Wichita eagle., 1890-02-21

lowered into tts place.
As the coffin disappeared from sight thun-
der began to roll The distant bills, the
great cape were lit up by flashes of light
ming, and far away tho rain could be seen
failing heavily. As yet, however, no breath
of itsfreshness reached the kneeiing habitans.
A movement ran through tho crowd as wind
sweeps through standing grain. Women and
men looked up timidly; children looked
around boldly. Even the priest FASTENED his
utterance, to finish before the storm should
break.
Still the thunder rolled. It had not begun
suddenly, but slowly, majesticaliy; at first
afar of, but ever coming nearer; not sui
len roar, not the i'll humored crashing that
some thunder is, but awful and grand.
The crowd rose; the priests voice was no
longer heard in the noise of the thunder.
Perhaps be had stopped his prayers.
Then suddenly from the black cloud that
hung directly above the congregation burst
fash OF lightning-noe the forked lightning
that strikes down dwellings, and crops and
men, but great broad flash, SO bright and
glorious that all fell again upon their knees
and lid their faces in their hands, SO WON
droas and awful that they dared utter no
sound, but remained silent and mosaonless.
Only two stood uprightFelicie and Ed
rnond Felicie lad knee5ed, weeping on the
shoulder Of Nine. Hanlel, while the priest
gave back to earth all that had made her life
happy. Armand and she had been bet-othed
SO long, their wedding day had been so near,
and now Armand was taken from her SO
strangely and so suddenly. So while the
priest read the sacred sentences, and the
people who had loved Armand stood about
his grave, she whom Armand had loved
kneeled and sobbed, hearing not ut all the
nurmured words Of Nine. Hamel, hearing as
if they were spoken ofar off the words Of the
priest. But now that even the priest was
terror stricken and covering, Felicie stood
up, no longer clinging to Armand's mother,
and looking up into heaven she spoke to the
thunder.
'sMy father" she said, or go it seemed to
the lad who stood almost by her side.
And, as il in answer, the thunder, which
had not ceased to roll, crashed yet again, and
the echoes rolled back from the cape and died
slowly away in the distance, and all was
silent. And Felicio spoke again, but the lad
could not hear what See sai6, and she bowed
her head
Again the thunder answered, a majestic
peal. vet not to make those who heard it
afraid. But Feiicie said nothing more; she
stood with her face turned to the dark sky,
as if in expectation.
Then came binding flash Of lightning.
For cn instant only dared the boy look; then
he clapped his hands over his eyes and fell
upon his knees. But in that instant he saw
Felcie standing in the midst Of the glory of
the great brightness, smiling, and above her
was great rift in the clouds Further than
ever before could the lad see on high; then
be pressed his hands to his eyes, and sank
upon bis knees and cried aloud in terror.
When the lightning had become dim, and
the thunder had died away. came the rain
In torrents it fell, and all sprang up, forget
ting Armand almost and Felicie, thinking
only that the drought was broken, and re-
joicing. But when they saw Feiioie they re-
membered everything, and stood still, as if
abashed.
Felicie stood at the head Of the grave Her
hands were clasped before her; her face was
lifted up, and she was smiling. What she
looked at what she saw, no one could tell
The priest approached her almost timidly.
''Felicie," he said, but she made no answer.
"Felicie," he said, moro loudly. And again,
more loudly still, ''Felicie."
II
dead, the priest laid his hand on her arm.
She moved, and he gave a sigh Of relief.
"Felicie, come with me-" he said; but the
girl moved not, nor made as if she heard him.
The people moved nearer and looked 1T her,
almost with terror.
At last the maiden lowered her eyes and
looked toward the priest; he looked her full
in the face, end his checks paled.
-. l.
mea Do you hear mef' But still she made
no answer.
.'What is thisi' m,rmured the priest,
hoarsely; and Edmond, the half witted boy,
answered him:
Father" lie said, touching the priests
arm, "Felicie has sesn God, and heard him
speak, and spoken to him. l do not think,
father, that she can see You or heor you;
your face is not bright enough for her eyes
to see; your voice Is not loud enough for her
to hear.n
The priest turned to the lad suddenly, and
the boy stepped back abaslIed; but the priest
held out his hand, and the boy took it and
held it.
'My children" said the priest, and at his
words the crowd knelt in wonder on the
earth, no longer dry; and tho priest spoke:
''The Lord hath spoken in the thunder to
Felicie; he hath appeared to her in the hight
ming. What ears have heard the Lord, them
hath be sealed what eyes have seen the
Lord, them hoth he closed; what tongue has
spoken With the Lord, that hath he sUenced.
Not on earth can those ears hsar, those eyes
see, tket tongue speak.
Listen, my children; Felicie hath heard
God, and she is deaf; she hath seen him in
his glory. and she is blind; she hath spoken
with him. and she is dumb. Bat it Is no
grief to Felicie that this is so; for the words
of the Lord have ccmforted her inner sorrow
and made all earthly words unfit for her to
hear: his glory makes dark all mortal things
lto her; the tongue that has spoken with God
must speal, withpo mortal man. Blind, then,
is FeiIeie, deaf and dumb; yet pity her not,
my children, for the hand of the Lord is
upon her gently; he hath honorcd her above
all women, save only one, and today, more
than ever before, is she happy; today Is she
III very truth Fehcie."
In silence the people heard the priest, and
when he had spoken the bene6iction in silence
they went to their homes, thinking much.
Theu old Xavier Hsnlel and his wife Philo-
meme tool, Felicie 10 their home and she was
as their daughter; and the people thought Of
her as one unhappy, butas one honored great
ly by God and chosen oUt 10 have her sorrovs
turned to JOY. But Felicie neither saw nor
heard nor smoke again on earth, and in Gods
time she iell asleep, TO meet, awakng, Ar
uand.-R y. Trevor in Harperis Weekly:
Never reserve your good manners Tor COM
pany, but be equally polite a: home and
abrcSd
Work and Win.