Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1886-12-02

month after month she loolrnd ia yain for
the letter that she hoped he yvpula - =.
forgfying as to write. - - ' = {
AT tunes she was tempted 70 iav as;as
ner reserve and send him penitent letter.
sna' sne was certain would bring a ranls
ous fen's wife would say that she wns
Soerung his favor because the city fellow
haa cast her aside. So IL was that 10 ~.
Piahaaons Wore ever made, end when thn
news Oh vans noble death came, Ellen WA
@linoet prostrated with gries. She went
arounn s. tne house pale and wan, and e
would be dethroncd. But t,nuhls !. -.
apt to kill, and poor Ellen was dess,,as -
carry her heavy sorrow many ,nc $780,
days. Her brothers and sisters m.rr,.y
and u, due course Of tin > her pareuts went
TO Join the sleepers in the silent city az fha
dead, and Ellen was left alone In the house
that had once been 30 full Of sonc sra
laugt,tar -
Three days before tie anniversary Of cha
battle Of Lookout Mountain, twenty yasr.
after he had been carried into captiyitv.
an uncomfortable longing 10 look upun
nome and familiar faces seizoS Van R,y-
nard. Before, he had stified all such A..
sires- but somehow he could NOT Quiet the
heertsyearnings this time. 10 his va,i.e
was hurriedly packed, and his landlady wa
informed that he would be absent q fort
night An hour hter he was flying north
ward and homeward.
Day was dawning when he stepped upon
the station platform OF his native town.
Not wishing to arouse Ben's family 20
early, he determined TO take q strofl
through the graveyard and down past tho
old Gilbert homestead. There were many
familiar names cut in the monuments In the
cemetery, but he only paused long enough
TO read the inscription on his mother,s
tombstone and drop tear upon her grave
The sun was Just beginning 10 tint the
tree tops when he halted at the gate leading
10 the porch, where he and Ellen had spent
% many happy hours. But little change
had taken place in the appearance Of the
old house and its surroundings since tho
day he went away, just twenty years be-
| fore. Opening the gate ne walked up the
path, and was about to occupy a rustic seat,
which his own hands had fashioned, when
woman who had been gathering China
asters and autumn leaves came suddenly
| from behind the old elm tree. and once
again Van Bernard and Ellen Gilbert stood
| face TO face. Ellen was the first 70 recover
her voice, and there was a percoptible
treInor in her tone as she faltered:
! swan Bernardo Has the grave really
given up its dead, or Is it a spirit nd.
dressin
''It is Van Bernard, flesh and blood as OF
old. who stands before you, Ellen--but / do
not know by what name should address
you now," Van replied, in voice that con-
WINGED his hearer that it was no supernat-
ural being who had made her such an un-
] Ia .,a11 l.,,4 aln% IL
nard, whose face had haunted her FOR more
than score Of years, now stood In her
presence.
"Car me Ellen, Ellen Gilbert, as you did
In the long-ago,m she said, quietly.
"But thought YOU. were narried- Henry
as not, and never was any thing to me,''
she answered. "But you look faint Come
In and get a mouthful of breakfast
"Not now, Ellen. Sit down and let US un-
derstand each others
And there, amidst the old familiar scenes,
the breach of three times seven years was
healed. All the long, doleful past was for
gotten In the new hopes that had come no
suddenly to them. An hour later, when
old Mrs. Goodman came In 10 help with the
Thanksgiving dinner, she found them still
on the porch, forgetfnl of their breakfast
and every thing else except that they had
found each other, and nothing but death
would ever separate them again.
That was q real Thanksgiving 10 them
both, and the quiet marriage that was
celebrated in the old-fashioned parlor that
night was as fun Of love as II there hnd
been no gray hairs In the kcks Of the bride
and groom. BKLLE v. CrsBoLM
We should be thankful not only on
Thanksgiving Day, but on all other days as
well, for Gods meroies ARE continually
showered upon Va