Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1896-06-02

wife knew that letter and knew my
brother.
ssAnd the devil knew me in the hour
of my wicked weakness Tho letter
intercepted and hid.
81 knew his spirit of sensitive pride
so well that when the tempter whis-
pered. He viii never write but once,
knew IT well.
I knew If he never had an answer
from you that there would be no other
word from him to you.
ST have lived with the torture OF
that stolen letter, which your heart has
wrung from mine Thousand times in
our silent spirits war, with you ever
conquering. am dying, but the
home and the brother are here.
''Come IN unto him and dwell with
him.
Preside at my chair, sit at my plate,
drink from my cup. and may God grant
you double blessing and me double
mercy. Amen. -
And so Eunice wept Not for herself;
her sufferings had been years in dark
ness, and here was Light. And through
such she looked into the soul of that
other woman.
And then she prayed ShewGs beyond
the dear Thomas-a-Kempi and Tileston
gems of her agony hours.
She went to God with that other
woman
Aud when she arose from her knees.
instead of opening that letter she dried
her eyes and smcothed her hair for the
tea table.
When a gentle little old lady rut her
head with jerk in at the door and
said. '.Tea is ready, Miss Eunice, " she
followed her without word and drank
tea with her same daily precision. And
when, tea being over, she and the gentle
little old lady sat out ON the quiet
piazza together, with only the song Of
sleepy insects and the great beauty Of a
mountain night, she said:
Miss Annie, have a story to tell
you. "
And the gentle little old lady heard
with an amused interest Eunice Ravens
romance.
"Now, Miss Annie. what ought to
do? Pray for me tonight and tell me
when you call me III the morning, fin
ished Eunice.
Tell you what you ought to dol
Why, Miss Eunice, marry himi Just to
think, you poor dear, rs much as have
liked your quiet way as a boarder, and
that bad, too, as dreaded taking you
You have never given tho trouble of
kitten, though. I should miss you more
than a hull orphan asylum. :"
Remember, Miss Annie, it is 10
years, and I have not read his letter
yet" returned Eunice.
Not read the letter yeti'' exclaimed
the gentle little old lady. ''Well, you
do beat all. But one beau, and never
had but one letter, being 10 years COM
ing, and you not read it yet Land o.
love, Miss Eunice, I'm amazed. Ishould
go right up stairs and read that there
letter this very minute
Eunice Raven went slowly to her
little room, but as soon as she entered
the very dots in the curtains began to
dance before her. and tine white chair
covers and bedspread all seemed shrouds
that gave her shivers-
Going to her trunk, she unpacl1ed q
picture of herself in youth. She held it
critically before the candle glare. It
mirrored fresh, bright, happy face.
She compared it with her poor, worn
one. The significance of the act was the
last and saddest truth of her wretched
misery. Sorrow beauties only the
heart, not the face of a woman.
''AhI'' exclaimed Eunice, holding the
image of her girlhood at arms length.
That night there was disorder In tho
chamber of Eunice Raven. and the tu-
multi of her soul was great, but as the
gray dawn crept gently about her the
woman arose from her knees and, bear
ing herself erect and firmly poised, stood
beside the writing table at her eastern
window.
Beneath her lay the unopened letter
that had awaited her hand these 10
years. She smiled at some grim thought
in abstract and looked out over the sun
tinted mountains
In the shadow of their quiet, mighty
grandeur there lay strength. With cold.
marrow lips she pressed the letter-once,
twice-and then, with steady, unerring
PEN, she wrote across its surface:
''only heart, a face and name"
She laid it and locked it away in the
very bottom of her trunk And when
she had done that she simply went ON
with tho life of Eunice Raven
"Larlzs -