Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-02-17

The last evening had arrived that we were to
| spend together; and proposed farewell visit
to the Lake Of the COL a favorite place Of resort
for tourists. A brief half-hour's walk from the
auberge brought US thither. Never was a more
| lovely autumnal evening! All three sat down
silently on the shore, side by side. No one ut
tered word for some minutes; each of Us
thought the more. A light shower had fallen q
little while before, and the distant mountain
range was still spanned by the faint arch Of a
other alternately and speechlessly. The stiffness
at last became oppressive for there Is silence
which, like darkness may be felt! The spell was
broken by Sylvia
'How beautiful is yonder rainbow" she said.
Eyes" murnured. half unconsciously; land
just as yOnder brilliant arch melts away into the
dusk OF the cleaning, so shall the brighter hues
of my present life fade again into the outer
| darkness of the past"
yet, i" she whispered, edging unconsciously
nearer to me, there is beautiful old Greek
| fable which represents Iris as the chosen mes
senger Ofthe gods to mankind, the divine har-
binger of hope and love-"
The last monosyllable tiuttered little. 1
thought, on her lip, and caused me instinctively
to raise my face tohers. She slightly changed
of a womans eye. Yet, even then, my CON
science smOte me. and shrank and recoiled
from accepting the full Interpretation. Involun-
tarlly clasped her hand, and passionately ex-
claimed.
"Sylvia! would to Heaven we had never met
or met never more to part. Nature has en-
lowed you with her choicest gifts and graces of
mind and person-whereas 10 Cod" cried,
IN an Outburst of passion and resentment
against my fate, "why hast Thou made me thus,
and cured me with the Tantalus gift of a brain
TO conceive and heart to crave after that
which my bodily presence and speech eternally
forbid me to hope for and realiZe?"
Uttering this wild imprecation rather than
prayer, hid my face in my hands. and buried
my short lived hopes in the lowest deep of
despair.
How long remained thus know not, but a
ray of light suddenly flashed upon my eyes, and
felt both my hands gently but firmly clasped in
those OF her dared not love. Then whisper,
SOFT and low, yet clear as crystal bell, fell on
my ear: ITO me at least, since the first evening
we met you have never once been The Odd
Looking Man." q
ON our way back to the inn, the fresh chime
OF the Angelus came floating upward from the
belfry of the little chapel below.
ut reminds me, said. ''0f distant peal of
wedding bells.'"
ITO me-" she replied, ut seems rather like
the chorus ofsouls eternally welded in heaven"
On the anniversary of that day, ten years
later. married couple with three healthy,
happy-loOking children alighted from mule-back
at the inn of the Madonna della Finestra. Evil
gently English, they yet seemed no strangers to
the place. though the inmates Of the house failed
to recognize them; it it were not that the au-
bergiste remarked casually to his wife ''that the
stranger reminded him of guest of theirs
some ten years ago. But" added he, "the
other was queer-looking fellow, quanto n,aa.
and never seemed to be in his sober senses like.
night or day, till the last week he spent with
couple of English ladies. the younger of whom
was his innamorata.' This Englishman, how
ever, looks as II he had never tasted drop Of
good liquor for the last ten years of his life !;
besides being tonte collie more decent-looklng
fellow altogether than raltro poverino.'
The same evening. when the stranger and his
family were sitting down to dinner, the Angelus
gang out as usual it's sweet and simple hymn.
Then turning fondly towards his wife, he said:
my Sylvia my Providence this is the tenth
anniversary of the day when we hailed in those
evening chimes the benson of Heaven on our
betrOthal. Now let us hear IN them renewed
benediction on our yet happier welded life and
beloved offspring p
And she, with clasped hands and smiling
through her tears whispered a heartfelt
"Amen !"-Belgrarid.