The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-06-24

me, and she always. kissed me now
upon going to bed And more than
ever did pray that peace and serenity,
as of old, might rest upon our home.
One night there was a rap at the
door. My niece was out among her
fiower-beds, and answered the rap.
The caller was Squire Bradish.
Where is FaithP"
/ told him
81 have had news, Miss Rachel. Shs
must hear it. Please call her in"
She came in, with her sunbonnet in
her hand. not at all agitated by the
'squire's call.
There is bad news to-day. Miss Ed
ridge" he said. Can you hear it?''
She fixed her eyes intently upon him,
but showed no emotion.
1.-The Conqueror has just rounded the
lower point A swift cutter coming up
brought me letter from the mate. 1t
tells me that Capt. Converse was
drowned ON the 14th of June, in mid
ocean"
looked to see her scream or faint
She did neither With her hands lying
loosely in her lap she sat there, with a
far-away look in her eyes, which seemed
to see neither of u.s.
went to her and laid my hand on
her arm.
DO you hear, Faith? The squire
says that Capt. Converse is drowned"
1T is not true" she said. Il saw
him on the 14th of June. He seemed
weary and troubled. can believe that
he has been in danger and perplexity,
but he is not dead. He did not come
to me In that Way"
There was nothing to be said in the
face of such perversity as this The
squire took his leave and next morning,
after the ship was at the dock, he sent
in the particulars of the captains sad
fate. In the height of storm the lurch
of the ship threw him against the rail.
He must have been stunned, for as he
lay doubled over it he did not reach
out his hand to save himself, but top
pied into the sea. No boat could live
in such gale, and nothing could be
done to help him. The mate saw it all,
but was not near enough to aid him.
- All this told to Faith. She merely
shook her head. grew angry could
not help il.
..Foofish girlr' 1 cried. "Win you
insist after this that he is yet alive?"
81 know he is" was her calm reply.
Faith Eldridge, beware! You are
flying in the face of Providence. These
visions and dreamings are not of God
the adversary is in them. Confess your
wickedness; ask Him to forgive your
impiety; mourn little. if you will, for
your dead-and then, in due time,
marry that excellent man who is pa
tiently waiting for you"
81 think" she said. .'that God made
my betrothed come to me that night that
might know he was still alive"
Her shocking irreverence took away
my breath. Had it been six years earlier
in her life should have chastised her
severely, and felt like doing so rs it was.
But twas no use to labor with her.
Prayer was the only weapon left me,
and 1 welded it most vigorously.
Months passed and Squire Bradish
ventured to speak to Faith about his
wishes. never asked either what hap
pened in that interview. had no need.
saw him leave the house with a cloud
ed face. and i knew there was no hope
for him.
And soon something happened that
startled the town. Inexpressibly shock
ed as it was, the avenging hand of God
seemed in it
The squire was strong and robust
and in the maturity of life; but, as often
happens to such men, he sickened and
went rapidly to deaths door. When
the doctor told him that he might not
have another day to live, he had his
lawyer sent for.
Tear up my WILL" he said, (which
gives everything to churches and chari-
ties. Draw another; let the old house
keeper have a thousand dollars, and all
but that goes to Faith Eldridge."
1t was done and duly executed.
Tell her," he said, "that it is all the
reparation can make her; the captain
| of the Conqueror stood i'll my way, and
hired that ruflian of mate to remove
him. He did it: he caught him un-
awares one dark and stormy night when
the crew were all aloft aud forward and
none could see, and flung him over the
quarter. The mate told ME he did it
when he came for his bloodmoney; and
he has left this land forever. Itwas my
work-God forgive me!'
So it came to pass that, through these
astounding events, Faith went one day
| to take possession of the British man.
sion and the wealth of its late owner
| She took me with her.
Yes, thanks be to God, Capt Con-
verse returned, alive and well, when
three years had passed since the Con-
aueror bore him away. was present
at his happy meeting with Faith, and
on that occasion, ! am constrained to
| say, he kept his arms round her longer
than strict sense of prOpriety would
allow. And she did not either scream
| or swoon this time. She simply said:
Il knew you were alive, Earl was
sure you would come" and laid her
head on his shoulder and allowed him
to kiss her four or five times. 1t seemed
to me that once would have been quite
sufficient.
He had clung to floating spar when
treacherously hurled into the sea, and
had been picked up the next morning.
very near to death, by trader bound
for the South Atlantic; he had endured
shipwreck on the African coast, had
been captured and sold into savage
slavery, and after such sufferings as
killed all his companions he had es-
capped, and at last reached home again.
The brief years of welded life which
these two enjoyed were happy. They
were bound up in each other, so much
SO that have fears that their religious
duties were not always performed with
becoming zeal Did not my humility
prevent ! might also suggest that the
marital fondness, which frequently ex-
cluded any attention to another person,
although that person was vigilant
everywhere in their household, was a
remarkably selfish passion.
More than five times Ito be precise)
during the first year of their welded
life did Faith Converse assure her hus-
band that they were nevermore to be
parted.
Il could not live without you now,
dear Earl" she would say, land l think
you would be lonely without ME. But
be of good cheer; we shall never be
parted; within the same hour we shall
seek a higher happiness in better
. world. l know il. l have seen it in
my sleep. When or where or how il
will be l cannot tell. but that we two
shall die together is as certain as that
we shall die"
What visions are given her to SEE
now NAV know some day, but that il