The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1885-06-13

there was no refuge for them except the
public hospital. Here they were denied
this last humiliation and grief, hope and
faith in God seemed utterly crushed out
of their hearts. The man was the more
despairing of the two, and after some TINT
had elapsed he made a solemn resolution &c
end his own life, as soon as he could be-
plish the deed. When be was so weak a.
scarcely to be able to write, he feebly
traced these lines of farewell:
MYPoOR SUFFERING WIFE:-When you reao
these words i shall be beyond the reach OF
earthly pain and sorrow but 40 not ,aKs
idea of escaping from misery, and leaving
you to bear il alone. i have deliberately
come to the conclusion fnsS d Isre f anythns
but continual trial of privation and anxiety;
and so the best course Is to die for you. In
the old happy days have often told you tina
would die for you. said 1t unthinkingy
then, but mean it now.
could have borne your death-there Is
peace in sorrow for the dead-but 10 live on
perhaps for years, to De always stand n ng ya IN
down to deeper depths OF misery, TINS coula
not endure. You are still young and beautl-
full. o, my darling, II we're TO see you again,
| and leave you'll Life may be bright for you
| yet; SO far it has only been horror OF DESC
lation, and hoped to make you SO happy. !
| / intended to render your existence a dream
| of poetry, music and romance; and L could
do nothing except to love you and that
have done, God only knows how madly.
| Forgive me, my darling, for the sorrow l
cause you now. If others think me cowardly
| and selfish, you will understand II there Is
a loving Ruler of the universe, as have pc
| lieved in happier days, He, too, will under.
| stand that He had laid upon me heavier
burdens than could bear, and may He, TOO
| forgive.
| so Door before that / could not bring you
flowers, and little presents; today am pow,
| erless to give you the slightest pleasure 1
know that the very thought OF me IS only
am writing too much but in closing this
letter feel that am saying my last WORDS
peace and comfort that l was powerless 70
Your LOVING HUSBAND.
While this desparing letter was writing,
Gertrude was indulging in gloomy revery.
saving sadly to herself: ''There are nc
more festival DAYS for u.s." Then she sang
softly to herself two verses of song that
she had not recalled for years before:
sIt was the eve of Easter day,
Her heart within was sad.
They have taken my Lord away she said
''And how should be glad2
81 see the thorns, the cross, the grave,
/ The dead hands wounded sore:
But the risen form OF the Crucineu
Is lost forevermore.
The light of Easter dawned ON the city,
over spires in which bells were Ginning
and hospitals. TIE desolation of the day
in the great hospital was frightened by a
| service of song, conducted by some visitors
who were anxious that the sick should
{ participate in the Easter rejoicing. O1e
of the singers fingered after the service
n A. -. &AIt r. IN
r patients. Gertrude felt that mysterious
attraction toward her that sometimes
draws us to strangers. Her prayer book
, was lying on the pillow, and the lady
picked it up, when a relic Of better days in
! the form of a visiting card fell to the floor
/ "Mrs. Frederick Vernon, New York"
Her face flushed with pleasure as she
, eagerly inquired, ''Do you know Mrs. Ver'
non?"
, NThat is nv name," Gertrude answered
D "And did you live in New York, and die
l you get the Governor of Michigan to par
: don prisoner some years ago!"
81 think did, Gertrude answered, il
bewilderment, Though don't understand
, how you know anything about it,"
. "Why, / am Mrs. Eaton, Jim Eaton'i
/ wife, and have written and written te
. you, and tried to find you, and now am 81
glad but don't understand how you come
to be in such place a. Unis. ana Wner'
q is your husband?"
4 ut is a long story of misfortune and sor.
8 row." Gertrude answered. We wer;
Q without a dollar in the world when W.
!. were both taken sick and brought here
9 but they could not let us be together"
$ 81 am SO glad have found you! And
0 almost glad that you are in trouble, that
q may have the chance of Offering comfort
a We have blessed you every day for YOU
= | ono Or~af dead of kiudueqs ~
A few hours later Mr.. and Mrs. Vernon
Q were installed as honored guests in tn
s home of the Eatons. The strangers whom
d they had once befriended could now repay
the obligation ten-fold. Easter was fes
Q tival day after all. The turn in the lont
D lane had come at last.
Q With beautiful surroundings and two de
q voted nurses Mr.. and Mrs. Vernon would
t have been very ungrateful not to recover
8 During these days of Commissioners, &C
q counts of mutual experience were ex
changed till all was told. Prison life ha,
r proved a blessing in disguise. In his soil
d tary hours the convict had invented.
: piece of machinery that had already en-
y riched him, and he was now at the head o
g large manufactury, employing hun
d dreds of workmen. To share al
It their good fortune with their bene
: factors of long ago afforded thes
,, grateful people the most intense delight.
i A few months later the two women in
: stituted the Charity already described. So
d through their affection came comfort TO
d hundreds of the poor, the sick, the sorrow
= full. They were neither of them willing +
Q restrict their ministrations to any one class
1t but they said: $50 far as we can we Wi
help those in need"
i As Easter had brought them great bless
ings they observe the time as kind o
= memorial, making special efforts to besto,
. happiness on all their beniciaries. Las
y wear on Easter evening when Gertrude an
~ her husband were reviewing the past sh
said:
s, 81 am quite content, dear, to have he
my life just what it has been, for it is onl
by passing through great trials that W
= can understand the needs and wants 9
! others, and be patient with all their fail
e ings. I was much touched by an idea |
70 the sermon to-day, something like this
" In the account of the Great Day, when tn
u multitude of the redeemed stand before til
Judge of all the earth, only one throng
10 specified: These are they which came OF
of great tribulation.' "-Ffdncis A. Conan
!. in Chicago AdudRce. -