The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1882-03-30

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guide, and that in all essential matters
she should follow it.
From childhood she and Richard
Harris had delighted to play and talk
together; and though no word of love,
no kiss and no caress had ever passed
between them, both their families and
themselves considered their union
merely matter of time and money.
Nor did this absence of the usual pas.
sages of love seem to any one concerned
q strange circumstance. They were
accustomed to the repression of all
outward show of feeling. In neither
household had the children ever seen a
kiss exchanged among its members,
young or old.
Though devoid of any passion for art
herself, Sibbilla understood and re-
spected the forbidden tastes of her
lover. She looked upon his peculiar
abilities as gifts of God for use in life,
and she quietly but firmly put aside the
traditions of her sect, which condemn
them ndiscriminately.
"Wilt thou presume to deny the
many testimonies of Friends, both in
England and America, against these
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being "public friend of considera-
BILE local fame she never employed the
incorrect nominative "thee," even in
family life.
Mother" replied the daughter,
"they spoke for their day. I must act
in mine by the lightI have, not by
theirs"
Her mother wisely avoided argument,
trusting that the Spirit would enlighten
her daughter in time.
Leaving the fodder stack Richard
walked across the bare fields toward
the plain brick house which was Sib-
billa's home. His mind was made up.
He would go to New York and devote
himself to the study of art. He had
saved since his majority about three
hundred dollars. He had youth,
strength, talent, love-was not that
enough? Would Sibbilla approve of
it? Would she make the serious sacri-
flee it involved?
As he approached the house ii was
about 10 o'clock, and all the males were
ont at work. He knocked at the front
door, instead of the side door as usual,
and Sibbilla herself opened it and
gazed at him with considerable surprise
in her hazel eyes, quickly changing to
an expression of pleasure, which Rich
ard did not fail to note, and which
filed him with both Joy and anxiety.
why, Richard, what brings thee
here at this Lourf" was her exclame-
tion.
Sibbilla," he said, ST wish to see
thee," and stepping in he closed the door,
and they both stood in the wide hall,
obscurely lighted by the trensoms at
each end. He paused moment to re-
cover his control, and then spoke in a
low, vibrating tone: " am going to
leave the farm in order to study art. l
shall have to give up my membership
in the Society, as thee knows. Father
says he will leave me nothing if do,
aud know thy mother agrees with
him. But [ am not afraid. All ask
IS that thee approve of my decision and
will become my wife as soon as l am
able to offer thee home"
At that supreme moment Of resolve
all the strength which for generations
had been nurtured by the noble Quaker
theories of selg-reliance, all the passion
which for generations Lad been muflied
and smothered under the narrow Quaker
system of formality and repression,
burst forth and We're expressed in the
face of Sibbilla Vernon. She seemed
TO rise in stature, and looking him full
in the eyes, laying one hand on his arm
and passing the other round his neck,
she said:
/" Richard, L will come to thee then,
or l will go with thee now."
The tone was low and the words with.
out haste, but he who heard it felt in
his inmost soul that no oath could be
StronEer.
Thank God and thee" he uttered,
aud for the first time in their lives each
felt the magic meaning of kiss of
love.
Seated on the wooden "settee,"
which is the common furniture of the
country hall, he told her his fathers
words and action and his own unaltera.
BILE determination to seek his future in
art. 1t was agreed that they should be
married by magistrate as soon as Rich.
ard should have an income of seven
hundred dollars year.
Full of quiet Joy he went home, an
nounced his intended marriage and i'm
mediate departure, packed his trunk,
and told Moee to have the dearborn
ready at O'Clock in the evening to
take him to the station. After the 5
o'clock supper the members of the
family maintained almost entire silence,
his mother quietly crying, his father
reading the "Book of Discipline" his
favorite literature.
The dearborn drove up with Nose,
who had been to the station with the
milk, and stopping at the country store,
which was also the postoffice, had
brought letter for Richard. 1t was
rather unusual for any member of the
hous ehold to receive a letter, therefore
Nose announced it with considerable
emphasis, addressing his master by his
first name as is the custom in strict
families:
"Joseph, hy'u-'s q letter for Rich
ard. Hiram sez it's letter from York,
and pears as if it mout be on bizness." /"
Joseph took the letter, and resisting
a strong inclination to open it passed it
to his son. 1t was from the firm in
New York to whom he had sent copy
of his picture, and it read:
New YORK, January 18, -.
DEAR SIR: We have the qualification
Of informing you that the study you
sent us on sale has attracted the atten-
tion of one of our patrons, to whom we
have parted with it for $500. Deduct,
ing comm, stor'ge, insur'ce, del'y, etc.,
as per inclosed statement, leaves a net
bal. of $372.62, for which find our ok