The Press., 1894-01-04

with haunt1n,5 lOf0DouluSS luo ldS6 Sdu words of farewell were spoken, VOWS of eternal fidelity exchanged, and he was gone.
 None but knew of the nights of grief she passed ill secret. How in utter hopelessaess she would moan, ''Oh, my heart is brol1cn!' 1 often wished that might lose my brightness so that could not reflect her sad, sweet face and remind her of her trouble. ...
 So often I have heard old people say to the young: Now is your happy time. You will never be as free from trouble as you now are" What mistake! Youth has it's troubles, and they fall so heavily. Ripened years and their at tendant experiences teach the lesson of resignation. Youth struggles to escape the learning.
 I hoped so earnestly that Gladys might again be tho happy girl of yore and that even the memory of her grief might be effaced by tine joyful return of her sol dier lover.
 Now and then cheering letters would come, and for long time she seemed more like her old happy self.
 Oh. that I could blot from my mem ory that awful day when the news of a terrible battle reached us, and we read the names of our noblest men among the killed and wounded. The words spoken by Gladys, so sadly prophetic on that day of farewell, were realized. She would never again see her lover in the world. True she might look. upon his earthly body, but his soul and heart plighted to her she must not know again until in the life to come.'."
 They brought his poor wounded body home wrapped in the colors which he had so bravely defended, and in the will lage churchyard where he and Gladys had ESQ often strolled on the peaceful Sabbath they buried him. After the first great wave of anguish had swept over her she seemed greatly changed. The radiance was !;une forever from her face, but ill its lllce Wi an expression of gentle resignation.
 The thought of q cay to come when she and her lover would Ec reunited ill that happy land whcrc death. that cruel separator of loving l.esiIts. has no power to enter was a S"CGt ;-:lu comforting one. It was this Lclief that made her life worth tho living and heaven a more tangible, realistic thing than her former visionary idea of the Hereafter.
 Sorrow did not 1na.ie Gladys selfish. Her time was spent ill devotion to others. How many weary, sick and poverty stricken people were l-c.pcd by her gentle words of encouragement, tender sympa- thy and substantial aid none will ever know but God. Often when weary with her labors of the day 1 would see her reading and musiny over an old letter. noticed that there were curious reddish stains upon the paper. Then l knew that Gladys was living over in memory the happy and the sad times before this unfinished letter had reLc.led her ill the unexpected, sad way. They had found it on the bosom of her dead lover, and these last pcnciled words were words ot undying affection for her.
 Of later years saw Gladys t rarely, for had been removed to gil attic cham Der, where, for want of communication with the present and its happenings, was left to ponder on the past. At last day came when was ruGely awakened from my reverie, and gradually realized that was to leave the old home forever Then I was carried down stairs into the hall I remembered having passed | through when I was brought into the house years before, a handsome new mir. TOT then and ornamental. As the meI were taking me out of the door again saw my Gladys, and l rejoiced greatly | for had feared I was never to see hel again. In that 1eeting glimpse of heH saw that her beautilal tender eyes were | still the same, but the dusky tresses remembered so we'll were changed. Time had whitcned them with a touch of his frosty fingers, hut the change had only | enhanced her beauty.
 l I thought I saw an expression of re gret pass over her face. Was she think ing of the days of her youth and happi ness and how closely we had been asso ed in that glad time?
 I love to think so and believe she wal brought me to this dusty shop. People as they pass me say, What an olt fashioned mirror?" and do not hesitate to remind me that my days of usefulness are gone forever. But do not mind it for homely and old though I am I have been accorded great privilege ill my time, one not often bestowed upon these animate objects that pass me by so in differently, but if bestowed the privilege is not appreciated. I have beheld ont of the rarest attributes of the human soul-constancy.-B. M. T. in Chicago | News.