Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1894-08-25


Twas Il sad, sorrowful time. as all
the world knows, and beautiful Gle
malta Forymer's father lost all he had.
Aye, beautiful she was-and penniless.
Her mother. frail, delicate woman,
unable to stand the shock of their
changed fortune, died. and Clematia
and her father lived alone in bare
little cottage-sometimes almost starv-
ing; ut others getting along COM
fortably.
One sad day there was fight near
their home. and tender hearted Gle
malta nursed the wounded soldiers of
the South, and 10y her tenderness and
care brought them back to life. But
o. sad, sad was the spectacle VIXEN
two men came bringing n body which
they laid gently on the couch ready to
receive him. And heart-renGing was it
when Clematia. going to the couch
and bending over the pale face, saw
her lover. her Edward O, sad, in
deed, when for days size nursed and
tended him only to see him fade each
day, and at last sink into peaceful
sleep with her name on his lips. Her
brother came back. as did her friends,
but they found not Clematia gem
tie, the beautiful, the good. In her
stead was faded woman with a
broken heart-a woman who never
smiled or wept. An angel of charity
she was, and the poor blessed her far
and near. Her father died; her
brother married, and Clematia was all
alone. Then her heart-or what was
left of it, turned into steel and hard
lines were stamped on her face. She left
her home and moved from place to
place-a restless spirit, until at last she
settled here at Moorefeld. No one
knew her, consequently busy tongues
wagged about and around her. She
needed them not. She never went out
except to church. Then she spoke to no
one. For none knew her. Her broth
er's death surprised and shocked her,
but she made no movement to know
her widowed sister, or hei brothers
child.
When, mouth ago, she heard of
ho, ,t
she felt sympathy for her niece, whom
she>only knew by name. So she wrote
a letter. 1t was cold and almost curt.
asking Xynta Forymer to come and
liye with her awhile. When she re-
ceived Xynta's timid reply, thanking
her and accepting her offer, she felt
glad. Her heart was sof,ening to,
wards this lonely orphan girl.
Now, Xynta had come!
She had been there two weeks, long
enough for her aunt to love her dear
ly aud to see that she was noble,
high spirited girl, but all silently
Xynta never dreamed that calm, stern
aunt Clematla loved or cared for her
'She only gives me II home because
she thinks she ought" Xynta would
sob 10 herself sometimes when sleep
less and sorrowlng she lay awake for
hours. This conviction did not &c
we'll with Xynta and Oopha to out
ward appearance.
Aunt Clematia'S maid was an old
woman of stout build. kind heart, and
biting tongue. Oopha, with her slow
gentle ways, could not endure this
maid LADY, as she called herself
Xynta was silently sorrowing; Miss
Forymer stern and vigilant. The
family was not happy one.
One day, when Xynta had been a,
her aunt's a month or more, Carle
came! That cheered her very much
Carle was so good and kind to her
He "had business to transact III Moore.
field" he declared, when Miss Gle
malta eyed him suspiciously, land
had called into see Xynta."
A year had passed! And Time had
wrought changes in all concerned in
this narrative. Xynta was woman
now-tall, graceful and active-not
very beautiful, yet her face was one OF
singular sweetness. | said she was
not beautiful, but there was a certain
sad beauty in her sweet smile, and hel
blue eyes were full of intelligence anG
thought.
She had learned to love Miss Gle
malta now, but with il constrained
love, that feared always that she might
do or say something to offend the OBJ
ject of affection. One evening, sitting
at the large window in the quiet par
lor, she happened to wonder what had
made her aunt what she was. "Surely
she cannot always have been what she
is," said she to herself; "she must have
been young and happy once" She
thought of it long time. That even
ing as they sat together Xynta sudden
ly said
"Aunt Clematia, what is youl
past F? am sure you have had sorrow
and pain. Tell me about it; maybe
can help you bear it. Do tell me