Audubon County Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Audubon Co., Iowa) 1885-1894, 1893-11-23

the wall the outer door was opened
and light footstep came along the
passage. The latch of The inner do II
was lifted by me familiar hand, and
a young girl came in, wearing q cloak
and hood, which she took off and laid
on the table beneath the looking
glass. Then after gazing moment
at the tireside circle, she approached
and took the seat at John Inglefield's
right hand, as f it had been reserved
on purpose for her.
| Here | am at last father" said
she. You ate your Thanksgiving
/ dinner without me, but have cone
| back to spend the evening with YOU. -
! Yes, it was Prudence lngleficld. She
wore the same neat and maidenly at
! tire which she had been accustomed to
! put on when the household work was
over for the day, and her hair was
parted from her brow in the simple
and modest fashion that became her
! best of all. If her cheek might other
wise have been pale, yet the glow of
the fire suffused it with a healthful
| bloom. If she had spent the many
| months of her absence IN guilt and
infamy, yet they seemed to have left
no traces on her gentle aspect. She
| could not have looAed less altered had
she merely stepped away from her
| father tireside for half an hour and
| returned viii the blaze was CULVER
| ing upward from the same brands
| that were burning at her departure.
And to John Inglefeld she was the
very image of his buried wife, such as
| he remembered her on the first
Thanksgiving which they had passed
under their own roof. Therefore,
though naturally stern and rugged
man, he could not speak unkindly to
| his sinful child, nor yet could he take
her to his bosom.
You are welcome home Prudence"
said he, glancing Sideways at her, and
| his voice faltered. Your mot err
would have reioiced TO see you, but
she has been gone from us these four
months
II know it, father I know it." re-
| piled Prudence, quickly. And yet,
when first came in, my eyes were so
dazed by the freight that she seemed
to be sitting in this very chair"
| BY this time the other members of
the family had begun to recover from
their surprise and became sensible
that it was no ghost from the grave
nor vision OF their vivid recollections,
! but Prudence her own self. Her
brother was the next that greeted
her. lie advanced and held out his
hand affectionately, as brother
should, yet not entirely like brothe
for with all his kindness, he was
still clergyman and speaking to
child of sin.
Sister Prudence" said he earnestly
Il rejoice that mercitul Providence
hath turned your steps homeward in
time for me to bid you last farewell.
In few weeks, sister, | am to sail as
a missionary to the far islands of the
Pacific. There is not one of these be-
loved faces that l shall ever hope to
behold again on this earth. Oh, may
l see all of them-yours and all-be-
yond the grave
a shadow fitted across the girls
countenance.
"Ihe grave is very dark, brother"
answered she, withdrawing her hand
somewhat hastily from his grasp
You may look your last at me by the
light of this fire."
While this was passing the twin-girl
the rosebud that had grown on the
same stem with the castaway-stood
gazing at her sister, longing to fling