Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1894-05-23
CHAPTER XXI.

CHAPTER XXI
DESPAIR AND HOPE.
Getting back TO my crouching posture, l
threw my mantle over my head as Il kind
Of a screen, but while it mitigated the blaze
of the sun it smothcred me- Casting it off,
rose, still trembling violently, and looked
about vaguely, think, expecting aid Not
n living ching was in sight or sound. IL
limit;.hiy to every point spread the gray
waste of burning sand, hot as the mari that
scorched the feet of satan in his defiant
and impious journey. Above was ball of
living fire, below an arid, lifcless plain
radiating binding, choking heat like an
infinite limekiln, naught else to be seen
save far away to the west din, pale peaks
that might be the thin veil of dissolving
clouds.
tried to walk By way of diversion, but
reeled and staggered 50 that ! was fain
to sit down again. Perceiving that my
horse now cast Il shadow, crept into it,
and hudd!ed there with dropping head and
an aching heart, thought bitterly of what
might have been but for my own pervers-
ity.
At that mcmc-. che heather about Kill
pour was in full bloom, making the air 4
distilled essence Of honey, ard the bees,
with the drowsy song that had so often
been Il soothing melody in my cars, We're
thriftily preparing for winter, and shep-
herds were whistlirg ana calling from crag
tons, their voices blending in Il faroff nu-
sic with the barking of dogs and the bleat-
ing of sheep, and sparkling streams were
leaDing down green and purple hil.sides,
and overa ali was soft blue sky with masses
of cool white clouds.
How wildly it all rose before the eye of
imagination! Many and many time III
the languorous summer days have lavCl
my bare limbs in those pellucid waters ana
watched the flashing Of silvery lin ;s!id
scale as the trout darted under bank Or
stone, and lain on my back in some shady
place looking up ut snowy fleets, touched
with pink and rose, sailing on an inverted
ocean. And to think Of all that now! 1t
was as the vision of Dives when, raising
his eyes from his place of torment, he be-
held the felicity of Lazarus. Peace brooded
like guardian spirit over Kigour and The
Elms, amid their quiet encircling hills, and
the affcctionate souls there were the bllther
because they thought l was happy and
prosperous. Would no sympathetic spirit
tel them of my condition; But their igno-
rance WAS part Of my punishment. had
once been il paradise, too, and fell by rebel
Ion. rs we make our beds, SO must we lie.
In the midst OF M dream remembered
that my pines and some other things cher
ished wc"e with Tabal and my mare. But
luckily all the relics OF past happiness were
not lost. Jndoing the folds of my dress,
drew forth nly mothers Bible, and with 1t
the two white roses (now sadly withered
and crushcd) that Isabel had given me.
The roses put carefully back with rs
tender a caress as if they were senticnt
beings capable OF feeling affection.
When l should have ceased from trou-
bling, they would be found next my heart,
evidence of at least one faith kept the BIT
ter end; and, who knew, some good angel
might whisper TO Isabel in II dream that
far off and in his last dire extremity some
body's thoughts had gone forth to her.
And sometimes in the pensire gloamlnS,
when the mind roams, she might think, IN
spite Of the grandeur and happiness that
were sure to be her lot, Of one whose lonely
grave she could never know, and whose
love was 10 more than a guess to her.
Futile and boyish, yet strangely comforting
reflections.
The Bible I opened at random and, lol
there Icy before me the woDdrous story OF
Job:
And now my soul is poured out upon me;
the days Of ailiicton have taken hold upon
me.
So my dim eyes read. But l knew the
moving drama by heart; long ago amid
happy domestic scenes it had been learned
by my mothers side And | thrilled ecri-
ly at the thought that it was i'll this
scorched land where was now lying, un-
der these very skies that were burning my
life out, that job had groaned in bitterness
OF spirit.
All mankind are one in distress, the Jew
and the Gentle, the civilized and the bar
barian. Immediately there was established
a mystic brotherhood between me and the
man of Uz Uncountcd ages had rolled by
since lie had suffered. In the interval
things Of vast and vital moment had come
and gene and been forgotten, but the TRACE
dy OF the race went On. With Il trifling
outward difference, Il mere matter OF time
and circumstance, Jobs case was mine.
'
mine also would soon end. And so, moral
izing and turning the leaves, came to the
gracious piom!se:
There shal! be 4 tabernacle for q shadow in
the daytime from the heat and for place Of
refuge and fo! &. covert from storm and rain.
And again:
Then shall the lame man lcapa an hart and
the tongue of the dumb sing, for in the wilder
u.
desert.
And yet again:
When thou passest through the wtttgs,
will lie with thee, and through IL" rivers cHS!
shall not overflow thee. When thou Ma.l:csD
through tho fire, thou shalt not be burn ID. !nii
ther shall ;La flame kindle upon thee.
And once more:
Tie Lord will be L refuge il time Of rG3iiI'iL
He shall call upon INC, and will 'tlHHar
him. will br with him in trouble. lvii. 60.
liver him and honor him. will not lea ~ ll;&
nor fOrsakc thee.
It was surely enough. 4. pralH, a.
doubling heart, and courage, even nnWl
The courage was urgently nccdeE IraG
sorcly tried not less by phys ;cal t!r'T, D.;
mental ills. Every inch Of my body rg!lssA
burning uch: Ny wcund pa:nyd il3 !:ior:
and more Ny head throbbed like o rlr,sGs
boiler, and lips and tongue wee as il ftaYc,E
and laid on smoldcring asI"9. c.'it irt
much rs the remnant OF sptJlc ~&n i:li
10 moisten them. opened my mouth, E..'
4 rush Of blistcring air weat doTi Ts9
throat, scorching my lungs 70 thcs ne2.1
Iclcsed il, and the dry flesh c:ac..cl 6, tae.s
tLeLlood spurted out. Let ti!c mGl why
would feed fat hisrcvenge have his snGdiSl
sent out and baked alive under Cd AL9'
bian sun in the full blaze. The inquinitaS9s
neycr invented torture half so crues I'D
that slow process Of broiiing by tho 0Ess