Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1893-05-27

death blowl Rain came and no never
knew it. Tho damp wind chilled him
to the bone and he novOr felt 1t. Night
fell and he did not miss the daylight.
Aimlessly he wandered on, thinking
vaguely of his lost possessions, OF his
ruined partner, of the girl he could not
marry now. Then he heard . church
clock strike, and like a sudden vision
came a thought of the mother who had
taught him to pray. He had not
thought of her teachings for years, but
now, in his hour of need, they came
back, with gentle force. He would
enter the church and pray. Perhaps
the spirit of that loving mother who
had died in full confidence that some
time the Good Shepherd would reclaim
her dear black sheep whispered the
thought to him. Who knows?
He was q Presbyterian if anything,
and the church into which he crept was
adorned with the crucifx everywhere,
but that did not matter now. A starv-
ing man hardly cares whether thu
bread given him be white or brown
For awhile he prayed as drowning men
are supposed to pray, then tired nature
yielded to the solemn, peaceful silence,
and he fell asleep.
When he awol<e the body of the
church was still dark, but several black
robed priests were decking the bril-
liant1y lighted altar ready for the next
mornings early mass. Then, ere he
could rise, a glorious voice swe1led soft
ly forth: "Uh, rest In the Lord" 1t
said! 'Oh, rest in the Lord" over and
over again With a1l possible shades Of
expression, "Ress," End he was 50
HIM" Sing the angel, for 50 the Weary,
Seurtsick {pan mad mentally Styled the
singer, aftfypugh It vas, In reality, only
Gig new alto practicfng to-morrow's
s6Io befpre the other chUir members
Srms. The word ''pErTenS1y" troubred
her ana she sang II over again and
Fgair, while the sou1.scHrred uun down
n the Gusky corner drank in every
word, Yes, he would be patfenb. ''Cofi-
NH thy way unto Film, and trust in
Him." the sweet voice intoned, and
much of the trust in the singers heart
was somehow transmitted to that other
heart SO fast losing its despair. And
while he listened, knowing now that
the singer was human, tho opening
strain began again and passed with
glorious crescendo to the closing words:
'And He shall givs thee thy hearts de-
sire" His hearts desired His darling
Agnesl He did cot think of the money
now; he had no bitter feeling towards
the man who in enriching himself had
ruined so many; he only thought of his
promised wife and his long-dead moth
| er. That heavenly strain had washed
| all evil thoughts from his soul and
brought on its incoming tide all the
good qualities, so long hidden, to the
| surface. The wandering sheep had re-
| turned.
And all the while tho tender voice
sang on. Sang until the choir, with
| much talk and laughter, entered by the
| side door and the man passed out.
Sang while he, buying paper, discov-
cred that the market had changed
| again and that, though he was no
longer rich, he had still enough left to
begin life again Sang till the leader
called the choir to order and the owner
woke from the ecstasy which possessed
| her to find that her evident enjoyment
| of her own music was furnishing great
amusement for the other singers.
| She did not know why she was so
blissfully happy. She never knew about
the newborn beauty her friends no.
ticed from that time on; she never
knew who sent the flowers she found
| lying in her place on the music rack
next morning; she never knew that one
man blessed her memory many times a
day long after that hour in the quiet
church had faded to a dream-like rec
| election. She never knew she had
saved soul
She had just come back from the
sunny south" and pinned at her collar
was a great yellow dandelion, the
cheeriest, most joyous of flowers, which
would be so popular If only each separ-
ate blossom had money value of half
dollar. And as she stood waiting for
a car most of the passers-by glanced, if
no more, at the little hower-sun, and
the visions they saw in it were piled
high around the unconscious girl.
Ghosts of long-dead people looked over
her shoulder, old lovers met above her