Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-03-18

ana hid the frightful Creature from his
sight Again their ranks divided, and
disclosed a new and awful foure
crouching to the ground, with tears
streaming from its eyes. Old before
Its time, haggard before its time. and
utterly, utterly hopeless. 1t raised its
wasted hand, it turned its face Heaven
ward in despairing appeal And in its
lap, with pallid, pitiful face, Law the
form of once beautiful child, cold and
dead.
For the third time William felt the
cold touch upon his arm-the touch
that now chilled him to the marrow:
for the third time the voice whispered
in his ear:
''Remorse
The moment the word was spoken.
the throng of phantom shadows glided
into their snow-tomb and vanished
from his sight The snow closed upon
them ike the resistless wave of a
mighty sea, and the great plain lay
naked in the eye of Heaven. But Will
lam was not alone; once more the
voice of the Invisible Shadow addressed
him.
blind and infatuated. Upon this
evening. when the universal heart of
man should be turned to love and
charity, have you allowed to be sown
In your breast the seeds of doubt and
mistrust. Upon this holy Christmas
Eve have you allowed to be defiled the
love which hallows life? She whom
lnra H. IL.
feet faithfulneSs, is stainless and truth
full. This morning Faith filled your
heart. This night Doubt occupies its
place Beware, lest tomorrow comes
Remorse! Behold what YOU were.
what you are and what YOU shall be if
you allow passion and unreason to blind
your
The voice ceased, and William, start
ing forward in terror, threw up his
arms with a wild. despairing cry. For
the white plain was forming itself into
a vast valley, shelving into depths
which appeared ilhmitable, and into
which he was sinking. In vain he
strOve to save himself. Down he sunk.
lower and lower still, until he was dir
lilly fearful that each moment would
disclose frightful precipice, over
which he would be hurled ard dashed
to pieces But although the soft. white
snow enveloped him, and this terror
encompassed his soul. he was sensible
of the presence of shadowy spirits ac-
companying him in his flight: and ever
and anon. in the course of his descent,
there CLEANED athwart his otherwise
blinded sight visions which enthralled
him. Blue eyes and brown; faces Won
drously beautiful: white hands that
played about his hair: lips that smiled
and mocked; persons for whom he en-
tertained affection; his mother who
died when he was young. and the pref
ty child who was buried with heroine
and all cleaned before his sight. like
stars falling from heaven into the
depths. 1t seemed to him that he con-
tinued thus to sink for DAYS and weeks
and years, and that to this horrible fate
he was eternally condemned; but at
length the end came. Darkness fell
upon him. and he knew nothing more
until he found himself standing before
a house surrounded by waving fields.
the golden corn cleaning in the sun.
The musical whisperings of the waving
sheaves fell melodiously upon his ears,
and he experienced an inexpressible
sense of relief. For brief space he
gave himself up to the spell of a calm,
delicious rest, and then he looked more
narrowly upon the scene.
Strangei 1t was his own house be-
fore which he stood; these were his
own fields that he saw around him.
Not as he had seen them last; the evil
dence of more careful husbandry and
cultivation was everywhere apparent.
1t was the realization of what he had
dreamed his home and farm might be
in few years after he married. And
there, in the garden. was Laura. more
matroniy and more beautiful than in
her maiden DAYS He stepped to her
side and laid his hand on her shoulder,
but she did not turn to look upon him.
He spoke to her. but she betrayed no
consciousness of his speech. He clasped
her in his arms, but she melted from
his grasp. and he saw her looking with
glad light in her lovely eyes toward
the distant landscape. Wonder upon
wonders, He saw man approaching
himself with little girl upon his
shoulders-his child and hers, by the
likeness in her pretty face to himself
and Laura-crowing and clapping her
tiny hands at her mother who ran to-
ward them with joyous cries, and was
taken to her husband : embrace. And
invisible, impalpable. and that his other
self had taken his place in Laura's
heart He accompanied them, and
walked by their side, listening to the
fond terms of endearment that passed
between them, a witness of their true
and faithful affection. The day passed,
and he saw them in the evening. sitting
BY the window, her head resting upon
his shoulder. He heard her speak in
sweetest accents of love; he compre-
hended the worship of her eyes as she
gazed upon her husband, and he
groanej in despair at the thought that
he had faded out of his place in the
world. and that another filled it.
shall l buy your thoughts?' asked
her husband, in reference 10 a sweet
and pensive expression he observed in
her face.
What will you give for them, Will
iam?"
He kissed her; she nestled closer to
him.
II am thinking of the past" she
said; .of something that is often in my
mind, vet of which Ihave never spoken.
Do YOU remember the last Christmas
Eve we spent in my fathers house be-
fore we were married?"
Surely. my darling"
Something seemed to come between
Us that night, something that threw
shadow upon both our hearts. When
YOU went away / was truly unhappy,
and / did not sleep the whole of the
night How sighed for the day to come,
that yaiuht 600 Won and tell VOu