Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-08-25
ORIGINAL STORY.
XYNHA's @RlA1.
BY n. c. NJ.

The sun had just set, leaving behind
beautiful clouds of violet and gold,
fringed with pink and white, and
long, wavering beams of light.
A little vine-covered cottage sur
rounded with flowers. stood just back
from the road which wound in-and-
out among the trees, and then came
suddenly on the river, with its beauti-
full shining wavelets, and green banks,
and which looked on sunny days like
FURNISHED silver. so bright was the re-
Fiction of the sun.
On the small, pretty porch, where
the air was heavy with the mingled
fragrance-from the dainty tea and
prmroses, to the tall, fair, white
lilies, and climbing honeysuckle and
Madeira-sat young lady watching
attentively the bright stars come out,
one by one, and take their places in
the blue firmament.
"The spangled heavens, shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim"
repeated she, softly, looking towards
the now countless orbs of brilliant
light. Beautiful. beautiful" she
continued, with a rapt expression on
her fair young face, lighted, as it was,
by the brightness of seventeen sum-
mers. She was silent a long time =;
then she thought aloud-a peculiar
trait of hers when she was sad and
alone. ''It is late and damp. Care.
full Oopha would wish me in long ago,
but, 0, to think of the morrow's part
ing! o, to have to leave Monochrome
and mothers grave. Can | give it
up? Only one more night here
Then Oopha and | shall leave to go to
cross, hateful aunt Clematia.' Then
she went on, seeming to converse with
the nodding flowers and the soft
zephyrs. "Even if she was my own
dear papas sister, she is dreadful
cross; she don't approve of young
girls, and oh, oh, oh"
A great wave of grief swept oyer
the frail girl-form her bright head
was laid in the fair hands, and she
wept sorrowfully. For, truth to tell,
she had in her short life known much
of sorrow she had passed through the
ordeal of giving up to Death her dearly
loved mother. Her father had died
when she was only child, and she
remembered naught of it, save that
the house was dark and still, and when
she would ask anxlously for "papa,' u
mama would cry and tell her that papa
had gone to God. Thus 1t came to
pass that her mother was all mother,
friend, counsellor-in word, one she
loved-nay, almost worshipped above
all things on earth. After two weeks
of illness the dear one had left this
innocent girl, all unfit for the trials of
life-too pure, far too pure to fight
even the lesser battles of life.
What would the end be-
Would she remain unspotted from
the world9
1t was but three weeks ago when the
girl, white and grief-stricken, but
bearing up bravely, stood before the
physician and heard him say
my dear friend-God give you
strength to bear it. Your mother
is-dead -
And she. that beautiful child, what
had she done She had stood and
heard him and when he was done
she moved not, but the pallor on he1
face had deepened into such a death.
like hue that the kind old doctor was
troubled. He placed her on her bed
and she laid there for hours.
She lay now, so still and quiet, with
her face on the broad rail of the
porch.
She was thinking over all these
things and her face was still and
white AS she raised it to the calm star.
lit air of the night.
A soft football in the hall, coming
down slowly by the row of boxes and
trunks, all ready for the morrow, when
they would be taken to the station
The footsteps paused at the door, and
STRAY moonbeam, falling across the
face, reveals woman-a slight, kind
faced, elderly woman.
"Miss Xyntie."
The whisper is very soft and low.
Miss Xyntie, | think really, dear
you'd better come in out O. the damp
It's after ten now"
The fair girl-face turned to her in
the soft moonlight an expression Of
spiritueUe beauty.
"Oopha ! all, thank you, dear nurse
for thinking of me! 1t is late.
seem to know it, but | cannot bear te
leave until must. O, my heart will
surely break You, too, Oopha-yo,
will have do pleasant life at aun
Clematia's, | know. o, Oopha, you
are so good to me. Next to mother
you have always been my best friend
0, mother, mother, why did you leav.