The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-04-14
TWO EASTER DAYS.


The quaint little church on Gosport is.
land radiated a new glory this Easter
morn. Merabel was accustomed to city
churches, and full purse led her to
imagine that wealth of lovelines would
be a necessity. The mass of lilies grouped
around the plain wooden desk and
scattered profusely everywhere, gave the
homely structure a touch of beauty. The
one aisle seemed to broaden with dignity
as noisy footsteps from the outer world
clattered over it, The bell pealed forth
so joyOusly that the fisher folk listened
and wondered how it could be the same
that sometimes sent knell through
their hearts, as it mOurnfully tolled its
warning to brave souls struggling with
the mighty pillows in storm and fog.
The humble fisher folk entered the
house of God with reverence and super
stition. The men came in their rough
garb, their furrowed and weather. beaten
faces shining with a new delight. There
were women who knew nothing but pow
erty and toll; whose daily walk was
measured by the ever-sounding waves
whose lives were as bare of beauty as
the rocks of their homes bare of verdure.
The girls had used all means at hand to
make themselves pretty; their smiling
faces told of bit of sunshine in their
monotonous lives, while an occasional
droop of the eyes when some fisher lad
spoke to them revealed the divine seal of
the soul asserting its birthright in the
humblest. The pastor was the idol of
his flock and the surprise of their guests
Boston born and bred he was an oasis of
culture and righteousness in the desert
island OF ignorance; genial soul amid
l,,ll dc. hn hal,
of the poor. He, too, rejoiced in this ex-
preston of the peace and good will from
those not of them
Merabel saw it all as she glanced over
the Easter anthem she was to sing never
thinking all this fresh delight and smiles
and bright spirits were the reflection of
her own sunny temper. For it was Mer-
abers idea and it had come to her
through chance remark made by Wal
ter Martindale. They were in the con-
servatory-a favorite haunt. Merabel
was softly humming snatch from ia
vorite song:
BE still, sad heart and cease repinng,
Behind the clouds is the sun still shining"
"What are the particular clouds now
obscuring your horizon?" Walter asked,
noting her beaming face.
Everything" she returned with
dropping eyes. ''Ny new gown may not
be finished for Easter; some of my mis-
sion boys occasionally wax rebellious;
and l have no time for Brown
ing. Could you imagine clouds more
dense?'
"Yes.'
''Well, Browning is wonderfully con-
soling. In digging out the Jewels and
unwilling the golden threads of his elo-
quence, you forget your own special
hopes and fears, soarings and grovel-
lings in wondering what he will say
al out them in general"
But if one does not wish to forget"
The color grew deeper in MerabePs
cheek. Then with one of her brilliant
touches of strategy, she dashed off into a
half-earnest half-satrical criticism of
their efforts at the last reading circle. To
Walter, Merabel always seemed to scin-
tilate with fascinating enthusiasm over
some prank of her own, the loss of some
cherished wish, OF particular fad of the
day-everything but himself She was
forever humming and buzzing among
the flowers of life, slipping the honey
from all, by some strange intuition
gathering the sweets and leaving no
trace of the bitter behind them. Dane
ing, futtering, pulsing with superb vital
ity, she sometimes paused on the brink
of lOve-but only for moment.
Charming in person, quick of wit. ever
tender and courteous, when he chose.
Walter Martindale could hold her spell
bound with his words and the love light
in his eye. But when bis sparkling wit
ever so cautiously softened beneath the
spell of her eyes, and wandered into
elysian fields, the submissive spirit
hanging on his words took wings and
scared away like a frightened bird. Then
he would simply smile, perhaps sigh and
bide his time, prick of conscience tor
menting hin.
Flushed and tremulous Merable paused
as Ralph Daytons music hoated in to
them. Ralph sin his sea mood, to-
night" she breathed. ~ like it. Those
liquid notes thrill with sadness; they are
like the mournful ryhtm of the sea when
the sky is gray and the tempest on the
wing"
II always associated you with the
sea-" Walter murmured half abstractedly
Your bright wit is always bubbling and
sparkling like the waves in some SUNNY
land. When you float as you sometimes
do in your sea green dress and water
lilies, you seem like veritable water
spirit"
'And the angry waves you think are
typical also?'' she archly questioned
Great pillows of passion sometimes
sweep over your soul, bearing it along
'harborward' in spite of ITSELF But a
barrier of so ne kind inevitably sends it
out to sea again."
"Would you have it dash me against
the hidden rocks?'
Walter WINGED, as when a bleeding
wound is touched. "a hidden rock" he
to himself. SIT can be rent
asunder, and it SHALL 1t shall wreck
neither her life nor mine" His violent
agitation caused the veins to stand out
on his forehead and brought a fierce
look into his eyes that surprised Mera-
bel. ut is the heavy incoming sea that
sends the boat to shore and safety" he
added with faint smile.
yet it might hurl it on the sands with
such force as to wreck it after all. Open
sea, plenty of room is what the old sail