Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1886-04-24

A lifetime Of anguish may he compressed
into twenty four hours. Thus the young
wife occasioned more anxiety to those about
her than her dead in the days following that
awful Easter morning. She demanded of
the kind doctor, with haggard eyes, IL the
young man above stairs had been her own
husband, and he endoavorcd TO soothe with
out understanding her. She besought the in
animate clay TO forgive her for sleeping.
II did not know we should have only few
moments more together before our life wouif
end she moaned. Then sho demanded
quickly Of her companions. the EARTH the
sky: "Where has he Comet How shall ever
find him again.
Words OF consolation and resignation fell
ON deaf ears. The landlady and the women
wept in helpless sympathy, but May shed no
tears. She sat beside her dead with clasped
hands, speechless, her face Of the Same blue
pallor as the marble face on the pillow.
The landlady detained the doctor outside
the door
"She has not slept or tasted food for
twenty four hours she whispered @Her
brain will turn. The shock was too great
for her, and she has the look Of "A mad
woman already
The doctor held letter. An idea came 10
him. The letter had just arrived by the post,
and could not concern the recent bereave-
ment. He entered the chamber Of death, ap-
preached May and presented the letter, say
ing, In natural tones:
This letter has just come You will DO
kind enough TO open it,
Surprised, she raised her head, received
and mechanically tore open the envelope
An Easter card was disclosed. An uprooted
plant dropped on a stone parapet with rays
of sunshine slanting down in golden tide
and In the rays these words were traced:
II am the Resurrection -
And the Life"
MAY read the card and turned II over In
her hand The doctor paused behind her:
the landlady stood In the doorway Then a
sound became audible in the room, a tumul-
tuous sobbing, and the widow fell ON her
knees, clasping one of the dead hands and
covering II with tears and kisses
Il am the Resurrection and the Life, she re.
peated TREMENDOUSLY. @Oh, beloved, shall
find you again.
The Easter card had fallen on the floor
The doctor raised 1t and placed IL on the
foot Of the bed
When the winter Of another year brought
its SHOWS and clear, star-lit nights, Agnes
Clement still wrought In her studio, the glas5-
cOVefe1 ptazza- y ne place WIS cuahke1-
Flowers now bloomed everywhere, with tho
difference between the piazza and the eonser-
vatory that the artist had painted them
Roses swayed lightly on their stalks in the
sketches on the wall; yiolets AMI daisies
were scattered in profusion over boxes and
fans fairies peeped from blossoms ON orna-
mented cards: portrait heads smiled from the
center Of dishes Rarlanded in ivy and ferns.
A glance into the domain Of sister Anne
would also have revealed little additional
luxuries and comforts unattainable with The
modest salary Of Humphrey. Agnes had
learned to love her task, and dealt tenderiy
with the flowers, hence her success. Occa-
sionally her attention strayed to a distant
corner, consecrated TO beatrice IN Paradise
and "Ophelia,s and at such moments she
sighed
Opposite, the superb conservatory still
bloorned in the sunshine, and here appeared
occasionally a pale young lady In deep
mourning, whose grave face seemed 10 have
forgotten how 70 smile. The artist recog-
nized her as the girl In the pink dress aud
Jewels and associated her garb with the alb
senee Of the brilliant young man That was
ALL Between them was a gulf, and thought
did not span it. Had Agnes penetrated the
spacious mansion of her neighbor she would
have seen in Mays chamber, placed where
her eyes beheld II as the first object In
awakening, an Easter card, framed in ebony
and yelled with Grape. @We are all 10 inter-
twined that the same wave beats on every
Shore VIRGISfA w. JOHNSON