Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1884-10-11
A WoMAN's FAITH.

| They were lovers. Allthe romance
and sentiment of the world was
theirs. There is something unfath
ENABLE in this thing called love. II
tyrannizes over body and soul as nc
other feeling can. 1t creates happi
ness from the greatest sorrow, light
from the deepest darkness.
| Through her tears as they parted
shone such light of love that he al
most dared call her wife. She knew
that she was loved in return, and
that knowledge created a faith in he1
heart which was to endure even to
the gates OF Heaven and beyond.
"Ina year," he whispered as he
left her.
And she answered.:
will wait year--a lifetime p
When year had passed and no
word came from him they tried to
shake her faith by creating doubts.
Men had no constancy, they sneered ;
men would wiring IA woman's heart
and have no pity. Tears came to
her brown eyes, but again she ans
wered:
"He will come back to me y
When the one year had become
five the old sailors in the taverns and
lofts shook their heads and said to
each other that the ship had surely
been lost and that her young cap
tain would never be heard of more.
Wives felt pity for the heart long.
ing and waiting through such I'M
certainty, and they whispered that
it would be no sin to love again.
81 shall see hun again-he will
surely return!'' was the answer OF
Faith, with her sorrowful face and
aching heart.
The five years became ten. The
brown hair was streaked with gray,
and the girls fair face had become
the face of a woman who carries a
sobbing, wailing misery IN her heart.
Men showed their cruelty by seek
ing to awaken new love; women
exhibited their bitterness of heart
towards their own sex by ridiculing
her faith. But the light of a never
dying heroism burned in her eyes as
she answered them!
"He gave me his promise-I am
watching for his ship!"
And the ten years became twenty.
Men and women had gone to their
last rest until scarcely one remem-
bered when the lost ship sailed or
who was her captain. But there
were children who heard her story,
and as they smoothed down the gray
hair and soft hands they whispered !:
"Itis SO sad And he was lost at
sea ~
Lostw she answered. "Aye!
even though the whole world told
me so I should wait and watch for
him ~
And twenty years became thirty.
One night when the storm vexed sea
dashed the shore in fury and the men
uttered brief prayers to God as they
turned their faces upon the ships
making a brave fight for life, Faith
lay dying.
The end had come. A human
heart, troubled and SCARED by wait
ing in yain-by hoping, to be ever
disappointed-was about to be still
ed. For moment the storm lulled,
just as man draws a long breath
before dashlng into some great peril.
AS it screamed and roared again
in It's vengeance, Faith lifted her
thin hand and whispered:
"He is coming back to me! ]
shall see him again and hear his
voice once more ~
The nurse moved nearer and whis-
pered kind words, but Faith waved
her aside and cried out
"Do not come between us! l hear
his footsteps-he is here! | loved
him, and my reward has come at
last! Let me clasp his hand-let me
look into his eyes!"
And again the storm lnlled, until
the gale died to sobs and whispers,
and the roar of the turf sounded
miles away. Before the fury gather
ed itself for fresh attack two spirits
passed out fthe house hand in hand
and afar on the path to Heaven
She had listened, and his footballs
had at last echoed in her ears. She
had watched, and her glazed eyes
had at last been gladdened. She
had waited, and he had come to be
With her through the perils Of the
dark valley.