Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-03-11


alone.
DIR. Bax fastened after the young
man and arrested his steps.
''An act of duty!'' he said; sat this
time of nightP"
cat this time Of night, and no
other"
at is troublesome walking through
the snow. Let me set you on your way
II have told you must be alone"
He did not speak roughly; his voice
was cold, and there was n vacant ring
in it which it panied DR.. Bax to hear.
''Not pleasant duty, William?'
mo. Ask me no further questions.
Goodnight"
But DR.. Bax would not so lightly
part with him.
.'You distress me; I thought we were
friends.
William laughed harshly. The bit
ter emphasis placed on the word by
Stephen Winkworth had robbed it OF
its good meaning.
'.The duty before you'll" persisted the
doctor. lis it secret one?''
1T is"
''The knowledge of which is not to
be confided even to me-
mot to be conlided even to you"
at is no light duty, William"
81 wish to God l had died before ii
came in my way to perform! / will
say no more, and can not stop longer
with YOU
"One other question:" said DR.. Bax,
almost imploringly, ''only one. Does
Laura know of this?''
y, nv,
was necessary, disengaged himself
from the doctor, and, waving his hand
in adieu, plunged wildly through. the
snow. DR.. Bax gazed sadly after him
until he was out of sight.
81 hoped to have had good nights
rest" he unused, as he mounted his
seat, and slowly drove away; land
now not wink shall 1 get-not a
wink! Confound all mortality, say!
If men took a tenth part as much
pains to make themselves happy as
they take to make themselves misera-
bic, this would be the blessedest of
worlds. As it is, 1 have no patience
with it,"
This being uttered in tone loud
enough for the pony to hear, drew
from that wise creature determined
protest; he stood stock-stili, and would
not bulge an inch in response to hard
words and impatient urging to get on.
Not until DR.. Bax tried the soothing
system, and spoke to him in his usual
mild and affectionate manner, would
he allow himself to be coaXed. And
even after he had covered two or three
hundred yards in his accustomed easy
jog-trot, he pulled up again of his own
impulse, to make sure, from his mas
ter's gently spoken entreaty to put on
the steam, that all was right behind.
William Fairfield walked so swiftly
that before midnight Warleycombe
Lodge was in view. The night was
cold, but he was in a hot fever. He
looked toward the house in expectant
dread. There was not sign of life
within or without. All was silent and
still as death. The snow lay lightly
upon roof and cave, upon tree and
plain, and made the silence more i'm
pressive in its spiritual effect than the
silence which is accompanied with
darkness. A doubt stole upon him
whether what had passed between him
and Stephen Winkworth was real or a
dream, but it did not Gnger in his
lill1lu HUI yCl, uC
tered, ''and l must keep my senses
about me to learn the truth" Stephen
could not have lied to him. He con-
jured up the picture which presented
itself to him whichever way he turned
the picture Of Laura and her lover!
He saw their lips utter voiceless words
of affection; he saw her, the woman he
loved, lay her head upon this mans
shoulder; and he bit blood into his lips
with jealous rage.
Suddenly the silence was invaded by
the sound of the Christmas bells, which
pealed joyously over field and hill, pro-
claiming the birth of peace and love.
To the high-born and lowly alike they
sung the holier theme, in the light of
which earthly and sordid desires fade
utterly away.
Dear bells! that bring glad light to
weary eyes, that whisper courage to
souls, that instill hope into
fainting hearts-ring on, dear bells,
and teach your lesson anew! Human
ity sits crowned in her throne of love,
and a Heavenly glory shines above her
head. Ring on, dear bells, the time
has come! Forth into the places where
misery turks; where crime and desti-
tuition lie in each others arms; where
ignorance Compelled to live, and COM
pretending nothing but its own hard
laws) breeds hapless generations;
where it is not possible for virtue to
take root and flower-forth into those
places let the angels go. Spotless and
pure they enter, with love and pity in
their radiant eyes; and Heaven smiles
upon them as they return with dirt
stained wings, the sacred evidence of
sacred work performed. Ring on, dear
bells, and teach once more your beauti-
full lesson! The pulse of the world is
stirred with tender memories. The
happy mother aroused from sleep,
whispers to her child, lying awake by
her side: Dear child, dear child, the
Christmas bells are ringingi" The
girl-w oman, musing on the day that
shall make her a happy wife, sings to
her heart, to the rythm of the bells:
Dear love, dear love, the Christmas
bells are ringing!" The rich man
smiles, the poor man rejoices. Ring
on, sweet Christmas bells! The air IS
filled with your music, which travels
far across the snow-white land Over
forests of trees whose branches CLEAN
Win peauty, On 10 Inc furious sea,
where the sailor, battling for dear life
with the raging storm, thinks of what
is dearer to him than life, and cries to
his mate in the midst of the darkness:
"At home, old boy, the Christmas bells
are ringing!"
They rang in William Fairfeld's
ears, and bewildered him. He was
deaf to their tender whisperings; they
Jared upon his soul, and he strove,
with a wild motion of his arms, to cast
them aside, so that he might reflect I'M
disturbed uDon the treacherv Of the oirl