Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1893-02-11
ORIGINAL STORY.
Nothing but Leaves
BN VIRGINIA WARREN.

The large congregation Is gath
erIng i'm one Of the fashionable
churches of New York on bright
Sunday morning. Among the crowd
of elegantly dressed ladies is a poor,
ill-clad woman The pale, suuken
checks aud hacking cough tell her
Storv-that Tread disease. consump-
;ion. has claimed her for its victim
She slipped into the church and took
scat in a far corner, unnorced.
The hymns We're sung and as the
minister began his sermon Il wiStful
look cIept into the wan face.
Up in the choir gallery sits Doris
Vane. the leading soprano of the
church. She. too. listens TO the ser
mon with sad face and heavy hralt.
Bur the lime for her to sing has come.
The soft notes of the prelude sound
and Doris steps forward. The song is
a simple one which thu. minister has
requested Doris to sing as appropriate
t. his sermon.
Then Doris sings perhaps us never
before, for the words seem to echo IN
her own heart and life
"Nothlng but leaves, The Spirit grieves
Der years of wasted life;
0 er sins induged while conscience slept,
Ger VOWS and promises unkept,
And reap from years of strife
Nothing but leaves. Nothing but leaves ~
Doris voice trembled as she sang
and the words died away in something
like a sob.
The woman in the corner raised her
head with an eager look upon her face.
All with her life had truly been mo
thing but leav, 5, :" And she was not
the only one whose face wore a softened
look as Doris began again
Nothing but leaves, No gathered sheaves
Oflifes fair ripcned grain
We SOW our seeds 10! tares and weeds
Words, idle words for earnest deeds
linen reap WIN tOll ana pam,
Nothing but leaves, Nothing but leaves! ~
How many in the congregation that
morning had mo gathered sheaves -
how many thought Of idle words aud
broken promises Surely something
had hewitchcd Doris. But she sang
from her heart
"Nothng but leaves sad memory wcavcs
No veil To hide the past;
And as we trace our weary way
And count each lost and msspent day,
We sadly find at last
Nothing but leaves Nothing but leaves
Too true, Sad memory weaves no
veil to hide the past -Four years be-
fore Doris Nane had been the loved
and petred daughter of rich parents.
She had beautiful home and all that
wealth could give. But it was the old
st"ry--an mlucky speculation swept
all away and, in his despair. MIR
Nane, like many others. had sought
refuge IN suicide. Mrs Nanp. broken
ucdl ltNt. SOoll ltlloNtN. anu IJOGlS WAS
left alone friendless and in poverty.
She was engaged at the time to a
young physician. He was poor and
had gone west to secure Il home before
he would claim her. Doris would have
gone with him and shared his trials,
but DR.. Raymond was too proud to
take her from a luxurious home to one
so humble as he would be compelled
to give her.
When the crash came. and Doris was
left alone in the world. she wrote to
DR.. RAYMOND begging him to come to
her.
She waited, but no answer came.
Fearing the letter had been lost, she
wrote again-but stillnoans Oh,
the weary days of waiting! She had
believed cher Frank" so true and
noble. Could it be that he had deserted
her just when she needed him most ?
She could scarcely blame him. how
ever, LOT ulu size not lldNe tue ulSSfdc6
of being the daughter of ruined sui
eide hanging over her?
Still it was bitter she loved him
with all the strength of true hearted
woman, and doing so. she could see
no faults in him. She was sadly dis
appointed. Instead of the rich, golden
fruit she had found nothing but
leaves -
She realized that she must do some
thing for IL living. Her uncle would
have given her home, but his wife
emphatlcally vetoed the proposal
Doris was young and pretty and she
might prove II stumbling-block in the
path OF her own daughters.
To find work WAS no easy task.
Music teachers We're plentiful and no
one wanted to employ the daughter of
the ''man who shot himself" Surely
'the sIns of the parents are visited
upon the children"