, 1889-12-05

hands fingered the coverlot orlay almost
! transparent across his srcrimson dressing
gown.
'See the pretty shell, mother" he
murmured; 'just listen how II sings
His mother arose and stood beside
him, smoothing the brown waves back
from his forehead.
Mother he asked, "arent we far
strange" '..
"fes, dear, far away; but we will go
back If you want to go, she answered
~ was not thinking of that, but don't
YOU remember the little graveyard on
the arm running out into the sca2
could hear the murmur of the sea as the
waves run upon the sand. Don't you
remember how blue the waves were, and
how they would come ripping in, rip.
pling in 2" he continued, dreamily. "And
we would build forts in the sand Dick,
and Nellie, and don't you remembers
And how wave would come and sweep
them all away? We were children then,
but it Is the same as we grow older.
The waves come, the great waves OF
time, and sweep them all away where
are all our houses then, where are our
plans? Washed away, all washed away"
lie lay still as II exhausted for time,
and then continued: "But would like
TO sleep there, mother, within sound OF
the sea, there beside Nellie, under tho
blue myrtle. Myrtle, they use IL for all
things-to deck their brides, to lay on
the coffin, to plant on the grave. Don't
little graveyard at MarbleheadP So
thick you can hardly step without crush.
ing the glossy leaves or dainty blue
| bells"
Hush, hush, my darling you must
not talk so my heart is breaking now"
Poor mother, DEAR, he added, half
i nj 81. 4.
you snail not be lonesome; yes, you
shall be there, too, and he patted her
hand caressingly. 'Don't YOU think IL Is
time for Dick to be back'" he ra nlbles on.
a paroxysm Of coughing interrupted
nm, and he fell back, white and breath
| less.
So the long hours of that second night
wore away, until, suddenly, the sick
man exclaimed; Look, mother, look
vt the sea. had forgotten how blue 1t
was, and, see, the yellow roses are in
bloom. When did they bloom? And
there, comes Dick-I am going to
Ev The brown head fell back upon the
pillow and the mother knew that he had
indeed gone to meet the loved ones gone
before,
Long and earnestly she gazed on the
loved face. while all her love, all her
hopes and his ambitious dreams of the
future came thronging through her
mind. Castles in the sand truly" she
murmured. Then folding tho white
hands over his heart aud pressing last
kiss on the face, where joyful smile
still fingered, she drew the sheet over his
face and left him to his sleep, Then she
turned away and mechanically seated
herself in her usual seat by the lire; but
lap; her knitting lay unheeded beside
her now. No tear, no sob, broke the
stiffness of her grief. She sat motionless
her eyes fixed upon the fire, which
had sunk to A. dull glow.
hef mind Id, was vea busy with II PetGes srr9 Of the
strong, noble husband, of the parting
when he went upon. that last voyage;
how he kissed away her tears, saying he
would soon return, and then the long
months of silence, of heart-sick waiting,
followed by the tidings that she. was a
ruddy, hearty Dick, so like his father;
and her pretty Nellie, and handsome
Percy. And Dick, he, too, had sailed
away, and who could tell where the
ocean pillows rocked him to rest2 Then
Nellie, her beautiful and loving one,
whom she had laid to rest with her baby
on her breast, under the roses and myrtle
of the little grave yard so far away.
And now Percy, the hope and joy of her
| old age, he, too, was gone, and she was
left desoate and alone hers indeed had
been but sorrowful life. Why had she
been forced to bear such burden of
grief2 But as the deepest sorrow may be
crowned with the greatest happiness, so
rom sad death may come highest life.
Soon the sad mother almost forgot the
sorrow at parting with the orc child in
thought of meeting with the three, who,
with the dearly loved but long lost hus.
band, were waiting for her to come.
| | hQ hnp
was nothing now to hold her here; she
could see them all so plainly.
She thought of her hus-
band sitting under the climb
ing yellow rose, as the shadows of
evening were falling, and tho children
clinging about him in joyful play. She
saw the blue sea, as the waves came
ripling in on the yellow sands at the
foot of the little garden, and the white
sails cleaned in the rosy light of the set
ting sun, then faded indistinct into the
emp urpling distance. The sound of the
sea was i'll her ears and the perfume of
the yellow roses on the air ;-she turned
with q smile to her husband.
The fire, hours ago, had died out,
and the irost-ferns grew thick upon the
window-pane, ana along the crack OF
the outer door CLEANED long, white
crystals. The wind had died away, and
the only sound heard was the cracking
of the frosty nails in the boards. A pail
of water on its bench froze and cracked
with a small report, but the gray haired
woman sitting SO silently by the freless
stove, did not start at the sound. The
old gray cat, shut out In the cold shed,
mcwed piteously for admittance, but its
cry did not move her.
At length the morning broke. The
sun, so long hidden by whirling masses
of snow, shone out in pale, yellow
dogs, scintillant in the icy air. The
diamonds in unbroken whiteness over
the vast extent of prairie, from which
the half-buried houses of the struggling
little village peered forth, and from
whose chimneys pale, blue columns OF
smoke began to rise in the waveless air.
Two or three men, clapping their hands
for warmth in the frosty air passed up
the street, the hard-packed snow crunch
ing and creaking under their feet.
81 don't see any smoke at Lady Went-
worth's;' hadn't we better stop and see
If she is all rightP'
This is the worst blizzard ever saw
at this time of the year" one suggested,
as they passed up the steps and tried the
shop door, which opened readily. They
entered, but instead of the glowing fire
in the little box stove and the gray cat
lying on its rug as usual, the room was
cold and empty.
Looks kind of strange, nsaid one, as he
tapped on the counter, calling" Mrs. War.
ing There is something wrong here"
he exclaimed, as there came no response
to his call, and the three, lifting the