The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1896-01-30
A POSTPONED PILGRIMAGE.
ny CLARA T.. HAMILTON.


front of his gate and looked out over
the roofs of the village with an eX,
pression that no one in El Campo had
ever seen him wear before. His eyes
we're bright, his figure erect, the very
hrim of his soft felt hat, which usually
drooped so despondently, had straigh-
tened itself out. He looked ten years
vounger than before, and he felt IKE
y bow. As he walked up the jgraveily
path to tho house he stopped, as ne
would have dOno years ago, TO PICK
rosebud for his buttOnholo before he
entered tho house whore his Mary
awaited him. She had been his wife
for forty years but she was still his
sweetheart, and this morning he
thought the rose especially appro-
pirate.
"Mary !" he said, us he thrust his
head in at the sitting room door. But
Mary was in the kitchen, mending u
muchworn coat and making tho most
of tho ycllow March sunshine which,
in her provident eyes, ought to servo
for tirewood in California. She was a
woman of tho Now England type,
spare and sallow, with gray eyes ana
thin, soft hair, brushed carefully back
from D broad forehead. Years ago she
had been pretty, but time and care
anu many disappointmcnts had long
since ,withcrcd: her girlish grace, and
had left in its stcad the marks OF
patient strength, sweet and gentle, yet
almost stern. She had lived for her
husband and, through him, for her
children; but, with tho solf-suppres-
sion of which Now England women
are often capable, she had hidden from
them the depths Of her tenderness
for too much loving is weakness
which Puritanism puts akin to sin.
As she looked up now from the gar
patient stitches, she caught the glow
of the crimson rose on her husband s
faded coat, saw the now light in his
face, and dropped her hands instlnc-
lively into her lap.
"Henry !" she cred, won'lcringly.
Henry walked straight up to hCr,
took her face in his hands, and, look
ing down into tho clear gray eyes, he
said "We're going on our wedding
journey"
Their wedding journey Too poor
to take one whom they were married,
it had been tho will-o'-thc wisp delight
to which they had looked forw ard ever
since.
Suddenlysturning from his wife, the
doctor stretched out his long, thin
arms and began slowly cavorting
around the table with Il queer, grotcs-
quo sort OF prancc which was tho
nearest approach to a dance step Of
which his carly education had made
him capable, humming all the while
IL curious medley Of Wc'rc going
home Tomorrow and son that will
be joyful, JOYFUL" in want Of anything
more secular to express his feelings.
"Ob, what song cried his wife.
U.,rn {,n .,t
eight years old last December ?"
81 know it," answered Henry, still
continuing his cvolutions. "And |
should be as we'll satisfied il it had
been u hundred and siXty-cight--
provided we could have spent all those
years together ~ and he gave her IL
bow Of schoolboy awkwardness.
" Horny. Those arc sacred hymns
that you arc singing; and you look like
Il windmill Sit kown and tell mo what
you mean"
The withercd check had flushed and
the gray eyes looked cxpcctantly
sails, doubled up his long legs anu
dropped himself on the carpctcd box
which served as an ottoman ut her
feet.
Nothing to tcll,' he answered,
with q provoking GOODNESS that he had
not shown for years." nothing, only
that wo arc going. Where shah it
be ,"
1t will bo nowhere, unless you tell
INC what you mcan," she said, putting
her hands on his shoulders and look
ing at him sternly.
why, haven't you guessed? Where
arc your feminie intuitions The
Duarte estate is settled up, and have
thrir rbnclx for twn bnp1rn1 1 ri l.,,.,
right here" and he tapped his breast
pocket with an important air. Now,
where shall it be? TO the beach,.
few days at the Coronado, say--or up
to San Francisco-or where"
I'VE couldn't go home ?" whispered
Mary, with q wistIul look.
Th G doctor sobcred instantly.
Home had mover been in California
to Mary, although during the twenty
years Of life there she had uttered no
word Of complaint. Often, as she sat
tho twilight toward tho East, her
husband had caught the longing look
in her eyes and had known, with Il
bitter and helpless pain, that his
health was being bought at high
price.
Go home?" he repeated, rclapsing
into his usual grave manner and old
fashioned -phraseology. owe cor
tainly could return to Massachusetts,,
wife, and I have no doubt that it is
the best ard most expedient tn ing 10
do. Tourist tickets can be had for
ninety eight dollars, believe, and we
can save up money to take us around
when we get there"
oh yes, we can save" she mul-
INJURED.
And so it happened that the "wcd.
ding trip" was decided upon, and that
the weeks of preparation and of
simple, happy anticipation CONNER ccd.
There were many long and serious dis
cussions as to the route they should take
and the places and people they should
visit. Each familiar namo brought
up scores of rccOllections, aud the two
old people talked and laughed over
tnoir early days with bright faces and
light hearts. Sometimes their happi-
ness seemed too great to be spoken,
and they would sit and look into each
others faded eyes with Il smile that
was glad and yet Weighted with IL
piti(ul memory Of tho sorrows they
had shared together: sometimes tn cy
wnnl 1 brnnk intn f,,int In, l,t, .