The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-01-27

intends it as benediction upon woman's
face. When the good princess Of Wales dis.
mounted from the rail train last summer and
saw her radiant face, could understand
what they told me the day before that when
at the great military hospital, where are now
the wounded and the sick from the Egyptian
and other wars the princess passed through.
all the sick were cheered at her coming, and
those who could be reused neither by doc
tor or nurse from their stupor, would get
up on their elbow to look at her, and wan lips
prayed an audible prayer; "God bless the
Princess Of Walesl Doesn't she look beautl-
fulr'
But how uncertain is the tarrying OF
beauty in human countenance. Explosion
and scoundrel with one dash Of Wit,
drive his Chariot wheels across
that bright face cutting 1t up in deep ruts and
gulleys. But there is an eternal beauty on
the face of some women whom rough and
ungallant world may criticize as homely, and
though their features may contradict all the
laws Of Lavater on physiognomy, yet they
have graces Of soul that will keep them at
tractiVe for time and glorious through all
eternity.
There are two or three circumstances in
which the plainest wife is queen OF beauty
to her husband whatever her stature and pro-
file. By financial panic or betrayal OF busl-
ness partner the man goes down, and return
ing to his home that evening, be says: II am
ruined; am in disgrace forever: I care not
whether live or die" 1t is an agitated story
he is telling in the household that winter
night. He says: "The furniture must 60;
the house must go: the social position must
go, and from being sought for obsequiously
as once, we must be cold-shouldered every
where." After he ceases talking and the
wife has heard all in silence, she says: "Is that
all! Why, you had nothing when married
you started. If you think that my happiness
and that Of the children depends on these
trappings you do not know me, though we
have lived together thirty years. God is not
dead and the national bank Of heaven has not
suspended payment, and if you don't mind !
don't care cent What little we need Of
food and raiment the rest of our lives we can
and groan Mary, hand me that darning
needle; and John, light one Of the other
gas burners; and, Jimmy, open the regis
ter for a little more heat. Fanny
fetch your fathers slippers. l declare! 1
have forgotten to set the rising for those
cakesI" And while she is busy at it he hears
her humming Newton's old hymn about to-
morrow:
I" 1t can bring with it nothing
But He will bear us through;
Who gives the lilies clothing
Will clothe his people too;
Beneath the spreading heavens
No creature but is fed;
And He who feeds the ravens
Will give his children bread.
"Though vine nor fig-tree either
Their wonted fruit should bear,
Though all the fields should wither
Nor f1ocks nor herds be there;
Yet God the same abiding,
His praise shall tune my voice;
Nor while in him confding
L cannot but rejoice"
The husband looks up in amazement and
says: "Well, well, you are the greatest
woman I ever saw, I thought you would faint
dead away when told you" And Us he
Looks at her all the glories of physiognomy
in the court of Louis XIV. or in the modern
fashion plates are tame as compared with the
superhuman splendor Of that woman's face.
loan Of Arc, and Marie Antoinette
and La Belle Hamilton, the enchantlnent of
the court of Charles II. are nowhere.
There is another time when the plainest
wife is queen of beauty to her husband She
has done the work Of life. She has reared her
children for God and heaven, and though
some of them may be little wild they will
vet come back, for God has promised. She is
diving and her husband stands by. They think
over all the years OF their companionship,
the weddings and the burials, the ups and
downs, the successes and the failures. They
talk over the goodness of God and his faith
fulness to children and children's children.
She has no fear about going. The Lord has
sustained her so many years she would not
dare to distrlst him now. The lips Of both
of them tremble as they say goodbye and
encourage each other about an early meeting
in better world. The breath is feebler and
feebler and stops. Are you sure of it2 Just
hold that mirror at the mouth and see if there
is any vapor gathering on the surface. Gonel
As one of the neighbors takes the old man by
the arm gently and says: Come, you had
better go into the next room and rest. He
says: "Wait moment! must take one more
look at that face and at those hands" Beau
tiful! Beautiful!
My friends, hope you do not call that
DEATH That is an autumnal sunset That is
crystalline river pouring into crystal sea.
That is the solo Of human life overpowered
by hallelujah chorus. That is is queens
coronation. That is heaven. That is the
way my father stood at eighty-two, seeing
my mother depart at seventy-nine. Perhaps
so your father and mother vent wonder
if we will die as well!