St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-10-07

closely bound sheets that my lovers
hand had traced.
Then deep drawn breath-a step
the sudden sharp cracking of flames,
and l opened my eyes, and with some
strange sense of new born strength
raised myself on the pillow.
My letters lay on the burning logs,
flaming and curling into tongues OF
harmless fire. The casket lay on the
bed-empty!
For a moment there was silence
deep, throbbing, wondering silence, and
my head fell on that faithful breast and
tears gushed in flood of penitence and
remOrse from my eyes.
"Oh?' cried, you should not have
done that. l wanted you to
know my folly, my sin, my base ingrati-
tude."
my wifel' he said tenderly, 81 know
all. Do you think l have been blind?
Do you think l did know that Leon
Tonesca loved you? Those letters were
from him. Why should l read them?
So much faith have in you that l know
you struggled with temptation; you did
no weakly yield. l know how you
have suffered-and my heart bled for
you. Could l have given you freedom l
would have done so. but it would not
have meant happiness, for this man is
utterly unworthy of your love, and you
would soon discovered it-My dear
one, do not weep! Is life not full of
such errors as these? Are we fit judges
of each others sins, since we know not
the tempting that might vanquish our
own strength and dash our boosted self
Sufficiency to the dust"
''And yOu-forgive?" l cried brokenly.
-"YOu forgivew
''As God judges and hears me, and as
hope for His forgivness myself" he
said solemnly, and he bent and kissed
the tears from my eyes.
Then a great peace and sweetness
stole over me. A flood of light seemed
to sweep over my numbed and dazzled
senses. My heart grew at rest. A feel
ing of overpowering love to that in
finite and glorious essence that is in
itself love burst over my soul and
awOke it to worship and to faith. |
bowed myself in shame and humility
before that Being l had so long forgot
ten. l seemed to remember by one
wave of remorseful thought all the ben
efitS l had received and enjoyed and for
which had been so long ungrateful.
Health-yOuth-be and all
its blessings--the power to enjOy-the
mental force tn appreciate art nature
the capabilities for doing good to others;
these, and thousand other memories
crowded back to me, and even as |
thought of them and wept over wasted
opportunities - that cool, soft hand
touched once again my brow, and the
beautiful remembered voice sounded
in its low and thrilling accents:
"Take back the gift thou hast so
nearly fOrfeited-take back the powers
that life and health bestow-give peace
and content to the noble heart that
loves you, and let that love make you
pitiful and humble henceforth. You
have faced the ordeal of one death, take
heed that its second coming find you
ready, for not to many is it given to re-
turn as you have returned, and mas
much as Gods mercy is great, so also is
the responsibility that it grants to ho-
man life!''
"She breathes! she lives! she will re-
cover! Oh, God of Mercy, l thank Thee
with all my soul"
at is almost miracle: but certainly
there is a change for the better. Her
pulse is regular; the color has come
back to her face and lips. Yes;
with care, there is no doubt but that she
will recover"
l looked up. The same room; the
same bed. On one side stood my hus-'
band, on the other, the grave-faced
physician who had pronounced my
doom. My eyes sought the clock. The
two hours had paSsed-and there at the
foot of the bed, Oh the silken coverlet,
lay-an empty caSket.
Rita, in London Society.