Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-04-03
WHOLE NO. 2,7OS.

Here's your pipe, uncle--shall !
light it for your"
"Ay, lass, do. / wish you could only
light my eyes as easily as you light the
pipe, replied Dunstan Kirke mourn
lully.
Dolly lighted the pipe slowly. Her
eyes were filled with tears, and her
voice trembled with sob which she
had much trouble to keep down.
Don't talk like that, uncle. can't
abide 1t, " she said, brushing the tears
from her eyes.
Bending over the heart-broken man,
softly smoothered his hair from his
brow, and putting her arm around his
neck, kissed him aflectionately.
There, there, child. am weak
old man to bother you with my burdens.
Go and find your Aunt Mercy; she be
above stairs; tell her want her,"
Yes, uncle, | will send Aunt Mercy
to you" and Dolly left her uncles side
to call his wife.
The miller smoked his pipe few
minutes, then he laid it down with
weary sigh, saying, aloud:
There's no use; even the pipe can't
comfort me tonight. The time has
come for me to leave the old mill. II
is bitter hard Blind, and a pauper to
boot 1t must be done. Better starva-
tion, death-anything, than more debt
to Squire Rodney, the man whom my
faithless child so cruelty wrongedl
Hark What Was that?" cried the
miller, starting to his feet. 81 certainly
heard moan"
He listened attentively, but all was 81
lent. He dropped in his chair again,
and exclaimed
"The hand of the Lord has fallen
heavily upon His servant P'-and clasp
ing his hands wildly together"
Lord, | implore Thee to restore my
sight, in order that | may labor, and not
eat the bitter bread of dependencel O.
Father in Heayenl to whom all things
are possible hear my prayer %
AS the miller prayed, the window of
the sitting-room was gently opened
from the outside, and the pale, abeauti-
full face Of the girl whom he had driven
away with curses, looked into the old
familiar room that she remembered so
we'll.
In that room Lord Travers had wooed
and won her girlish heart.
In that room Squire Rodney had SO
nobly resigned all claim to her hand.
In that room her mother had made
known the discovery of her secret, and
her father in his fierce anger had cursed
her
! While Hazel stood shivering at the
window she heard he fathers prayer
which was only one OF the many petit
tions he daily uttered for the restora-
ton of sight. Hazel listened with
throbbng heart and trembling limbs.
When she realized that her father was
blind, she groaned aloud in her aughish.
The miller heard her, and starting from
his chair, called out-"who's there?"
but no one answered him, and he cried
out again, impatiently.
"Who is there ?"
Just then Mercy Kirke entered. She
was surprised to find her husband stand
ing in the middle of the room, looking
excitedly toward the window
i What ails you, Dunstan?" she asked,
anxiously.
/ could have sworn, wife, that ]
heard some one at the window" re-
piled her husband positively.
"Some one at the Window" exclaim-
the window and found it closed. "You
are mistaken, Dunstau; the window is
closed"
Gay, Mercy. I heard noise like a
moan; and, when cried out, itseemed
that the window was closed quickly and
sharply" answered the miller.
"Come, Dunstpn," said his devoted
wife, leading him back to the arm
chair; ''sit down here. Perhaps | can
make you understand the voice at the
window, " said Mercy Kirke. She spoke
in strangely agitated tone, as she kuelt
beside her husband and took his hand
in hers.
"What do you think it was, Mercy ?"
asked the miller, anxiously.
~ believe it was our darling child--I
can feel it in my heart, Dunstan. She
has returned to her old home--she may
be at the door now, longing to enter =
cried Mrs. Kirke: and, as the fancy as-
sumed positive shape in her mind, she
, started to her feet. 'Dunstan, can you
not forgive our child p asked the mill
er's wife with sudden vehemence.
"Never!" exclaimed the stern old
man; for, since he had become blind,
the unforgiving spirit that had taken
possession of him had grown stronger,
and he tried to cast her out of his heart
, by sheer force. The battle between his
paternal affection and his sense OF duty
,, had nearly cost him his life, because his
= conscience would not permit him To
hold himself blameless for his harshness
to his daughter
"Oh, Dunstan, implore you to for
! give our child-our only childl' plead
ed the unhappy mother Her face
quivored with the intensity Of her an
guish, and heartrending sobs shook her
frame.
! "Stop, stop-don't talk to me like
=, this lam not good-only miserable
' and despairing-and / can not forgive
I the child who has brought us to beg,
gary and misery. Strangers she chose
+. and to strangers she must look, for she
. is dead to us forever"
Again that faint sigh OF misery was
heard, and the heart-broken mothei
), started to her feet. The miller also
y arose and groped his way to the win