Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1890-05-09
BERNARD'S LETTER.

ike some cruei, hungry Tiger, VIC Hdu
no brands with which to scare it off.
In Bettina's cottage. where she sat
and spun while her childish old grand
parents nodded in their chairs beside
the fireplace. all was as clean as it
could have been in palace; but she
had hard work to fill those two old
mouths and her own also. There was
no one else to do il.
The lady at the great house bought
her flax and paid well for it. But
after all, Bettina had but her two
hands; and two little brown hands
can not do all the worlds work.
wait patiently" Bettina said to me
sometimes. What does it matterP
We love each other; we trust each
other; let us be content"
But | could not be content. felt if
j would win Bettina L must leave
Savoy and go to America. ] told Bet
tina so, and though she wept, she said,
"Go-go, Bernard, and l will pray for
you. 1t is all n girl can do"
At last had money for the voyage.
had saved it little by little for two
long years, and now the parting hour
had come.
IL 10 ludI We iIoD bC Win tdSh Otu-
er always some day that we part now"
/ said.
Her tears fell over my neck. We
pressed each other in long embrace.
At last tore myself away, and blind
ed by my tears set off upon my jour
ney. We crossed the sea in safety. l
stood at last in a strange land and
among strange people.
A year passed by - twelve long
months; so long, counted by loves
reckoning. and yet hoped and strove.
One more year and she would come to
me. The months would slip away
like the beads upon the rosary of one
who prays for blessings. Ishould feel
her hand in mine when they were all
counted. l should press my lips to
hers-all would be forgotten but our
meeting, and while l lived the old peo-
pie should share our happiness.
With such thoughts as these in my
mind l entered the great factory where
worked one day. l said to myself as
/ threw off my jacket. AT noontime
will write to Bettina."
What do we know of noontime at
dawn? What do we know of night at
midday Nothing.
remember thinking this. l remem-
Der crossing the long room. | remem-
Der a sudden flash and crash, and the
oaths of men and girls mad scream.
After that sense of pain awakened
me, and l found myself lying in the
dark, with my own hand, cold and
clammy, lying in a great. warm soft
hand that held it very tenderly.
! tried to rise. l could not.
Where am IP" said, and my voice
sounded low and hoarse in my own
ears. WHO is this?"
ut is the DOCTOR" said voice. "Be
calm my friend"
rs it night?" l asked.
1T is night"
why do you not light lampp"
He made no answer.
What has happened?"
" Do you not remembers"
II remember noise"
ut was an explosion" he said, after
o pause. You were hurt. There
were many killed outright"
Doctor" said, lis it night?"
at is night" he said solemnly.
'But only for me! know that am
smltten bllnd!
Try to be calm. my friend" he
whispered. 1T is hard-but try to
bear itr'
What can we do but bear what God
sends upon us? But L did not bear it
well. Can you wonderp All was gone
all my hopes of life, and even all that
/ had won in the last year. Some
wretch had stolen the little moleskin
pouch from my bosom. l was beg
gar and blind! prayed to die. but 1
lived and grew strong again.
One day as l sat by the hospital win
dow, formed resolution. / said to
myself: II can be brave enough to
spare Bettina something; and will do
it though my suffering should be in
creased by the act. know that if she
knew the truth she would grieve Bit
terly and remain true to me. know
that if were sent home, and the doctor
says might be, she would even mar
~ me, and try to feed ME as she does
her helpless ones. That shall never
be! j will send her word that am
dead. and then, when she has grieved
awhile, youth will Triumph; she will
marry the young farmer who loves her
so Truly, anu 10 SOOu dS Well us rlcn,
and she will only remember poor Ber-
nard tenderly as one who loved her in
the past. And young Bernard is real
ly dead. The blind beggar is not the
same man.
The good doctor shall write me
letter, and so as he passed l called to
him and told him all.
1T will be best for her." l said. II
will set her free. She will grieve bit
terly know, but the other lover will
one day blot out my memory. Tell
her died with her name on my lips-I
do. As i die, heart and soul, here be-
fore you, l have but one thought is
Bettna.
And you think she does not love
you as well?n he said.
''She loves me even as love her."
said. "Ah, doctor, it is because / love
her so that would spare her all l can
You will write"
II will WRITE" he said. Stay
come to my office. have nurse here
now who can break the news tenderly,
/ believe, if any one can. She has
waited on yon for day or two saying
very little | forbade that But her