The Penn's Grove record., 1883-09-15
A Great Temptation.


Alice ArDden was not a woman one
would select for a heroine because OF
her personality. She was neither large
nor small she was beautiful, l think
(beauty is a hard thing to define and
limit), but it was a beauty of no won
derful or unusual type, and was Of that
kind which grows on n gradually as
his knowledge of the possessor of 1t
grows. There was a wealth of sweet
ness and purity shining up in her eyes,
which tears could never wash out and
the mouth indicated iImness and re-
solution which had its beginning long
before the nights vigil which had left
it so sternly agonized.
The tsouble which has come to Alice
| Arnden is of no unusual kind. 1t is a
sudden sorrow of a kind which has
| crushed out all of hope in life many
times in the past, and will many times
in the future as long as men and maid
ems are proud and willful. One may
say, sony a lovers quarrel" but n
| should remember that there heart
tragedies in this world, under the tor
ture of which men and women may
drag out long lives without finding
peace. To Alice Arnden it seemed as
though everything worth having in life
was now forever utterly beyond her
hope.
She arose from the seat she had oc-
cupied for 70 long, and moved slowly
about her humble room. She had not
known, until she moved, how much
she was suffering physically /; how cold
it wa how cramped and weary she
was. There was really little to do.
Her bed had not been used her room
was in order. She had plenty of time
to prepare herself for the tgsk of cover
ing her sorrow from the gaze of her
friends-if she covld.
She made a fire, and into the fire she
remorsely put all the fragments of the
paper which she hadspoiled in her efforts
to write a simple letter long ago when
her sorrow was new. Long ago. Last
night Happiness gives wings of light
ness to the parts of eternity lying about
our being and so called time, rather
than eternity which we roughly meas
ure and call minutes and seconds and
sorrow weights their noiseless feet with
lead.
MI. George Fenby Is the next among
the actors in this little fragment of
human life.
He sat at his window that morning
as Alice Arnden sat at hers. His win
dow looked in the same direction from
1t ne saw much the same scene she saw.
The stars faded out for him as for her !;
day frightened for him the sunlight fell
| across his face.
But he sat there with d cheerful fire
near him ; he was strong from happy
sleep his eyes were bright and cheerful
and looked as though tears had always
been strangers to them, and his lips
were smiling.
The icy marshes seemed to him atype
of his future. Smooth, white, pure
the light stretching warmly across hem
! and with the ocean outside standing to
him, as TO her, as a type of eternity
an eternity which he felt would be one
of strength and happiness.
George Fenby thought of what he had
in the world to be thankful for this love-
ly morning. A small fortune, enough
for himselt-and one other, a fair WON
an-and good as fair-for his promised
wife /; health, education, friends, in
fuence, position it was indeed a goodly
prospect.
This man was strong and quick ;
good-looking if not handsome. He
looks like a man who would not do a
wicked thing, or think it, while he
might do a weak or foolish one. He
was a man who would be likely to win
a womsn's heart-and hold it a man
whose love a woman might prize, and
the loss of which she might wisely
mourn. Weak enough to be a man,
he vas strong enough to be one, hard to
spare from the life which had once had
him.
There was a happy smile on his face as
he heard his little brother knock at the
door, and he answered "Come inn in a
CHEEKY voice.
Here's a letter for you, George"
"Thank you," said George, as hi
took it.
"You are welcome. By the hand
writing on the envelope / judge tn.
message will be a pleasant one."
And the boy left the room.
A pleasant message The smil,
deepened on the mans face as h,
lovingly handled the letter a little tim
before he broke the seal. A pleasan
message
These were the words he read
"Mr. George Fenby. | will not con
sent to be any longer a hinderer re
garding your higher ambition
never wish to speak with you agail
in all my life. ! give you back you
freedom.