Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-03-08

unveiled majesty
"It will all be over soon. she murmur
ed. while Joyous smile illumined her
features ono more pain. no more sorrow,
but an endless eternity of bliss.
A gray squire ran across her path, and
climbed nimblv mp the trunk of an old
beech tree Just ahead
"Oh. little friend She thought lyon
are LAYING up vour winter store of nuts,
but there will never be- another season of
cold and snow The evil days are over
Halt q mile past Marlboro town she
came to a small cemetery which crowned
the summit of a barren HILL The wealth
er-beaten tombstones and grassy mounds
lay bare to the sun: for there was not %
tree in all the place to- cast a shadow upon
the graves Climbing over the low stone
wall which enclosed them. she made her
way slowly through the TALL rank weeds
which grew upon the neglected paths. uu-
Oil she came to a small wooden cross which
stood apart from the other tOmbs. 1t rose
from the sod slantwise. and on the trans
verse piece was rudely carved the word
"Mother" BY the side OF this humble
monument she sat down and, opening the
Bible which she had brought with her,
prepared to wait patiently the expected
coming of her Master
Old Jack Blanchard drove down to the
neighboriuc town of Brattleboro that
morning to make a few purchases. He
arrived back in SodOm some time after
dark and now stood by the side of his
toam-tecked horse. talking and gestlculai-
ing wildly to group OF excited nelEhoors.
IL could be seen, boy the light of the IAN
terms which they carried. that his face was
CHASTITY pale and that his gauut frame
shook with nervous tremors.
IL seen my dead wife as ] druv past the
graveyard tother side o Marlboro town
tonight" he whispered hoarsey 81
seen her standiu' by the side o her grave
as plain as i see Glenn Marshall vonder.
"Bosh '' exclaimed that doubling indi-
vidua scormuuy. ~ on We been drlnkln
again. neighbor Jack-thoj what ails
We
'Would to God it were the truth We re-
/ speakin " reiolned Jack tearfuliy; "but
IL sober enough-al on We can see.
Then in tones that sent cold chills through
( his hearers as he went or; She wur dress
ed III her shroud-the very same as she
wore in her coffin
III ye'd treated her decent when she wur
alive. exclaimed Glenn Eyer conscience
4
Then in compassion he led the terrified
man to his own house where he repeated
the uncannv story to the shuddering wom-
en- gathered there.
Among those who had heard the story
al first was Mather Dunkee He had
been TO the Adyentists camp that day,
hoping 10 find Melissa there, Tor nOtwitu-
standing the unsatisfactory termination of
their last interview, he was not without
hope OF Vel gaining her consent to become
his wife. "Wneu she finds out that the
camp-meetlng folks nave been decelvIug
/ her. he argued. ''she may be glad enough
TO come back TO me.
He remained near the tents until after
dark without catching a glimpse OF Melis-
50 among the whIte-robed AdventiSts. and
then returned TO SOuom. hoping 10 nnd her
( at her father house He found it closed,
and not a sound was heard IN answer To
his repeated knockings lie was in the
act OF turning away disappointed and pei
picked when old Jack came dashing up
10 the door with q clalter which brought
all the neighbors TO the SPOT Atier lis
tening to the old man story. Malher hur-
ried home to procure "a lantern: then he
started on loot TOR the cemetery. lie was
that the Old man had actually seen a
ghOstly figure. but that that figure was Me
lssa S. 1t flashed upon him now that lie
stead OF resortluC 10 the Adventists camp,
/ the Girl had gone TO await by her mother s
/ grave the fuIhImeu, OF the prophecy 10
which sine had given such uuquesuouIuc
/ faith.
As he fastened along the murky road,
his heart beat with tope He felt that
/ Melissa might Vet be- his: Tor the loug-eA-
/ pecJed Judgment day had passed. and the
promises OF the Adventisls had proven
/ false.
Suddenly a brilliant meteor flashed across
the sky, illumlulng the hills around with q
mOmentary splenuol Then all was dark
] ness again. The young man halted. shock
ed ana terrified. ii al angel of light had
swept over The sky 10 herald the coming of
! Jehovah he could not have been affected
more. Ii was some moments before his
/ courage returned sufficiently to enable him
/ 10 90 on. As ne approached the cemetery an
mdennabe dread crept over him. He had
no lear OF eucOunteTng the ghosts OF the
/ departed walking among the tOmDs: bUl
! he felt a vague intuition that something of
an unusual and terrible ma IRE had Oc-
CURED. Entering among the mounds, be
called IN a subdued voice Melissa name.
There was no response. Win a wildly
beating heart he made ms way toward the
/ spot where ne knew that a wooden cross
marked the solitary grave The stars
/ shone down upon the little city OF the
dead but their light was not sufficient 10
( dIspel the sOmDre shadows which enCOm-
/ passed HIM. Whenever his lantern gieam-
/ ed upon a marble tablet, he started back
/ attrIghted; Tor its uncertain rays seemed
/ to fail upon ghost Mehssa.s mother s
/ grave lay iu q remote part of the
/ cemetery. ami as Mather drew near it. he
/ distinguished white object lying across
/ the mound. For an instant his heart stop
/ ped beating, and be almost fell Then
! with trembling strides he reached the spot
where it lay and, falling upon his knees
grasped ii In his arms.
Melissa, darling Wake, Melissa
/ Wake" But as the light of his lantern
/ fell upon the girls pale features, upon
/ which death had fixed an expression OF
/ supremest triumph. he moaned in an
! gulsh
"My God She is dead-she Is dead p"
She had never faltered in her faith that
/ the Messiah would come that day and ht
/ mad cOme-IOr her.