Waterbury evening Democrat. [volume] (Waterbury, Conn.) 1887-1895, 1894-09-03

on The woman's voice grew faint and
despair was in her heart Let death
but come quickly. /" she cried, land but
for my child it would be welcome-but
for my child and for his father await
ing him ut home. / have cried. have
prayed in vain No help is left in earth
or In heaven"
But the little ray wandered On toward
her over the sea, and the woman. lift
ing her heavy lids, saw the coming
glimmer ON the water. Her breath came
quicker. her pale lips trembled, her
glance followed swiftly up to the patch
Of blue sky above, while over her death
like face and in her dulled eyes there
broke n light such as the ray had never
seen before. At the sight of il now he
flashed back mp to the heavens beyond
the clouds. Come" he cried to his
comrades, "come and see, for there is
something fairer than aught that has
been before. fairer than the sunlit sea
or than the laughter ON children's lips I"
His comrades fiocked to his call and
poured down through the creyice in the
clouds, widening it as they went. Then
they stretched themselves. n broad path
of light, from the sky above to the lone
ly boat. which they bathed In their soft
radiance.
Across the storm driven sea, cleaving
the waves asunder with stately motion,
a great ship came. The eyes of those
ON board her, wearied with glColn, turn
ed gladly t2>t6at bright spot ON sky
and 9r(ahd turning Jaw the boat, saw
the White face of the 1Soman and her
waving signal So tbs ship altered her
course, and soon the mother and her
, nrden stood safe uy'on the decks
nsening drew NEAR The tempest had
fled now, and thus. left alone the tired,
gray waves. their strength failing and
their fury spent, --Sere heaying in sullen
impotence to rest The clouds, falling
away from the sky, gathered themselves
in soft, changing masses Of yapor
around the edge of the sea The sun,
sinking flower and lower, called to the
rSN tou<come. Sadly they heard the call
u. aybade farewell to their beloved
earth In n passion of feryid color. Upon
wave and cliff. mountain and cloud,
they rained their glowing kisses, and
earth's beauty quivered into new glory,
as does a maiden's in her lovers en-
brace. Then they drew together, q road
| of golden splendor ON the sea as they
crowded westward after their depart
ing king. With slow. majestic motion
he sank to rest
| But the little ray hung back. He had
| found the cloud who had stood hi.
friend that morning, and he waited t
give her goodby. He was filling hel
now with his own golden glory of ight
as he whispered to her of all the beauty
which was in the world. Alas, she
would stay with it still in the wonder
of the night, the great dark peace which
he never might know. He thanked her
too, in loving words and kisses till sh,
blushed red with pleasure, and theI
with tender. slow reluctance he drew
away from her. As he went the fiusI
faded, passing in gentle change through
every shade of russell and purple till tn
cloud was left alone, resting soft anG
gray ON her twilight couch.
But the little ray was thinking of tn
light of hope which he had seen in tn
woman's eyes that day. "Ah," said h
to himself. ''if could only shine lik
that" And with this wish in him h
fingered still in the sky beneath, color
ing il n green 80 pure and so tender tina
to the woman watching from the ship
deck il seemed rs il heaven own sprinl
were bursting into blossom in her sight
But the light lesscned, and the colo
faded, and she remembered that il wa
but sun tinted vapur after all She sigh
cd. but the sigh left her lips in n smile
for the child laughing stretched hi
hands to hcr face. Lovingly she presse,
him closer to her and drew her shaw
more warmly round him. Good nigh;
little one. ," she whispered. You mus
sleep now. for the day is ended TC
morrow. when the light comes back
you shall wake again Then she ben
her head down toward his face and min
gled her smiles with his in long. soi
kiss.
That was the last thing which In
little ray saw before he, too. followe,
the sun to rcSt.-Pall Mall Magazine