Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-01-27
CHAPTER Y

CHATTER V.
At the sight of her home and nurse, and
at the suggestion of her grandmother all
of Charles old war-like spirit began TO
assert itself. She had during the last few
minutes Of her walk almost reasoned her
self into the belief that she owed her
strange escort a word Of thanks and a
very small apology; but now he came,
somehow, INTO her endless category of
guardians and friends, and she felt spite
full and belligerent. AS he turned to
leave, still preserving his promised 81
lence, she said:
Il think you must be convinced now
that l was in no danger, and could have
gotten home without your help, sir.
Marin Marget, open that gate quickly;
Pm tired"
He took off his hat and made a most
graceful bow, and, with a very slight ges-
ture OF leave-taking, was gone. Charlie
was in a rage with herself, and wished
the man in the bottom of the Dead Sea.
lie was so elegant, and looked so hand
some in the starlight with his hat off,
She knew she mad acted improperly, I'M
kindly, rudely; and she believed she
should hate this man until she died for
being the cause of her anger and impOlite-
ness.
WHO in de worP dat man, Miss
Charlie? Sure's you born to die, seen him
beto'. Pow'ful good lookin'. but dunn as
a dead OK. Where you get emp
"Ohi l don't know anything about him.
nanny. He is ghost or ghoul, or dis
embodied spirit, L reckon. L hate and de-
spise his very looks. Don't you speak to
me about him. | wish he was dead and l
was tOO.'
''Poor chile! poor chilel Somebody
done gone and bothered you, and your
grandma waiting fur you wild de steam
all On!'
Il don't care if she is, Pm Just as mad
as she is. When Greek meets Greek
Poor nanny, how long have you been at
the gate looking for me?"
One solid hour, my blessed chile. Your
mamma been dar too, and we bofe scared
fur you. Keep your upper lip stiff, chile
bar yu cross, an you'll wear deScrOwn.
Cook put off supper late to make it seem
early fur you. But, honey, Mas Albert
put up de settin'-rOOm clock quarter
hour; L seed him do it. Blessed be de
Lord, dat man is agriwationr'
At the manse two happy old people
drink their tea peacefully because, loving
all mankind, and at rest from pressing
cares, no bitter drop mixes itself with
the calm happiness of the hour. Each
day with these, both of whom rank with
the pure in heart unto whom such
largesse is promised, is a leaf in the I'M
written record of good deeds made accep-
table and effective by the gentlest chari-
ties. Broad Of thought, gentle of judg-
ment and sound of heart, they are not I'M
equally yOked If the feminine impul-
siYeness which underlies all thoroughly
excellent wOmanly characters some
times calls for a wise and gentle check,
so does the uncOmprOmising cOmbative-
ness of just and righteous conviction
need the restraint of a WOman's cooler adj
justment; and both have been supplied
with loving, fOrbearing consideration for
years. Verify, are these two one in its
best sense of fitness and fullness. The
long years which have slipped so quietly
away, and which snow such fOreshOrt-
ening in retrospectiOn are unshadewed
by note of inharmOny in the scheme of
domestic accord, and the grasp of hands
so tenderly joined at the altar, has only
frightened and grown frmer with the
clustering years. In the last decade both
hearts had grown tenderer, possibly
weaker, living as they did in sight of four
little graves. Out Of the harsh sting of
acute suffering had grown a wistful gen
tleness, which lacked the judiciOus firm
ness of an earlier date. But better far to
be sOftened, aye, and even weakened by
the discipline of years, than to have
hardened into the memorable; true to a
stern principle, but blind to tender human
sympathies, Charlie had come under the
subdued light of their tenderer days, and
they had spoiled her. They were even
more obnoxious to the charge than any
other persons living. They had done it
methOdically, constantly, with curious
delight in their mOnStrOus pastime. She
seemed to them so lacking in her home, so
cheated of her rights, that into her empty
life it became their positive duty to pour
the wine of a superintendent pity, the
oil Of an Oyerweening tenderness.
oh,
fragrance, and a beauty in their grave
tinted lives. They slnned almost willfully.
The excuse was Charlie. The motive
was Charlie. The reward was Charlie. 1t
seems not very hard to forgive the GRIM
inal old couple, to condOne their Offense
with mild judgment, and even to conniYe
in their corruption by smiling compiled
ty in the deed. Certain it is that such Of
lenses can be tolerated by the very merci-
ful without exhaustive reasoning, and do
not ''smell rank to heaven" save in the
nOstrIls of the ''uncO guild" Even with
this heinOus sin charged and chargeable
to their own cOnsciences, these can and do
sit in a fearless calm.
Well, who can doubt but that the Re
cOrding Angel scores such like Offenses
with but a delicate stroke, setting them
against a long continuous column of
sterling virtues, entered with cOnspicu-
Ously heavy shading.
But Charlie! Has her biOgrapher no
complaint to urge on her behalf? What
are the articles in the bill of indictment?
How does the long record sum up? Some
what in this wise:
She has been taught an uncompromis-
ing love of truth mixed up with tender
ness, generosity with caresses, candor
with indulgence, cheerfulness with low
ing, charity with fOndness, and duty with
far too much license. In perfectly just
measure the sterling good far Outbalances
the irresistibly bad.
DR.. Fearne and wife are permitted to
walk out into the world free and unmO-
Tested. They are acquitted by jury of
similar sinners. With hearty shake of