Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1888-05-31

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The moro he was To her the less she'd
hold on to him. Mother used to say
that was her pride. Mother fretted Mt
first because Adeline wouldn't use her
influence tho other way"
Rachel thought this over In silence.
Presently she repeated; Il wan to
20 and see her"
She won't let you in. She won't
SEQ any Of us il she can help IT,"
why not? How camo she to shut
herself up SOP"
well. part Of it was this: You see
there was tho south pasture that has
that bit OF old woodland. and the
brook in one corner Of 1t. 1t seems
Richard and Adolino used to be fond
Of walking and sitting there Sunday
afternoons Your g%reat-uncle John
owned the land then. and he'd always
said 1t should be Richards. So Rich
ard wrote him n letter just before the
battle in which he was killed.
He said 10 he died he'd nothing to
leave Adeline. OF course she would
not be in want because she'd have
her mother farm But she said she
was fond Of that woodland. and he
wanted il he died that Uncle John
should leave that lot to Adclinc rs n
token Of remembrance from him,
Richard. But Uncle John was n man
Of his own mind. lie did not like
N;elinc. over and above. more than
the rest Of us. lie said that land had
come down in the family. and he
shouldn't will it out Of the family.
lie died only about n year after Rich
ard. lie didn't think Richard had
said any thing to Adclinc about
the land. but I'm pretty sure he
had. for she came up TO Uncle
Johns funeral. and stayed to hear the
will read. She never said n word. but
we all saw there was 4 kind of expect
ant look in her face. She had It when
she turned and looked NJ me after the
will was read. Then she went away
and she's never been in tins house
since"
THE land came to you, father?"
Yes. I'd like 10 have carried out
Dicks wish. but | didn't see my way
10 going against Uhclc Johns feeling.
and deciding the land out of the fami-
ly just when he'd lett me all he had"
But she would have been in the
family il Uncle Richard lived"
Yes; but you see he didn't; that
made the difference"
That made the difference. 1t seemed
very m%ournful to Rachel that it should
have made the difference. There were
two lost from the family instead Of
one. it seemed. in Richards death.
after that" continued Mr.. Guild,
''she staid more ut home than ever.
'Twasn't n healthy thing for n young
woman like her. She took to
doing pretty nearly all the farm work
herself. so that she need not be bothered
with help, or else TO take up her
mind. We used togo over there
sometimes. but after her mother died
Adeline would never really lot us
into the house. She'd stand with
the door hat open and hear
what we had to say. but never ask us
to walk in. OF course we stopped go
ing by and by. and it got to be Just
so with the other neighbors. Barker
stops his wagon o and then to take
orders 10 the store for her. and the
mail drops her books and newspapers.
but she never goes any where or sees
any body il she can help it. She's a
perfect hermit. Tho house Is getting
awfully out of repair. l guess she's
had to give up living in the front
rooms. that side of the roofs so loaky.
But she'll never have it fixed. She's
lost all her ambition. She'll Just die
there alone some day. as sure rs the
world"
Rachel shivcred. Oh, how full OF
haunting sorrow this tale had filled
the spring evening! Tho frcsh-leaved
willow in the yard dropped in Infinite
grieving; the chanting of the frogs in
the pond. that sho had thought one OF
tho pleasantest of spring sounds.
Al " ttHt htAlAu1 - ~ Hlt hsilIt-
less regret To think all the oy and
promise of love and youth could end
in n life blighted like this! To think
there should BIO a living grave like
yonder brown cottage. more mournful
a thousand times than the green
mound at Arlington To think OF
the manned solitary life. sadder y
h~undred-fold than any noble DEATH
Was this. too. the work Of the war;
Yes. in part. Bat Rachel knew thai
the strife between unseen principal.
tiles and powers. the work of the
rulers of spiritual darkness. was most
responsible for this kind of woundinc
and dying.
Rachel gathered her young com.
panions and they made their white
| shield. and adorned it with the name
Of Richard Guild. Her friends smiled
and chatted ovcr their work, but
Rachel was quiet. Her heart had
gone out into tho life of the young
man whose name she was weaving.
With him she was afar from home,
f~oot-sorc. thirsty. weary. pressing on
toward the awful battle. Her
thoughts followed his, turning home
ward-oh with what tenderness! to.
ward dear ones that the prescience OF
love told him he should never see
again-toward that dearest one Of all
who was to have been his wife. In
that last request for her Rachel read
Il hfs eflant o..