Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-12-19


II was none the less one OF the most real
and hldeous of his experiences, II was
Easy 10 say that it was an image formed
IN the brain, and affecting the optic nerves
III sucn manner as to assume apparent
external form; for, whatever might be
SAID ABOUT 1t, there it was, and there il
renamed, until, in obedience to the I'M
AuoWn law OF its king, 1t vanished. But
notnlng that Odin could do or thing
ment. ~ OA0 NV
III was the figure OF man Of command
ing nelgnt and bearing, about 40 years of
age win broad, impending brow over
snauoWlng gloomy eyes. 1t was the same
race and figure that would have con-
IFonted Odln had he looked into mirror.
Ohly tnere was something in the express
s sion vi thls countenance. and in the in
nuehce OF The whole apparition, which no
rejection In a mirror could reveal. 1t
revealed the interior OF heart; it dis
cIosed the secret of SIN. Human beings
could ne Kept in ignorance or deceived,
out Odln's double knew Odin with the
certainty OF selt-knowledge.
Inc gloomy eyes of the figure met those
Of Odin.
"Are you sure that you will draw the
line there?' it seemed to ask.
Maurice is the only man ever re-
spected," Odin replied, "and | shall
respect whatever he loves and respects.
nave not lost the power of being honor
able"
You loved and respected woman
once" answered the other. The oppor-
UNITY came. and you BETRAYED her.
what you nave done once you would do
again."
''She had been taken from me by unfair
MEANS" exclaimed Odin. "She cared
nothing for the man who married her.
Inc law that parted us was unjust, and
was justified 1t taking it into my own
hands,
III you were justified, why, when she
died, did you not confess what you had
done! II you were honorable. WHY did
death?"
81 did nothing-I only accepted what
tate brought" Odin replied. "She died
with the sin unknown to the world:
should | have blackened her memoryp
The will that was found was unsigned;
had 1t been valid, do you think / would
have contested it? L was next Of kin.
and L inherited. l hated the man and
his money; but he was at the bottom
OF the sea, and no one but | had anv
claim"
"Ihe money seems to have served you
well, for all you hated it," said the other,
with gloomy smile.
"1ou know whether or not l have been
happy" returned Odin, with groan. 81
had the making OF good man in me, but
late has been against me. / was poor
to begin with, and yet had the tempera-
ment and the love of beautiful things that
need money to crafty them. / loved a
beautiful and good woman, and, because
L was poor, had to stand by and see ner
given to another. Everything tender IN
me has been hardened; everything trust
tui has been deceived; everything hopeful
has been disappointed"
And everything pure has been pol
luted," interrupted the other.
''Let Him who made me answer for 1t.
then. Why did He not fit me to nv sur.
roundings? He has Knocked me from the
beginning; even the gift Of fortune, when
1t came at last, was 80 given as to make
me seem to myself like felon. | had
looked forward to wealth as the means
not only of being happy myself, but of
making others so, and of surrounding N.Y.
self with friends who loved and honored
me. But the devil who tempted me to
my first sin has made it the means of
dragging me into others. | have lost nv
good name and social repute, till can call
scarcely one worthy man my friend, and
not one worthy woman. And that is what
Is called divine mercy. God give me the
chance, even now, and would do as well
as any man."
Shy and by is easily said" responded
the other. ''It is the old story; but the
evil is not in your circumstances, but in
you. If you were transported to-mor-
row to the Garden of Eden, before night
you would be on your belly with the SCRIP
ent."
81 deny it,'' cried Odin, passionately.
"TO-day is Christmas, when Christ came
to help men in their struggle against the
evil one. Ii Christ be living still, ask
him to help me, and will not prove I'M
worthy"
He started to his feet as he spoke; but
the chair by the fireplace was empty; he
was alone.
The sun rose clear on Christmas m orn-
ing and the bells chlmed through the pure
frosty air. 1t was nearly noon when 0din
Moore arrived at the address that Mat
lock had given him, and rung the door
bell. He mad hardly kicked the snow off
his boots when the door was opened by
lovely young woman, whose face had a
sweeter brightness than the sunshine it.
self, as she smiled upon the visitor.
"Are you Mr.. Moore'' she asked.
eyes," said he, gazing at her.
81 was sure of it," she exclaimed. al
am Maurice's wife," She held out her
hand, which Odin took in his. "You are
to come right in" she went on. "Maurice |
has just gone out to get something for
dinner. He'll be back directly: it's just |
round the corner. How glad he'll be? He !
said he didn't believe you would come to- |
day, but | said l knew you would. And |
so you are Odin Moorel Well. you look |
lust the way hoped you would"
''Pm sure Pm glad of it," said Odin.
Maurice's wife was of medium height |
and beautifully formed. Her hair was |
brown and wavy, her eyes long, sweet |
and sparkling, and her skin cream and |
rose. Her dress was severely simple, of |
a soft wooden fabric, gray trimmed with |
red, but it suited her well. Her hands |
and wrists were extremely beautiful in |
shape, but Odin could see that she was
not afraid to do her cooking, sweeping |
and perhaps washing with them, But |
what impressed him most about her was
the OVERLOOKING joyousness of her express
sion and manner. 1t was something to |
which he was by no means accustomed |
in women. Happiness seemed to flow in
her veins, dance in her eyes, and make
music in her voice. She was happy because
her husband loved her, because she loved
him, because she believed ~ good God,
and because she thought the world was
beautiful and kind. And Of the world, OF
which as yet she knew so little, she evil
IDENTIFY thought that Odln was a most
agreeable and favorable specimen. How
L. i. L h. Nl.,as