Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-02
LIVES VlIEE FluNl.
A Quaker liyl.
By MARK DOUGLAS,
Author of"Cdn LoUe sins"
,NyDyTTFN FOR THE DISPATCH.j

seat in the cars which were to convey her
from Plymouth to Philadelphia, on a visit
TO her daughter, Elizabeth, who had mar
ried Thomas Price, prosperous merchant
of that city. Not quite so, her well-rounded
form, her placid countenance, her gentle
blue ewes all told of a quiet, uneventful lie,
and her plain but rich drab silk dress
showed that she belonged to the prosperous
class of Friends. The blood and training
of Quakers from the days of George Fox
had imprinted upon her face an abiding Sc
renity. Her bonnet was not what the
worlds people irreverently styled a sugar
seoop" but year by year as death removed
her associates and she had come to occupy
at meeting a seat on the second tier OF
benches facing the congregation, 1t had
gradually been enlarged so that 1t concealed
much OF her face, but gave an added charm
to what it allowed to be revealed. By her
side stood her imposing-looking husband, in
his second best suit, and sneer at it as the
world may, 1 have never yet seen anything
so graceful as the "shad-bellied" coat, the
like of which he wore.
Hannah, thee has all thy bundles, has
thee? Tell Elizabeth that hope she will
soon be able with her child to pay us visit,
and that am gratifed that she has called it
after me- for there has been Jesse in every
generation of our family. Farewewell, Han
nah, 1 had better leave thee now, for the
starting of the tram may frighten the
horse. 1 viii expect thee back on seventh
dav."
Farewell, Jesse. Yes, 1 will come back
on seventh-day. Farewell; perhaps the train
may startle the horse" :" A minute later, and
she looked back, but Jesse had gone. Why.
hut he felf dissatisfied
wanted to get one more view of him. Mar
ried over 25 wears, and they had never spent
a night apart. The city was but Is miles
distant and she was TO return on Saturday,
vet ''second-dav, third-day, fourth-day, fifth
day. sixth-day''-it was a long time to be
apart. and she wished she had seen him
once more as she gaZed back She looked
up:
''Is that thee, jesse? 1 thought thee had
started for home?"
81 had, but the train is delayed for few
minutes, and thought thee might have
something else to say"
Nothing, believe"
"Well, then, Hannah, 1 will bid thee fare
We. again. L will surely expect you on
seventh-day. Farewell" One minute before
and he had not thought of such thing,
but then he stopped over and kissed her.
As a maiden blushes at the first kiss Of her
10 .er, the kiss so tenderly priced, so did the
wife OF more than a quarter of a century.
Ar unwonted light illumined her eyes, and
there were tears in her voice as she re-
sponded, Farewell, Jesse; l will surely
return on seventh-dey," and he was gone.
He kissed her. She could not rememb ber
that he had ever kissed her before since that
eleventh month, when together they were
gathering the chestnuts. She recalled all
that day. He had been clubbing down the
nuts and her apron was full of them, and
he descended the ladder and put his arm
about her, and looked long into her face.
1t was about three months before Elizabeth,
her first child, was born, and the aureole,
that mingled expression OF the saint and the
woman, which painters place about the
brow of the Divine Mother, proclaimed her
expactant motherhood, and ne said: "Why,
Hannah, thee does look so pret-so swe-so
verv we'll" and he kissed her.
A few minutes later and she saw him on
the platform. She raised the car window
and he said:
''There is a little delay about starting, and
1 thought would see thee safely of: guess
the horse will stand quiet. This is second
day. and thee will not be back till seventh
day"
i'No, jesse
"Well, will come and meet thee
Jesse, thee will not get back from market
in time to do that"
A 81 will let Joseph go to market alone on
next seveuth-day. He has to learn that part
Of farmers life. l think that is the last
bell. Why, Hannah, thee does look so pref
so swe-," and here his Quaker training,
which had taught him to conceal his emo
tions, led him to conclude with, 81 am glad
that Elizabeth will see thee looking so very
we'll"
Farewell, Jesse. will surely return on
seventh-day, and L will expect thee to meet
me. Farewell
Jesse did not at once start for home. He
walked along the railroad track, and then
crossed into the fields and strolled through
the woods. 1t was delicious, brisk Novem-
Der day. His bountiful crops were all safely
housed in his ample stone barn; his winter
wheat had set well, promising prosperity for
the coming year; there had been frosts and
the ground was crisp and springy. On the
denuded field the cheerful sun shone, and
the gentle breeze seemed to whisper to the
provident farmer: "Well done. good and
faithful servant" But, influenced as he
doubtless was by his surroundings, be was
thinking only of Hannah, and he would
not see her until seventh-day. Perhaps not
thinking, only musing, he said: "She did
look pretty, she did look sweet" and he was
glad that he kissed her, and he would not see
her again until seventh-day.
He returned TO the station and drove
home His chamber seemed verv lonely
that night. He had not noticed it before.
but surely Hannah had a very clear COM
plexlon, and her face pressed upon the white
pillow looked so pure. The next morning
was yet more lonely, and though she was in
Philadelphia, he found pleasure in saving.
as he had done through long years: 81 will
call thee, Hannah, when l have made the
fires" For the succeeding days, his stall
wart hired man had never before found it SO
difficult to keep up with him at his work.
and never before had found him irritable
and unreasonable Jesse Lukens was being
revealed unto Jesse Lukens. "Yes," he
said to himself, "I will kiss her when [
meet her on Seventh-day," and he would
certainly have done so, if the whole yearly
meeting had been looking on.
The spirit had not often moved him to
read the Bible, but then he opened it, and
read: Husbands, love your wives, even as
Christ loved the church." and he turned
further over to where Paul groans for power
to express his love for his master. and he re-
GREETED, not that he had been reared a
Friend, but that his education had taught
him to crush down his feelings and to con-
ceal his emotions. Ever and anon, he
would repeat: II am GLAD that kissed
her, and as he recalled her timid blush
and her shrinking joy, there were tears in
the strong mans eyes that he had not
oftener cheered her lite with husbands
kiss Hannah, thee did look pretty; thee
did look sweet" His soul was finding ex-
preston.
Jesse's life had been uniformly prosperous
and uneventful. He had never been % |
miles away from home. All his children
were yet living. No sorrow had come to ex- |