Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1893-10-04

sister orusncu her halr, ray or nght
from the rising sun fell upon IL, and
showed her a silver thread which had
crept in among the gold. She looked at
it as il she would fain have been de-
ceived, then, with heavy sigh. let the
long tress fall.
All" she said. in sorrowful whis-
per, what IL 1t 6e faded and white?
Would he know me then? AS well
might have been shorn."
That day she had 20 work very hard
There was much illness about. The
fever-strickcn, who in health would
have acknowledged no necessity for
her presence, watched for her eagerly.
Weary mothers, 10 whom curses came
more readily than other speech, blessed
her when she lifted the little babies
| from arms too weak 70 hold them, and
young children, crying with pain and
wretchedness, held out their hot hands
70 clutch the tempting fruit she
brought them.
BY the afternoon she had given away
all she had in her basket.
AS she was descending the rickety
stairs OF the last house she had visited.
woman dashed out from the garnet
and. leaning over the banister, called to
her.
Il saw you come" she said "and I've
been a-laying in wait for you. Could
! you step baCl?'
! The little sister looked up. She saw
n pretty, bedraggled, untidy woman,
with hollow eyes and coarse complex
ion, who was still young, and whose
/ person was clad in faded finery. She
was not a new type TO the little sister,
who could have told her character at a
glance.
She reascended the stairs
You have only just come 20 this
house?' she said, with her reassuring
smile.
Yes, we hain't been here three
days" answered the woman 1T amt
exactly a sootable lodgin', but the
rents easier than tother."
You have been better of. them"
SAID the sister, and she knew the rest
of the story without being told But
she let the woman make her own state
ment
we gets poorer an poorer. When
we first married my husband was quite
a gentleman. It's drink as done it,
But he've been steady a long while
now. Turned over n new leaf, you
might say. Only he was weak when
we come here, and he caught the fever
directly, and we hain't any money And
we are starving well-nigh."
She looked at the basket. Alas IL
was empty
II could stand 1t myself. But it's
him and the little 'uns"
You have some children?"
Two"
She pushed open the door, and Sister
Margaret entered.
The room was squalid and bare OF
furniture, except for the wretched bed
on which lay PROSTATE form, and q
broken chair against which leant pale,
lovely little child, who turned at her
entrance and looked at her with shy
yet eager eyes. Another, and young
er child, was crouching on the floor
endeavoring 10 extract nourishment
from an old dry bone she was sucking
The sun streamed in through the un-
curtained window. 1t showed the dirt
and wretchedness of the room, the torn
paper with its tawdry pattern, the
sotled Counterpart, which was flung
over the sick man, and the pale, worn
| face resting on the coat which served
as pillow. 1t was the face of
wrecked creature. But the sunlight
while II made the ruin more apparent
yet cruelty manifested that the strand
ed, broken vessel had been planned for
a great and noble purpose, had once
been beautiful and filed with power.
Was II this thought which came into
| the mind of Sister Margaret, ard made
| her gaze, as If fascinated, on the sick
man?
He amt conscious. He don't know
| you whispered the woman
| "He-doesn't know-me," repeated
the little sister like one in dream.
She was trying 70 recall face not
unlike his. She remembered so well
| broad white brow, from which the dark
\ hair had been tossed carelcssly back.
l and great long-lnshcd gray eyes with
/ the dilated pupils of the enthusiast, and
a weak, sensitive mobile mouth, and
/ chin dimplcd like q girls. But this
/ brow was furrowed, the hair was
strealled with gray, the chin was dis
I figured by an unkept beard. and the
mouth was changed-sadly. Only the
| eyes were the same The fever aud
the sunshine gave them a strange bril-
\ liancy
suddenly the sick man drew one hand
| from under the coverlet, and with an
/ impatient gesture pushed back the
| overhanging hair from his forehead /
| Then he flung his arm out upon the
! Counterpart and the thin slender hand
with the fingers Of the artist lay palm
! dOvvnwards
Sister Margaret gave long-drawn
shivcriug sigh
But concentrated passion, whether /
OF JOY or sorrow, produces wonderful /
| calm.
What Is your husbands name2" the I
sister asked quietly and without look /
I ing round.
And the woman answered.
Claude Dcsborough
/ The little sister bowed her head
/ The mar. who had been moaning. /
now muttcred something incoherent I
/ His wife understood him. however .
She fetched a mug from the other end
7 o. the room. 10 had contained water.
but was now empty The little girl T.
/ had surreptitiously drunk It's content. I
must get some said tho woman
+. philosophically And she left the
I room
Meanwhile Sister Margaret stood ne
rH.#. d b." Il