The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1894-03-23

ochhN1 pun .hlSs SUSAN, VIM lOI uhS hdu
sut dry eyed and heart broken, felt a blessed
rain of tears start to her eyes.
Those tears were great relief to Miss
Susan. Possibly they saved her reason
At all events thev softened and chastcncd
her, anu when my, bringing In the break
fast, told her that Giles had brought word
that Mrs Bowers had died in the night
Miss Susan looked deeply in her heart and
felt n throb of pity for her rival, now passed
forever beyond the Judgment of mortals
and the standards of earth.
1t was n balmy April morning. There
were soft hints in the air of the coming
spring. Resinous odors from the woods
were waited down to the open door of tine
great kitchen. Miss Susan suddenly felt
hope revive and quicken. A peace unknown
for days visited her. A thought of her
flowers and especially the beauty of her
lilies shot across her mind She was lifted
out OF her trials for he moment. CHANGING
out the door across the meadow up the hill
side, she saw the tombstones in the bury
ing ground cleaning marble white against
the background of the dark pine woods
Miss Susan hesitated moment and then
took down her bonnet and shawl from its
peg.
Where you goins" asked Tilly, with the
wonted familiarity Of an old servant
UP to mothers grave" was the gentle
answer
When Miss Susan felt the need of con.
ISOLATION and spiritual help, she was accus-
toned to take her way to mothers grave"
Up there, away from everybody, she felt
she had the companionship aud remem-
brance of those gone before. Aud her
mother seemed always very near her there.
1t was almost as if the whispering OF the
pines and the murmuring of the wind
among the long grasses growing over the
grave translated the words of admonition
and love she so longed to hear.
There are some things too sacred to dwell
upon, and Miss Susan's Is short stay by moth
ers grave is not to be described here, but
when she turned to leave the lonely grave
yard she heard sound which caused her
to stop abruptly and listen. Yes, there was
no mistake. There was some one near her
In the woods yonder.
| Miss Susan was never a coward, and so
gathering her skirts about her she picked
her way along until she entered the edge OF
the forest. Peering sharply down one dim
vaulted avenue, she saw boy sitting on u
log, his back toward her, rubbing his eyes
with his jacket sleeve and crying bitterly.
Next to flowers, Miss Susan loved chill
dren. She possessed the divine instinct Of
maternity so inherent to most women in q
moved her strangely, and as drawing near
er she heard him moan, "0h, mother,
m7ther" it seemed an echo to yoiccless
cry in her own heart.
| Miss Susan spoke to the boy, and he turn.
ed showing a face flushed from weeping
and eyes overlooking with hot tears. he
was neatly though plainly dressed and in
| one hand held Clustor of teaberries, some
vines and one OF two wild flowers.
What is the matter, little boyi" asked
! Miss Susan kindly.
my mother Is dead, )" said the boy, with a
fresh burst of grief
Your motherf" faltered Miss Susan.
ayes, she died last night"
For one instant Miss Susan felt like rum
ming away, but controlling herself by a
mighty effort she asked, Was Mrs. Bow
| ers your nlothcrf"
'Hesm, sobbed the boy.
And why are you herei"
II wanted to see il could find n few flow
ers to put in her hand. - said the boy "She
| loved flowers, so thought I'd like to put a
few in the coffin with her. and then again
he pressed his sleeve across his eyes and
walled forth that most terrible of sorrow
| the grief of the motherless
When Miss Susan reentered her sitting
| room, the first thing her eyes rested on was
| that slender spire of lilies. It's perfume
| filled the room, and 1t seemed almost alive
an embodiment OF purity, a symbol of
everlasting life.
"Oh, my lilies, how beautiful you are"
cried Miss Susan, going over TO them, and
| how love you"
Suddenly she stopped, aud her eyessought
| the floor. In the mirror of her imagination
| Miss Susan saw a miserable roOm a dead
woman lying robed for the grave and on
her pulscless breast the thin hands held a
poor little cluster of teaberries and vines
Many other pictures glded across that
mirror, and when at last Miss Susan raised
her head there was a look of sublime reso.
luton upon her face, a glimmer OF the light
that never was on sea or land.
She softly pushed open the door of the
hut in which Amy Bowers had died and
went in. Two or three women had com
pleted the Office of curing for the dead and
sat in the outer room cunyersiug in sub.
ducd tones. Miss Susan went on into the
bedroom The boy sat by the aed his head
resting against his dead motlc. sarm. His
pathetic little offering was clasped in her
cold hands.
Very gently Miss Susan laid across the
sleepers breast long stalk of waxen, per
fumed lilies-hcr Easter lilies. And as the
child started up with cry OF gratitude She
held ont her arms to him. He hrsitated a
moment, then buried his head upon her
shoulder, understanding without one ques.
tion, one word, through the mysterious
language of the heart, That lie was no lon
ger mOthcrless
And the dead woman, lying there tn the
beauty of the lilies, knew, too, for the las.
ter morning had already dawued for her.