The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1889-11-20
hat Ieould die just there whore /

fi35 f3t-ess,e ,esttt- = s5ASW AtSSS- "
it. As for Ben, he got on well.
Fashionable people ssealled him in. .
In fact, he was the fashionable doc
tor of the place, and had an Office in
the handsomest portion of the town.
For my part, I kept my school, and
boarded with the motherly old wild
ow who had been kind to me when
I first came toithe place a stranger.
Ny happiest day was the Sabbath,
which I spcnt in church, teaching
l;my little ones and attending all the
services; and then tried to think
only of heaven and its joys, and to
do what good could. But / can
not say ] was ever more than quietly
cheerful brightness had gone
out of my life
1t is natural for yonng people to
look forward to something and to
enjoy their lives, and I think that
God meant that every girl should
have a lover and every woman a
husband and children of her own,
and that we should be grateful for
the good things he has given us,
and take our own share. e
Imight have had lovers-I might
have married-but, with all his
faults, Il could not care for any one
as 1 did for Benjamin Rue; and a
wretched thing indeed would mar
ried life be without true tenderness.
l was on my way to be a spinster
As for Ben, one day there was a
great scandal in thestown He had
had quarrel with Mr.. Norland
about his wife. More than a quarrel
blows had been struck, shots
fred. The woman's character was
now entirely gone; their home was
broken up. has le.
Mr.. Norland 'soughta divorce and
gained it. Respectable people drop
ped a doctor who had such evil noto-
riety, and one day / heard that he
had left Johnstown. - 'a
"Bettter for him." l thought, "thc
quiet life he would haveled with me
better even from a worldly point
of view" And still II believe what
he had soughttoprove-thatheh he had
only been free and foolish, not Grim
inal. n a4s Is5,s u
And again time passed on without
any now events of Importance COM
ing into my life,. and l expected to
live and die in Johnstown a school
teaching spinister-Johnstown, of
which the rest of the world knew
nothing to speak Of
You all know how sadly it be-
came famous one wild day. / shall
never forget that day for many
reasons ea ri
l had just given my scholars their
summer holiday and had my time to
myself and / had been all through
the rain to sec poor, sick woman
who was quite destitute. The good
widow with whom | lived was away,
she had gone to another State to
visit a married. daughter, and the
house was lonely Ihad heard that
DR.. Rue was in the place-that he
had come down to. see about some
lots of ground, almost worthless
when he bought them, but lately be-
come valuable and at every step /
half feared, half hoped to, meet him.
The idleness of my holiday left me
timelto think of myself, and 1 was
very sorrowful. se
AS 1 passed the church door it
stood open, and an impulse led me
to enter.
An old woman was busting the
cushions, polishing the pew doors,
and setting books. in order in the
racks, and / went forward to the
front of the church and sat down be-
fore a painted window / loved to
look at. Jesus, the Shepherd, with
the lamb in his arms, smiled on me
Jas though between earth and heaven.
l began to feel a strange peace
steal over me-a promise of happi-
ness. Ny heart went forth.to my
old love, and for all the pain he had
given me 1 Iforgaye him. I hoped
that he was leading a better life and
thinking better thoughts. e
I remember saying to myself that
SO 1 should like to feel on the day of
death-loving all men and having
no fear whatever of the. mysteries
beyond this. life, whatevey they
might prove to be.
/ think that I had fallen asleep
listening to the wind and the beat
of the rain upon theroof, when sud-
denly i was aroused by screams and
cries. People came rushing into the
! nbrrnh S.,..x.i,,c, o,,f ~ tn,.,.,,. rrL !.