New-York tribune., 1882-03-12

| sorrow in early life sorrow out OF whose chill
| shadow life did not seem long enough to drift me.
| The evenings of these sunny winter days were OF
| exquisite beauty-glOwing skies, saiiron-tinted,
hung over white and gllstening world. so stll
| was the still air that solitary leaf cling
| ing to its parent branch by slender, shriyelled
| stem did not stir.
1t wanted but three days to Christmas Eye, and
| had been out first to the town to buy Christmas
offering for Polly, then some way along suburban
roads roads thickly wooded on either hand, where
amid labyrinth Of twigs and stems. proudly the
robin sang, swelling his little crimson breast and
nut. brown throat rejoicing in the sunny days.
walked further than | intended; for the beauty of
the evening lured me on and so, by the time tnat
| Pilfer aud | reached home it was quite dusk, tho
saffron and the red had died ont of the sky and the
| white world had turned TO gray. took OIL my
! bonnet. warmed my hands-fOr though bright The
day had been cOld-then strOlled slowly across the
room to the window.
Grove with his lamps the other side was stlll dark
| But had scarcely looked across the way when
uttered q cry caught the heavy window-curtain in
| my hand and stood staring. Yes yes; my fancy
| had proved true. 80
Margaret had been boarding up for me Christ,
mas gt--ner own sweet self, and little Maze
The room in the house opposite was full OF a falht
| soft light-a light which, thought, must come
from the fire 1t shone on the ttle neaa an GSGr S
against my shoulder when Margaret and talked
together by the frelight it shone on the figure OF
little Maize, casped close about the shoulders by
could not at that distance sec the features of
either mother or child, but there was something
!
when | waved my hand the greeting met with no
! response. -
The chill seemed clingng to the mother; the
mother looked not at the child but straight across
! at M.
Good Heaven I said, speaking under my
breath some horrible thing has happened: it al-
! most thOugh Margaret seeks protection Ior
Nt thi5 moment Plfcr, who had fingered by the
kItChen-hte since came IN, ran into the room anu
Tnsn, With one glad shrll cry. that ecstasy Of
| welcome always held sacred 10 Maze am MaZlo
alCne. he Spiang NJ against the Rlass' buJ DC
th.ught him uf Il better way - reach the haven or
nls fond desire, and rus Ell madly down tho stairs
Stopping only to catch MP my bonnet from WheTe
| 1t lay On the c0ucn. followed.
iI5w cold the nignt hal turned! A sudden rising
wing whI,tled through the tall popars and the
! shUiderIuU liHdcns. .
inothcr moment. AMI Piller and l stood on the
/ doorstep OF thC opposite house. $500
had never slapped to ak myself II my proceed
lngs were wisc-'f my prompt appearance m'Sul 10
welcome to the master OF the house.
| only wanted 10 gen to Marr.ict
The laulght above tho door showed no gIinm'f
! The bell rs l rang it secmtd to echo through ii
PjiIer. howline and barking alternately in an
| agony of impaticuCe stool with ms nose showed
| 10 one came. The Hmpilhter had finished his
task. aud gone his way. Not s0ul was astr III the
! wifi waste around me; not SGuld broke the
Stiffness Of the house whose portal seemed closed
| / was inst going to rn- again. when in from the
drslly gTayucs5 of The road came iigure-col'noh-
place, LONELY, IcalAirs Crawoha", tic deal care
She had been out markctiuc, and carried basket
on her arm. She evidently regarded my presence
on her doorstep ut that ;m OF night as an uhSpe"k
! able imgcltucuce. She laughed in my face wich l
| had succeeded in making her understand that was
under the Impression Mrs NcstmacCtt had returned
in fact. had seen her and the child at the window
! While | ShOntcd, and the dear "cmah-eNluehiB
un,Cr the impression she was sPcakiuS IN voice
rather subducd than otherwise bawled her replies,
poor Piifer appeared to Ie last becoming raOIu' 81
| hot WAS his imUltIPnCp.
'Dfat the dog? said Mrs Crawshaw, as he rushed
like vision past her porty person thG instant she
slipped the atch-key into the lock ana opeheu tue
have no doubt she would have said, Drat the
lady, too If she had spoken the language Of her
What she did say was this
go and look for Yourself ii there's anything here
4 dipcandIe stood on the hall table, together
/ with a box of matches. Mrs. CrawShlw Ut the
candle and then She and mounted to the first hoor
| sittlngroom 1t was bare and chill enough. for all
! the little knchkna'Ss that had made IL hOinellke
| order In tie cold dark crate were tie deal cmberS
e q fire. and >trewed above them varou, cddS ana
Ell d. which it had struck Mrs. CraWahaws fancy 40
- aint set it to right yet said the old woman,
feeling, | suppose; Eha; some aP93gy was cal.9d ,
| for; then she added uuea>ily: y LateYer Is ado
! with that there d" drafted crcetur" y!
What indeed ! Shirerng, covering, winning IN
most pcous fashion, illcr IN Iced presented a
/ lamentabe spectacle. Not much worse, perhaps
! than did myself; but then, happily sometimes we
cannot see ourselves.
1t is terrible to me-cyen now at this long dis;
tance of yclrs-to write of the time tDat followed
on that awful night. | tried to put the memory o., GI
| II from me: tut the vision remained as distinctly
painted on the canvas OF my mind rs II still before
| my eyes . o.
| 20 all my mental dlsquiet was added mysterious
and oycrpowcring sense of illness | say myste-
rious. because no physical causes were present 10
account for the symptoms that declared them selves
| My heart throhbcd in lab0rcd manner, that at
| times made ne feel rs though my hold on life were
! trulv but feeble clutch that ut any moment might
! Loosen In the nght | WOKE up hathcd III cold
| Swcats Sitting erect in the darkness, WIping
away the beads oi moisture from breast ana prov"
| was conscious OF being under sCme terrible pos
session.. Some unseen presence seemed forever
| near me some ghastly hand tearing at my bosoni
as though to rcnd the soul from out my tortured
And still no letter came from Margaret
Surely began to think, that dlStrrsslul vision
| has ds0rlr-ed nv Imagination. and distorted my
foncvJ | scarce dared glance al the house the
way lest once more the faint soft light the statue
| still form of my lost friend. should scar my eyes
| ike the blast from Il seethlng furnace
| | hav5 used the expression lost to Margaret,
because. in spite of myself Is it were. Thought of
her as something taken from me-parted IRON me
by mmeasnrable guli some grim ana ghasty
sitting solitary by my ain fresidc one gruesome
night when the bare branches of the climbing roses
| kent dashIng themselves wildly against the panes
| when the wind kceucd as thou ch singing the cOrO-
mach of the old year that fast dying came TO
| suJJrn and firm resolve What That resolve
NAV best be gathered from the events OF the NOR
row; a day spent by Polly in elacuatory eAclama-
tions over my preparations for journey .
Nv the late tidal train went south, crossed the
! Channel III the gloom of winters night ana
landed at st. Malo i'll the gray Iight ol the early
| morning.
| | seemed unconscious of everything round me-
blind 10 all Use SAFE that was ionrneylng between
slly where clouds drftcd fast and thick across the
face of a wintrv moon, and a where foam tipped
| waves rolled and dtumbled-Journeying on to Marga-
| ret. ,- -. -. I
| Ii her dear hand-how well | knew its soft ana
| sotinv touch--had beeu claSpng mine the whole
way could not have felt more as II her VIII was
i L L.. .-..... Ia