Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1892-11-09

at is a very beautiful worldr said
May softly, looking about her at the
rare Autumn beautyl And yet it is
very full of sorrow. i wonder WHY
God has SO arranged it? He who
knows the end of all things from the
beginning"
Just here she saw her letters and
papers from the mail lying upon the
table where her father always placed
them. Among some letters from
schoolmates was copy of one of the
newspapers of the city she had left.
Always glad to read the paper pub
llshed where she had attended school,
she hastily tore open the wrapper.
, What cruel fate had sent that paper
into her hands to-day? She almost
! turned to stone as she read for she
saw in seeming letters of fire:
Married, October 25tb, 1877, Ralph
Summers to Miss Edith Sprague."
Softly the paper fell to the ground.
A pale, slender girl walked blindly up
and down her room:
81 have sown the wind, and am
reaping the whirlwlnd" was her cry,
as with clasped hands she paced the
floor until the evening shadows gath
cred.
"W hat change has come over MAY
Reynolds since her mothers deathn'
neighbor remarked "She is not
like the mischievous May of few short
months ago. All the old love of fun
seems to have left her forever. Poor
girl her sorrow is telling wofully on
her"
Thus the long years came and went,
| bringing always their burdens and
also something of happiness along
with them. Mays father had soon
been laid beside her mother, and then
the thoughtful girl devoted herself to
the poor and needy. Many a heart
reIolced at her coming; many a
wayward soul was turned into better
paths by her helpful words.
II find SO much to do" she once
| said to friend, that | sometimes wish
i had four hands, instead of two. Oh!
this is beautiful world; but it is also
very full of sorrow. And / want to be
helpful to every sorrowing soul l
meet. There are so many of them in
this old worldH'
May was speaking thus to an old
friend, one who was happy in her
chlldrens s and husbands love, when
that friend replied:
''Do you know, dear May, that | Of
ten wonder why you have never mar
rled. 1t seems to me that woman of
such strong sympathies as you pos
sess' would be most happy surrounded
by family CT her own"
The moment the words were uttered
they were regretted, for their author
saw such look of pain creeping over
May Reynolds face that it almost
frightened her; but May quickly turned
aside, that her friend might not see
her face and replied:
"MarrIage Is not for me. God, who
sees ami knows all things, from the
least to the greatest, knows that if /
were as happy as some women, would
hive for this world only; 1t would be
Heaven enough for mel'
There was a depth of pathos in
Nays voice that her friend never for
got.
1t is again the last of October, and
We find May as we found her IN the be-
ginning of our story, thinking of that
Halloween so long ago.
81 wonder if Ralph ever thinks of
it?" she said softly. "Ohi l hope he
is happy, and yet-cannot help wonder
ing If he ever thinks of the old happy
times"
Sic picked up the picture of the boy
ish face, and seating herself in rock
er, gave herself up to the old, sweet
memories.
Just for to- night" she whispered to
her heart. "Co-mOrow | must be
brave, and again take up my lonely
duties and plessures-for there is q
pleasure IN striving to make others
happy"
She sat looking at the well loved
face, until all the lights we're extiu-
guished over the way. She heard the
clock strike ten-eleven-ands still she
dreamed on. As the last stroke of ~
died away, she aroused herself and be
thonght her of the hour.
sit is the very hour the maidens try
their fortunes, she said aloud. "Ah,
me! there is no truth in it. Nothing
but silly superstition, that the intel.
igent girls of this century ought to be
ashamed to harbor And yet some
times little superstition brings happi-
ness! 1t did to me, fifteen years ago,
when L looked over my shoulder in the
mirror and saw Ralph Summers smil-
ing at me. 1t wasn't his ghost, either,
but Ralph himself, who had gotten an
inkling of what was to be done that
night by the girls of our set Oil
what happy days those were"
The more May thought of it, the
moro she felt like trying the old spell
over again, 'just once for all time, I"
she whispered to herself. She repeated
the instructions" she had received
of the older girls at school years
ago:
"Go into a room, turn around three
times ere you close the door, walk
backward to the mirror, suddenly face
it, eat an apple which you are to hold
in your left hand, comb out your hair
with the right, all the time looking
steadily in the mirror; soon you will
see the image of the man you are to
AIRY reflected from over your right
shoulderw
As May stole noiselessly, into the
next room, carrying an apple in her
hand, she wondered if her friends,
could they see her now, would not
think her fit inmate for an asylum
for luuatics. Softly she entered the ad-
Joining room, turned around three
times before closing the door, walked
backward to the mirror, suddenly
faced it, began ating the apple held
in her left hand, while with her right
she combed out her long, dark hair,
which fell IN shining waves about her.
Her ewes seemed piercing the very
depths OF the mirrorl
Suddenly her fee blancEedi She
heard footsteps steadily approaching
her from behind. She seemed frozen
to the spot. She could not cry out for
verv horror. At last over her right
shoulder arose a mans face, set and
white. 1t was the face of Ralph Sum
nersl Older than when she saw bin
last, vet handsome; for this face held a
tboughtfuIness and seriousness in its
DEPTHS that the boyish face of fifteen
years ago did not possess.
The hand that held the comb re-