Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1894-06-08
II MISS HIM."

looking after u sister of charity, tall,
stately, yet sorrow dropped woman who,
with companion of her order, had just
left the church. Come this evening after
vcspers, and will give you sketch for
story"
''She was the prcttiest little girl in the
country" began the priest as we sat that
night in his cozy library looking into the
dark area without, whose scattered trees
waved in the breeze in the soft light from
within. ''This place was then a village I
can see her now as I saw her then trip
ping through the fields, q sunbonnet in
her hand, her golden hair streaming in
the breeze. Her step was full of life, q
flush upon her girlish face, a sparkle of
health and joy in her deep blue eye, like a
sunbeam in the unclouded azure of the
heavens, and a laugh ringing from her
throat as notes never rippled from the beak
of bird. Bird never sang to its mate as
she to hers, and her song was a lullaby Of
love that set him asleep to all the world
but her. He was 1aXen haired, sad eyed,
yet sunny faced boy, much given to poetry.
They were schoolmates of the same age and
learned their lessons best from books Of
love. What joy was in their souls as they
played in the fields or sat under tree by
the brook and watched the sun go down,
their hearts their world, their love its
queen!
He was an altar boy in this church. She
sang in the choir. Could she sing well?
The church was packed when she sang.
Her voice hushed the most tuneful night
ingale's. How sweet it was to him in
whose heart it's thrilling accents rippled
with the melody and heaven of love! 1t
was her voice that brought her to what
she is.
''IIcr voice crept out into the world like
q song at night waited by the breeze over
the listening waves. She was invited into
opera. The circle widened-the ripple be-
came roar. Capitals were entranced, and
the world was in whirl of welcome to
the wild warbler of the fields and the
woods. Her first parting with tho boy
was distressing. The little rustic looked
upon her triumph with terror She loved
him with all the tenderness of her girlish
nature and often returned, as if he were
her home, to comfort him in his lonelncs
But her visits became less frequent in
time and at length ceased. The world had
turned her head. She was in a giddy whirl
of delight in tumultuous sea Of success
and was all but sucked down by the mad
waves. In her wild glec she forgot him.
"The blow to the poor boy fell like that
of an ak to tree 1t broke his spirit. He
moped, grew wild at times and was watch
ed for fear of his life He never spoke, ex-
cepting to murmur her name in sad re-
proachful tone that brought the tears
Marianl He was ever alone, as If seeking
something-seeking her who was hidden
in his dead heart. Then came u reaction
He flew to religion. He was ever in church
praying. But he was never the same. His
smile was as sunbeam Oh piece of ice,
fitting from frozen heart. Fire had
swept him as flame field and left him
burned and bare, and winter cast its SHOWS
upon him.
ITO her the path of life was one Of roses.
But, oh, the thorns that lurked beneath
the flowers, like nettles to the after touch!
She crossed the ocean, sang before the
crowned heads of the world, courted by all
for her genius and beauty, and whirlcd
like thistledown in a mad wind of ap-
plause that blew her out at sea. She was
dizzied, filled to the full with glee, yet in
her heart there was void-a loneliness
that never left her.
"And one night in crowded theater,
while singing a song Of wildwood scenes,
her old love whispered to her, childhood
came back to her heart with thoughts of
home and him, and while flowers were
showering upon her and the air was in
tumult as the audience was carried away
by the melody that rolled from her lips
she fell in "a faint, exclaiming as she gazed
into the heaving sea before her, which
seemed solitude Of faces, i miss him.
Gas she lay in a dclirium in her cham
Der her constant cry was Of him. To one
of her impetuous nature to think was to
act When she recovered the first vessel
that sailed carried her with it. She had
turned her back upon the world forever
and flew to the home of her childhood's
love- When she reached here, the place
was what it now is--one of the miracles of
America-a night grown city. Everything
was changed but tho church. She knew
scarcely any one. She was known only by
reputation and the light it cast upon her
past, where she had played when child
and known every one. William could no
where be found. He seemed forgotten.
some haa never ieaiol VI nili'
One sunday she was ih.lteu W sing AZ
the church at the orlinaG ne VI young
student to the priestnooo' Inc cnurch was
crowded Al the little sllis loi ill,io c
around III the country came 70 hear ner
sing. Never had she sung before as sio
sang now III inc chuich Which noa listeh-
Cd to the melody OF her nsping accents y as
they had thrilled forth inc music OF inc
flowers ana the nelds III her cnliahooa.
Never mad she achieved such triumph us
now. AS the last words OF Ghe ofulnaoloh
air as with the music of heaven to bid him