Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-07-02

nent lawyer in this city. He had only been
there a few months when, through young
man in the Office, he was introduced into q
| fast set, and in short Sime was plunged
into dissipation. When 1 realized this
was nearly crazsd with fear and pain.
uplored, demonstrated, wept. lie would
be sorrowfully repentant for while, but,
alas, was too weak to resist temptation,
and he always fell back. This state OF
things went on for six months, and then
came the end. Involved in money Difficult
ties, debts of honor, gambling debta, driven
beside himself, reckless, desperate, the
poor misguided boy robbed his employer,
took large sum of money from the safe to
which he always had access. This was
soon discovered by the man he had robbed,
who taxed him with it privately, but stern
ly aud threateniogly, and my GOO boy,
mady letting his temper get the best, an
swered insolently. High words followed
Robert solemnly asserted that the lawyer
struck him first, however. Robert picked
up q heavy chair and felled him to the
ground with it. And in weeks time he
died from the effect of the blow" Her
voice faltered, and she paused. could
only press her hands in silent sympathy
"You can guess, dear, what followed. He
was arrested, tried, and condemned to fif-
teen years. imprisonment, which, in this
State, means solitary confinement. Oh,
child! child shall 1 ever forget that morn
ing-'twas the first day of June-when he
stood in the prisoners dock; SO young, 80
rarely handsome, and listened with white,
set face and quivering lips to that sentence?
I nearly went mad then. fell on my
knees with wild sobs and moans; then
tainted, and when / recovered they had
taken him away.
II saw him once again to bid him fare
we'll. I was calm then with the calmness
of woe too deep for utterance. He was
also silent, numbed with terrible, sullen
despair. Dear said, pillowing his head
on my breast, as I had so often done, the
years must pass. 1 will wait and pray for
you in our little home, and, Should heaven
spare us both, some day you will come to
me, there to begin new life together. =
And, dear, I have been waiting thirteen
long years; have counted each day, each
week, each month of them as they glided
by. and now but two more years remain,
and the waiting will be over" She paused,
her cheeks grew softly flushed. her eyes
sparkled with intense joy. "Two more
years." she repeated; ''only two more years
of waiting"
Only two more years: but one had hardly
passed before Miss Molly grew thin and
paler, her step slow and languid. This was
the beginning, and from that time her
health began steadily to decline, and, with
bitter pain, realized she was fading slowly
out of life. Sorrow had done its work, and
the thread of endurance, worn threadbare,
suddenly snapped, and the frail body sue
cumbed.
One evening, as I sat beside her easy
chair, where she now sat all day, she laid
her thin hand gently on my head and said:
"Dear, you know that l am going to leave
you before very long?" I hid my-face on
her lap, and burst into tears. "YOu must
not grieve too much, my child" she went
Oh, sit is Gods will; shall not be here to
brighten his life, but l shall live to see him
once more, my Robert, my boy.'
The weeks and months glided by; daily
she grew weaker, frazier grew her hold on
life. The year was nearly up, but ] never
thought she would live to see it; but she
did, The first day of June came, such
beautiful, sunny day. L had been with
her all night, and when the first rays of the
rising sun shone into her room radiant
smile lighted up her sweet, white face, and
are over" She hardly spoke the rest of
buG uhyf cut ls.T as bhiOu 81 SuO W. 'iHtOH
iug, a faint smile lingering about her lips.
My heart was nearly bursting with sorrow
and suspense. She could not live through
the night | knew. All! would he come
or would she have waited so long in vain?
The day wore on; l was sitting heside her
holding her hand, when heard the front
door open, and a mans step in the hall, and
upon the stairs; thought it was the doctor
returning, when low cry from Miss Molly
caused me to tu1D; with superhuman ef-
fort she had raised herself in bed, and her
great blue eyes were fixed, with d look |
shall never forget, upon the door.
s'Husb," she whispered, che is coming"
A moment later the door was thrown open
and man stood upon the threshold-a
man prematurely aged, with bent shoul-
dera, gray, ciose-cropped head and a worn,
haggard face bearing the remains Of great
beauty. His eyes saw nothing save the
figure on the bed; then he bounded across
the room and caught her in his arms
"Molly, sister," heard him murmur.-
Her head sank against his breast with a
sigh of utter peace and content. "My boy,
my boy" she whispered, ''the waiting is
over" She smiled once, and then died :
l saw the worn, handsome face Of the man
grow as white as the smiling one on his
breast. "My God," he cried aloud; ''dead
-gonev' Then as his heavy sobs echoed
through the room stole away, the tears
falling over ny checks, leaving them alone,
the dead who had waited SO long, the liy-
ing who came too late.