Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1895-11-20

field, on that desolate snow bound iidge?
Were the birds of the air and the jack
ais OF the plain-the prairie and timber
wolves-to fight over her poor body? A
thing so fair as she were rare prey for
such evil looking brutes as wolves. Even
now, far off, but ever drawing nearer,
she heard mournful and prolonged
eerie cry, and she knew that already
wolf was upon her tracks. She had a
small revolver in her belt, but perhaps
it was not worth while using it. Poor
Marie! Well might she pray, for that
sleep which means death was very close
upon her now.
And then rose up before her that face
that had so often smiled upon her IN
her dreams, and she knew it was her
mothers face, that dear mother whom
she had lost SO long ago that her image
the face of her father, that face SO full
Of simple tenderness, seemed to look
down upon her, and a struggling CLEAN
Of semiconscio usness shook her for few
minutes with a tempest of agony, as she
pictured him all alone in the world,
without any one to love, without any
one to strengthen or care for him, and
with only the memory of fitfully sun
ny past behind him. Surely this was
the agony and sting of death.
Death She must rouse herself. 1t was
sinful thing to let death steal upon
her with it's subtle visions and lethargy!
She would break the spell; if she died
it would be upon her feet. But, horror!
The muscles of her body refused to obey
the commands of the brain. She could
not move.
But just before the mists lifted before
the rays of that wintry sun she seemed
to hear, as if in the air, but wonderful
ly clearly and distinctly, that majestic
and triumphant song of alteration, the
''Halleluiah Chorus !" She had heard it
in the convent; it had haunted her since,
and now it came as if to Tighten her end.
She heard myriads of voices-beauti-
full voices the silvery voices Of women,
the voices of boys and the resonant and
maturer voices of manhood, blend to-
gether with the pealing notes of the
king of instruments, until they spoke
as one in harmonious concord, with a
sweetness that ravished her senses and
permeated her whole being.
"Halleluiahl For the Lord God ON
nipotent reignethr' they all cried to-
gether, with one mighty and resonant
volume of sound, with one joyous burst
Of triumph and of gladness. And the
BASES heralding the clarionlike voices
Of the sopranos sang, "And he shall
reign for ever and ever"
Then the tenors and the BASES cried,
''Halle1uiah! Hal1eluiah r. The silvery
altos and the mellow contraltos glided
into the ever growing melody with,
For ever and ever, King Of Kings and
Lord Of Lords"
And that mighty, fugual, soul stir
ring chorus rolled on, the beautiful
lights and shades Of the theme pursu-
ing, meeting and crossing one another
transversely like the shafts Of pearly,
silyery and rosy light that play upon
the face Of the aurora under northern
sky. It was many throated, many
tongued, but with one soul only. 1t was
a mosaic Of sound-the voice Of the
Creator speaking through the creature.
Hwas glorious p@an-a fitting death
hymn for one so young and beautiful.
And now, ere that insidious death |
sleep dulled her wandering senses, rob-
bing her even of that land of dreams and
shadows, and ere her eyelids closed over
the wells of liquid light, she heard these
words 50 full of divine promise:
: "And though worms destroy this body |
yet in my flesh shall / see God. .
Surely the angels Of light were bend
ing over her then--so fair and peaceful
her young face seemed land hid the grim !
shadow of the angel Of death as he how
cred over her.
"But, thanks be to God, who giveth
US the victory" chanted all the voices
together. F
Fl The lemon glow that trembled in the
east died at the suns first kiss. A
blush, as subtle as the tender red that
dyes maiden g cheek, spread over earth
and sky. The stars grew dim and blend
ed with the blue The gray mists lifted
from the spectral earth. That dream Of
glory round the ice kings throne shiv-
ered-the way of dreams.
And +box, tho Uir1 Giant