Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1896-04-02

va L@NAFH AANA
4SA. ing and found
or which she was a passenger had an
chord in the beautiful Bay Of Palermo.
Dressing herself with hurried care. she
wen On deck and Saw the City Of the
sun. with its great gateway. higher
than the highest hou~es. and the white
marble marini' outside with its grea'
length stretching towards Pellsgrini.
and the picturesque boats dancing in
the harbor. besi~giug the steamer for
custom
The ~chapcrun Of the party. Mrs For
tune. was also the aunt Of Marion. and
she engaged one Of the boats. after
much haggfing with a fisherman in a
rid shirt. ~ hose sunburned face was
Ike the pictures of Scriptural TYPE. and
who was Ian enough to be n survivor
Of his Galiileean prosoryPes. As the
party landed they were greeted every
where with the Easter S~aIutation:
~Surr-xit- Tie i risen).
And they joined in the antiphonal
Response.
~Verr surreNit- Gle Is risen. indeed}
For this Wns their sunday Of joy. the
salutes were fired in the streets. the
flowers we're IN fuIl bioom and the JOY
Of resurrection was in the air II was
the day the Sicilians had honorrd for
nearly 1000 YEAR,. and Marion. Who
had visited 81 MARKS on a similar oc-
c4sion- felt that this union % elements
In ueh an atmosphere 90 symbol.e
worship. combined with an intense.
rapt devotion. had in il a sincerity
which the service q the great ca
thedrals lacked
IA Palermo. Easter seemed enshrined
a. IN her own stronghold. and hen the
little psrty entered the old English
church emboweHei in its tropical verd-
IRE. with ross and oranges clustering
together. Marion felt an understandable
peace steal into her heart. a. II She had
reached the summit Of happiness
IL anyone had whispered = her that
like the fabled bird Of the PersiauS she
was about 70 find the winged mate Of
her Wingiess soul. heuccforth ITO sal.
through all the heavens wide in pr
feet union. she would have believed.
therefore. when a devotional man. al
American like herself. moved 10 make
room for her. then shared his book with
her and chsnted a musical SECOND -
her responses, she was not surprised
she seemed 10 have been waiting for
him all her life. Her aunt-s frowus of
propriety did not disturb her The eooi
woman had not noticed the proximity
Of the agreeable stranger and was ready
10 frevn HIM dou a.. and Wa a. raetlexs
In her methods sS the head Of the school
procession who turned 70 her Young
hdiss with the command.
Don't look. shut Your eyes anl
ksep them closed There's a horrd,
handsome man coming this WAY"
The man was really not handsome,
bat he had the strength. the magnet
ism. that i more than manly beauty.
he was almost another SIR L~auncelot.
Was Marion 10 be Elaine. and love HIM,
with the love hat was her DOOM We
hear Of such fatalities in the cumedy Of
life.
Mrs. Fortune. the aunt. was really
obliged TO recognize the stranger. Tor
The clergyman Was a townsman Of her
own, and rs introduced him on the
strength Of being 4 eompatriot. And
he was a charming man to know-fns
manners aud a devotional spirit. 80 be
won both aunt and niece. There was
only this day 10 see Palermo and its
wonders. and Philip NeT accompanies
them 10 the steamer and said good-by.
And they did not know whether he was
4 single or a married man. ard Marion
had only a bunch Of flowers aad 4 lava
ornament, which he had bought for 4
trite, and dropped into her lap with
the flowers as an Easter Offering.
You have made a joyful Easter for
me" he had said. and asked permission
TO call upon her when he returned n
a years time 10 his home in America
which was in the great city where she
lived herself.
Il viii expect you next Faster" sh.
had sand. gayly. and with that they
parted.
\ yedr-how snort, Why. II was
cnly yesterday, we say. aud now il is
Easter again And We are sorry. with a
transient human pain. for some who
have missed Il. as n the ma-e ,vpieal
keeping OF Easter could compare with
that Easter which they have entered
upon.
- Our lilies bloom and PASS away.
But theirs shall live and bloom FOR ave %
Marion had m@de a very curious dts.
eovery after the steamer had left Pal
ermo- She had found in the folds II her
dress, a. II il had been dropped there.
an antique nng-a curious arrange
nient OF ancient gems, set in silver.
which she had noticed on tie hand OF
the American. Mr.. Nef. Her first i'm
pulse was TO snow il 1 O her aunt; her
reSt, 20 keep IL as a bond between them
until she could forward IL 70 him. Then
the idea occurred 20 her that h. might
have given It 10 her purpOseiy-but ~.
she dill not think he would have ven
tured TO do such a thing-yet love was
daring. and Marion ended the matter by
forgetting !, until she reached home
After that she wore il as a souvenir o.
travel. intending 10 return IL when a.
owner came home.
But q strange tning happened before
that time. During TIE Lenten season
Marion had devoted herself 70 char