
shed Mothers never do. think
he is the dearest, tcndercst, best said Ruth
II am surc OF that. Tell hor thar she does not
seem Ike stranger to me-, but like some one have
known and loved and suffered with. have
th,ught 20 much about her since knew her boy,
that she has seemed TO grow Guitr near me-
Milcent lay there like a waXen image 50 white,
so still with closed ewes and linS Gcnilv moving.
And Puthyen watching her. felt old memories rise
and in TAI
All at once she looked up at him, eagerly in
I knew Cuihhert for Your son the moment saw
him and took him straight into my heart.
'You mt me away from your heart in the old
"'I slight spasn crossed her marble features
'Did II Well | have made mp for it now. l
have kept Won in nv memory all these years
'Why did you never answer my last letterP
L ALWAYS was one 70 do things thoroughly, you
know: even NY enemies allowed that; and so I
Ell ITo thonrht the hand that still lay in his was
growing strangely cold. and hal half mind 10 call
for some attendant. But, as II dvnlng MS lnten-
ton Milly gently shook her head
What careless boy YOU we're. upSettlng all my
cotton bobbins" size said presently, with FAINT
'Rut I was very sorry. and picked them all mp
again: Won counted them. you know he answered,
humoring her mood.
Surely. surely the hand in his was growing colder
still.
Her mind was wandering back to the old home.
Once more she saws the river stealing on, whisper
rs through tie sedgeS, gliding beneath the alder
Lolghs, and Puthycn, not the lic-wOrn man who
stood hesi e her now but a slender, darh-eyed boy
with a Smi.e like sur shine
Ue'rinr her breath come short and fast, Ruthven
would fain have sought some aid, but the feeble
fingers held him fast
30 rot co. she SAID, seeming to battle for a
moments fresh strength: there Is sonnet hing else
want to say; put your head closer Gown 10 me. L
am not strong you see. and-mv voice laiis me.
ri, foil am. he
his lips AGAINST her bands.
Ruthyen' she said softly. you say ! put yon
from my heart, and II - tue, uear, out-I loved
SlIenca. mo- mind hnt The tcking Of clock hard