San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1889-07-27
ELSA
The White Face At The Window,
Written by Edith Aiken for the Light.

Even with this prayer she realized
that her dream was very substantial,
for a maid came in bearing tray on
which a tempting repast was laid,
and having placed it upon table
which she drew to Elsa's side hoped
the lady would enjoy hot cup of tea
and bit of bread and cold chicken.
What did it all mean? This pleas
ant serving-maid so respectful yet
selfrespecting in every tone and move
ment, who seemed to know, and eX-
pect her, all this simple goodness,
but above all her feeling of security.
But she was hungry, faint for want
of food perhaps is better expression,
and now the tea, the cream, the jelly,
and every dainty bit was like nectar
and so the half hour before her
hostess return was well employed.
There. said Mrs. Graham drawing
a chair near to the glowing fire beside
Mrs. Roberts after the tray had been
sent away now we will renew our
acquaintance. L have sent that dear
fellow home happier man than he
has been for many day. In fact a
new man glowing from head to foot
with hope new as it is strange, and
happiness which it will take HIM
sometime to realize. He has been
such a dreamer and book worm, he
has lived so much in remembrance
of the past, and in dreams of the
future, that an absorbing present will
be a new and delightful experience. +"
Elsa's cheeks grew warm and pink,
and she murmured very family some
thing to the effect that she "did not
understand" but she knew she did
understand, if not very definitely,
that she had something to do with
the new experience referred to.
"Are you sure you do not under
stand? we'll you will soon," and then
she leaned over and clasped the hand
of her guest and looked at her keenly,
critically, but with such sunny eyes,
and so kindly, that Elsa was content
to remain silent and wait.
Come" Mrs. Graham said at last,
"let US get acquainted, for 1 see you
do not know me yet, but are holding
on to your patience, wondering why
1 do not tell you what it all means,
and I have no patience at all, 1 am
so anxious to hear all about what
happened to you since you were a
sweet girl of fourteen, and made your
self such a help and comfort to my
dying sister twenty years ago."
Mrs. Roberts sat upright in her
chair, and her eyes grew glad, and
bright. "You mean Mrs. HIDDEN"
II mean Mrs. Hidden"
"And you? you are Aunt Susan
Graham the dear Aunt Susan who
used to stay with her sometimes"
"Yes am Susan Graham, her eldest
sister, and I staid with her when 1
could, but had my own little family,
and a drunken husband, and was
really as poor as Lizzie"
80 now L seen The younger wo-
mans eyes were glowing, and her
whole face and form were animated.
The gentleman who brought me here
tonight was my school friend Arthur
Hidden! you called him Arthur"
The other nodded smiling, "and that
lovely vision who came to me at that
dreadful moment of despair, was
that?n she met look of assent. sit
was little Nellie HiddenW
"Yes you are right, it was Nellie
and Arthur"
"But they were very poor, those
dear friends of my girlhood," and
CHANGING around the room then at her
hostess, 1--WE were all poor together,
and these people seemed rich! why
remember her gown was blue satin,
and see the elegant cloak she
put around me-what has become of
her? to tell me what it all means, and
how it all came aboutn Gratitude,