The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-10-23

babe, so quickly does grief make chill
dren of us all. "How can ye know2
Why borrow so sore trouble as this?
Wait till the good Lord brings it to ye
himself and eases the weight of it by
lending his own blessed hand to the bur-
den. What should start ye beforehand
to fear it?"
"Ohl don't you see?" Annie moaned.
"Don't you see? Ii is because l am so
happy that ! dread it. l am too happy.
1 have never had a sorrow in all my life.
Not one. / have everything | want.
haven't wish left to wish. My life is as
bright as the year is long. And the hap
piness has got to stop sometime. Aren't
we always being told we must expect sor-
row? That every one has to suffer? 1t
isn't natural to be SO happy as | am.
Sorrow has got to come to me. too; and
I know it is coming now = in this
way-this most terrible way of al. am
to lose my dearest. [ am to lose Fred
forever And we were SO happy together
oh, SO happy! loved him sol o Nurse,
Nursel l can't bear itl'
whist, whist, my bairniel Don't ye
go to think the Lord begrudges ye your
happiness in the blessing he himself has
give ye to enjoy. Don't ye go to mis-.
Judge him So"
'Oh, if he has taken Fred from me-if
hr l,an hot HI II IN M
him cried Annie, wildly, clenching her
slender hands, 'Oh, if God is so cruel,
SO pitiless as that. will never love him
never pray to him again, never while
liver
"Annie, Annie! God help ye, ye don't
know what ye are sayingT' exclaimed the
poor old woman with tears dropping
over her withered cheeks. "How dare ye
call him cruel? II he bids We let go your
hearts dearest, what right have We even
so to set your will against him as made
ye, and as works all things together for
your good? My Jsm says there's reason
in all the Lords doings; it's only our
eyes as is weak and don't always see
plain. It's wicked of ye to talk so, An
ME, and / couldn't a-bear it, only Jem
says he is sure the Lord don't listen When
we speak that we don't mean; and ye don't
mean whatye are saying now. Why, we've
just said there's no blessing in the world
as has been denied ye your life long, and
yet now ye couldn't take one sorrow from
him if he sent it yep'
"ODly not this one!' sobbed Annie, her
face hidden in the old woman's dress.
"Only not thisl I could bear anything
else; but not tbisy'
"Oh, Annie! it's no for us to say what
shall be of the Lords sending. What he
sends, good or bad, that must we take;
and it's no for us to choose the what or
the when. IL one poor soul lies dead
yonder, then there's sorrow come into
the world somewhere by reason of it.
It's so that some one must bear the grief
ye say ye cannot, nor will not bear. Is
others stronger than ye, then, that ye
should be spared and your pain be put
on them? What right have ye, Annie, to
claim to be spared, and take no part in
the worlds trouble? The very trees has
storms sent them, and stands up against
them while they can. So them that God
sends this sorrow to this day, whoever
they chance to be must cen submit their
wills to it, and, as my Jem would say may
the gracious Lord tighten it to the heart
he fixes it upon"
The old woman bowed her head rever.
emily as she spoke, and Annie looked up
at her, half awed, though with cheeks
still wet with rebellious tears. And just
then some one stopped over them and
lifted the young girl to her feet, soft
of all living could SO say it save one? 1t
was as if her lover had been given back
to her from the very regions of the dead
and, after an almost frightened glance at
him, Annie threw herself upon his breast
with an inarticulate cry of relief and
rapture. Perhaps when souls first meet
in heaven they feel somewhat as she felt
i'll that moment.
But the young man gently unclasped
her clinging arms, and holding her hands
in one of his, went nearer the old nurse,
and stood looking down on her without
speaking.
80 Mr.. Fred' the old woman cried,
catching his hand, while look of such
unselfish delight irradiated her wrinkled
face as absolutely TRANSPORTED it. "The
Lord be thanked that it is not ye who
have been takenp
mo, not l." Fred said slowly, while
she, in the relief that seemed to set all
her senses free again, heard the cricket
chirp, and saw how the golden needle OF
light had slipped away from her lap, and
felt where it lay bright and warm across
her foot. "Not T." he said, "but another"
And there be paused again, finding
speech difficult, and laid his hand on her
shoulder, as if to steady her; and then, in
despair at his own cowardice in breaking
the news to her, he turned abruptly to
Annie. "Help her If you can, Annie" he
said. "Tell her. Jem was on the train,
too. 1t was her Jem who was killed"
The old nurse never spoke a word.
Did she understand? She felt trembl-
ing; but she did not weep or moan or
move by hairs breadth; only sat with
her hands dropped helplessly in her lap.
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