San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1893-06-24
NOT FAR FROM REINCARNA-
TON.

y
1t is a strange and wonderful
thing in nature which governs
most of our physical and mental
resemblance. What it is will be
illustrated by the true story
which follows:
1t was not very long ago that a
beautiful young woman of Nam
tucket, whose name may be called
Mary Tilbury, was visiting friends
in Martha's Vineyard. There, it
may be mentioned, lived at the
time the young man to whom
Mary Tilbury was betrothed. The
young man took her to drive
across the island in the vehicle
usually in the place, which has an
open space behind the seat. AS the
pair were driving homeward along
a lonely road, they saw the bent
figure of an old woman, who bore
upon her back a heavy burden of
some sort, tOiling along in advance
of them. AS they overlook
her the young woman proposed
that they should invite her
to ride. They did so, and were
glad they did, for the oldwoman,
evidently travel and burden weary
looked up at them as they
stopped by her side with a CRATE
full expression upon her face. Evil
IDENTIFY the burden on her back was
a bag containing what clothes she
had: and Mary Tilbury wondered
if she might not have been turned
out of her semblance of a home.
She was certainly extremely old.
She might we'll have been beyond
her S0th year. The young man
helped her into the wagon. She
placed her pack upon the floor of
the wagon, in the space behind the
seat, and sat down upon it.
The old woman meantime kept
looking hard at Mary Tilbury and
shaking her head, with a far-away
expression in her old eyes. Pres
emily she said: "You are the most
beautiful girl l ever saw, except
one, and that girl looked exactly
like you-the same blue eyes, and
light-brown hair, the same fair
complexion, the very same features,
and just exactly that smile and
expression. But it was fifty, yes,
more than sixty years ago that
that girl came here" The old
woman wagged her head, lost in
the past, but IN few moments
her eyes returned to Mary Til:
bury's face. Once more she began
her expressions of admiration for
the girls beauty. at is wonder
full ~ she said, presently. 81 must
be dreaming" "Well," said Mary
Tilbury, "won't you tell us about
this girl long ago that looked so
much like me? Was it here that
you knew herr" ayes, here"
answered the old woman, "but
this was not her home. She came
here and spent but a couple of
years, going to school. She was
older than |. was IA and she was
20. l thought she was everything
that was lovely, and so she was. /
worshiped the groupd she walked
on, and treasured up every look
and word of hers. 1t is astonish-
ing; your voice is exactly hers; l
should think that Mary Tilbury
was speaking to me again ~ The
girl started. "My name~ she said.
"What do you mean" "Is your
name Mary TiIbury?" gasped the
old woman.
Both told their stories. The old
woman explained that when she
was child a girl came from Nam
tucket to Martha's Vineyard, and
spent two years at school. as she
had said. This was Mary Tilbury !;
and the living girl of that name
learned, when she went home, that
the beautiful girl from Nantucket
was her great grandmother. In the
fourth generation woman had
come into the world who was so
close a counterpart of the woman
of long ago that this aged crone
was instantly impressed with the
idea that the same Mary Tilhury
had come back again.
And this stavism---the appear
ance of type or a characteristic
in a descendant not nearer than a
grandchild. We are told that in
Spain every one is a son of some
body. 1t may be so in Spain; but
, here every one merely the grand
son of somebody. In the way of
real governing traits and forms,
ones father does not seem to
amount to much. How many
fathers have marveled that moth
ing of their own characteristics
,,-nc nnnn mum inn tod To thnir SONS