Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-05-18

began TO fall. and chilly winds TO Sigh among
tho willows. the squirrels tegan to store
away their nuts, and tho poor 10 pick up the
broken, bare boughs
"ilc said no would como before winter,r
thought Bcbce every day, when she rcse and
felt each morning cooler and grayer than the
ono before Il; winter was near.
Her little feet already were cold IN their
woctien shoes; and the robin already sang in
tho twigs Of the scar sweet briar, but shc had
the brave, sweet faith which nothing kills,
and she did not doubt-ohi no, she did not
doubt, she was only tired
Tired OF the strange, sleepless, fcvcrish
nights; tired Of tho long, dull, cmpty days;
tired Of watching down the barren. lcaGess
lcnc; tired Of hearkcning brcethlc@ TO each
step on tho rustling dead leaves; tired Of
looking always, always, always, into the
ruddy autumn evenings and the cold autumn
starlight, and never hearing what she listened
for, mover seeing what she sought tired M a
child may be, lost In Q wood, and wearily
wearing Its small strength and breaking its
young heart In search OF tho track forever
missed. Of the home forever beyond the hori
non.
Still she did her work and kept her courage
So sho toiled hard aud learned much, and
grow taller and very thin, and got look IN
her eyes like lost dogs, and yet never lost
heart or wandered In tho task that he had set
her, or In her faith In bis return.
Burn tho books, Bcbec." whispered tho
children again and again, clinging 70 her
skirts "Burn tho wicked, silent things
Since you have had thcm you mover sing, or
la, u..l lx.l .t.ts.
white"
Bebec kissed them, but kept TO her books
Jcannot going by from the forest night
after night saw tho light twinkllng In the hut
window, and sometimes crcpt softly up and
looked through the chinks OF tho wooden
shutter, and saw her leaning over some big
old volume with her pretty brows drawn to-
gcthcr, and fcr mouth shut close In earnest
effort, aud no would curse tho man who had
changed her 80, and go away with rage In his
breast and tears In his eyes, not daring TO say
anything, but knowing that lever would
Bebeos little brown hand lio In lovo within
his own
Nor oven In friendship, for no had
rashly spoken rough words against the
stranger from Rubos' land, and Bcbco ever
since then had passed him by with grave
simple greeting, and when no had brought
her IN timid gifts barrow load Of fagots,
had thanked him, but had hidden him take
tho wood homo to his mother.
"You think evil things Of mo. 'pebcc,., GOOD
Jeannot bnd plended. with a sob IN M, voice,
and ,ho bnd answer,j centiv,
"No. INIT do not spenk to mo that 4. .,,s
Then ho hnd cursd her ohscnt lover and
pebso gone within and clo.,d nor do,r
Sh, had no idea that tho r,cople thoupbt Il,
NJ her They were cola IN bcr nnd rucS co,d.
n,.,. made hcr heart nchc a llttio mora I1nt
tho ono preot love In her ponses.ci hcr so
strongly that all other things were half un-
real.
6ho did her daily house work from sheer
habit, and she studied becauso no had told her
to do 1t and because, with tho sweet, stub
born, crcduous faith Of her youth, sho never
doubted that no would return.
Otherwise there was no perception Of real
lilo In her; sho dreamed and prayed, and
prayed and dreamed, aud never ceased to do
either one or tho other, even when sho was
scattering potato peels to tho fowls, or shak-
Ing carrots loose of tho soil, or sweeping the
snow from her hut door, or going out in tho
raw, dark dawn as tho single little sad bell Of
st. Guido tolled through tho stiffness for tho
flrst mass
For though oven Father Francis looked
angcred at her because no thought she was
stubborn and hid sonio truth and somo shame
from him ut confession, yet sho went rcso-
lutcly aud oftencr than ever to kneel In the
dusty, dusky, crumbling old church, for II
80 sho thought-and shc did not feel quito
No fur away from him when she was besccch'
Ing Christ to have caro- Of Ills soul aud Of hia