The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1895-08-23

/
ing the months and weeks and days
and hours, until the time the vesse
| might arrive.
And one there was to whom il
brought bride. He was the young
est white man at the post. He haC
| her picture, brought through winter
SHOWS and stormy twilight by the ma
tive messenger, who journeyed over
| the frozen channels with his sledge tC
the lower missions. where he met the
| factor of the great company buying
| furs, and who brought a few precious
letters for The Post, forwarded by
| winter courier from Quebec.
The thousand miles the print had
come by sledge, ahd every day the
young man studied it, noting the
charms of youthful eyes and mouth
of rounded cheek and wavy hair
specializing upon her character and
longing for yet dreading that moment,
Gus time when they should meet to
either love or hate.
Which would it be and could he
gain her love? How should he greet
her? He, a gawky youth, who guard
ed in his school, ascetically, trained,
had no experience with the other sex,
regarding them as quite beyond his
ken, knew nothing of the pangs of
boyish love, and only had crude alb
stact idea of the happiness, duties,
sacrifice and pain involved in the
mysteries of married life.
The elder of the post had said the
time was ripe for him to take a wife.
Obedient to the mandate of the
church. he had written, at dictation,
his request.
And now the signal shot had let
them know the vessel bringing her
was drawing near.
He left the store with speed, fled to
his room, bathed, combed and dressed
himself in his best, looked at the
photograph and put it back within its
velvet cover next his heart, laughed
and half cried and paced the polished
floor, and through the open window
watched and waited for the coming
ship.
The murlnur of the voices now in
creased and swelling into shouts of
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS and round
the precipitous point, with white sails
set and remnants flying, swept the
noble brig. The bay was dotted now
with bright kayaks, and volley on vol
ley rang from a hundred guns, the
church bell pealed, the dogs set up a
howl and sang their weird chorus
Justify, flags tiuttered bravely from
the mission roofs, and presently the
briggs signaling cannon doomed.
The novice hid his face within his
hands, with tluttering heart of mingled
Joy and fear, and wished himself TO-
900 miles away.
A week passed. The brig still lay
at anchor in the bay.
Within his study the mission elder
sat, his long gray beard falling in tan
gled waves upon his breast.
His keen gray eyes were bent upon
the novice and the girl, who stood re-
spectfully waiting till he should speak
For 40 years he had lived his mission
life, and his thoughts were busy with
that time long passed when he had
been just such another youth and had
obeyed just such a call to wed. His
helpmate's silvery hair was auburn
then. Her dear old wrinkled face
was smooth and fair.
The children of their love were scat
tered wide. One had been sent to
Asia's infidel land, another lived be-
meath the scorching rays that bleach
ed the sands of Africa, and third had
labored for the church among the
hordes of one of those far islands in
the sea, and the news had come that
he, the most beloved, had been re-
warded with a martyrs crown.
"Fraulein," he said at last, 1.-The
morrow. l must urge that you should
give your answer definitely.
1T is thing most serious to you
both, but you have been together
seven days. Not long in which to fix
moods and whims.
But l can speak myself for this
young man. pledge you he is up
right, virtuous, kind.
And as for you, my son, she is far
more. Her features would be ample
passport without this commendation
from the church. That you already
love her l can see. What do you an
swer %
The young man looked to her, then
truth, sir. She is dear to me. Iwould
not have her leave me, but still less
would l enjoy the thought that she
was forced by sense of duty only to
share my lot.
II pray let her decide for both of
us and give her till the morrow to re-
ply. If she should wish for more de-
lay, it is not necessary we should wed
at once, and meanwhile | may try to
win her love-
What says the madchen %
The girl was touched by the gener-
Gus thoughtfulness the youth had
shown and by the kindness of the
aged man. She cast one swift, wistful
glance through the open window at
the anchored brig, where the captains
stalwart figure paced the quarter, and
blushed and bowed her head and tried
to speak. Then, with returning cour-
age and resolve, she approached and
knelt beside the old mans chair.
Father she said, her sweet voice
termulous, Il have had thoughts, I'M
worthy of my faith, rebellious
thoughts and fears and wicked moods.
If either is unworthy, it is |.
"Give me some few days more be-
fore we wed-and let the brig sail. l
will stay with YOU"
THE WHIST CRANK.
He wanted TO play WHIST ana was
mad because they thought they could
rehearse the gossip of the neighbor
hood and play their hands at the same
time. He was man; they three wo-
men, and they were really trying to
entertain him. But then they had to
talk gossip, although they did play
whist Finally one trumped his ace.
He laid down his cards, gulped hard,
said somethining down in his throat
and took up his cards again, while
they breathed sigh of relief. In the
midst of an intricate cross lead he was
trying to engineer under adverse cir
cumstances she trumpet his high card
again and in his dismay cried: "Oh,
what is trumps?" That was too much.
He threw down his cards, showed his
chair back and spoke his mind. MY
heavens" he cried, and they crouched
beneath the lash of his tongue, when
the ANGEL Gabriel comes down from