The Topeka state journal., 1897-10-07
A CRUSHED VIOLET.

out into the streets The way of the golden
day seemed never so far away. No friend
was near, and strangers seemed stranger
than ever before as they came in the
gloomy way and passed to the shadows
behind her. On and on to the busy streets
she passed The shop lights cast a daz-
zling glare as the buyers and sellers bar
tered with the zeal of gain. In the battle
of the world she had borne with hunger
and with want till she fell beneath the
crushing wheels, giving more than gold
could buy or love restore. The horror of
a happy day remembered was in her heart;
the horror of the days of deepening gloom
more hOrrid grew.
Vice has no friends, only companions.
Virtue turns to virtue it bears no love
nor thought of pardon or forgiving.
She wandered on. A dog came running
to her side and licked her hand. Its warm
touch was the first token that anything
in all the world could turn in kindness
unto her again. The rumble of the steeple
chimes was dying away as she crept into
the shadow of a sacred pile. Gay lights
shone through the pious pane, a picture OF
the cross was painted in the varied light;
sufferer was bending low beneath It's
weight. The organ pealed forth glorious
song; glad voices bore the hymns of praise
The fashion of the world was there and
critics of the holy world. 1t was a carnival
of sensuous Joy. Against the cold gray
stones she pressed her aching heart. No
rest, no light and hungered and alone.
80 GOdP' she cried, as she sank upon the
ground and sobbed through weariness to
rest. s. 1 am so poor there is no place for
me-" She was like a bird with broken
wing voicing sorrow in a starless night,
till sleep fell gently on her tear stained
eyes.
Once again she was in the Powered
home by the riverside. The valley
stretched back to the larch crowned hills.
Bird voices came and twittered in the vine
that trailed beneath her window. The
dewdrops glistened on the glowing bells
as the sun first kissed the summer morn.
The simple ways of the country glen be-
came the innocence of natures day. Her
mother spoke soft words of love and drew
her gently. to Unfolding arms She was
home again and singing with the joyous
ness of the beautiful But the day ended;
her journey was begun.
At first it seemed unending spring, and
all was fiowerland, but rOughened roads
confronted her and night hung low. She
braYed the storm that wore upon her way.
The clouds could not affrighten, for her
heart was brave, but the lightnings flashed
around her, and the rain fell in torrents.
She must seek for shelter and gain the
food required. A voice spoke unto her,
''Here is joy the blind can never see, and
peace and plenty; tarry in this promise
harm, she picked the red buds from the
thorns the poison flew to her startled
heart, her brain was all on fire. She
dashed out in the storm again, and the
voice that had charmed her laughed her
tears to scorn. On where the torrent ragged
she rushed, but the hollow laugh still
Whistled on the wind. Drenched and
bruised and torn she beat against the
rocks as a futtered bird in its prison age,
but all was cold and dark and drear. She
was in the land of death, still mindful of
the fOwerland where sunbeaIns fell.
Alone, forgotten, desolate, almost blind,
almost undone, a voice said, Come. -
She looked. A hand, far up the way
seemed beckoning her, and tender eyes
they were once beneath the cross-shOne
down into her soul. Her answer was
smile. Its JOY awoke her.
Wearily, with fright and chill she wan
dered back to her attic room. The steps
creaked aloud as she groped her way in
the dark. The dews of sleep were long in
coming, but at last her eyes were closed
with a smile upon her brow. On the NOR
row she would wander home and lay her
heart on her mothers heart and tell her
all
The gray dawn came, and the stars
went out, and the sun came up from the
gold heeced waves and chased away the
shadows from the valley fields. A stray
beam Crept into an attic window and rest
ed Oh the brow of a restless sleeper.
Though the harvest day was at it's height
it was winter night to her The chilling
damp had gathered strength and claimed
q right to stay. 1t wove itself into her
life, and fetters clasped her heart. She
knew not of the many days she lay and
wore her strength away. A kind old soul
attended her and gave the best a scanty
storehouse could afford. The worst seemed
past, and thoughts were cast that she
would rise again, but weeks went by and
still the hope of life was bounded by
silken cord. The day would rise and night
would fall, the sunlight and the shadow
come and pass away. Now she could not
wander home. Would they come to her?
just for little while. Oh, if they would
smile on her again, she could gladly breast
the sullen stream. There are times when
the gloom of earth is deeper than the IN
veiled future
A leaden day followed a Ieaden night
A peaceful sleep, a peaceful light and the
end of the journey was near. Bending to
catch her waking gaze a heart of love was
kneeling / do not know, and 1 would
not tell, what all was said 1 only know
a mothers love is deeper than any stain
and reaches high as the throne of God
And it must have been near to the brow
of the hill she bore her willing child as she
murmured low the secret of her fading
life
ooh, mother, I have heard the word
Forgiven sweetly whispered in my ear
through many nights of pain. 1t seemed
to come down from the stars and through
the little broken pane at break of day.
Your voice came to me on the breeze, and
every sunbeam wore your smile, but a
cloud hung dark across the sky, and could
not die until you kissed the gloom away.
Now l can rest. -
An unseen charm was stealing to her
heart as tenderly as dewdrOps touch the
dropping flowers while she crept unto her
mothers breast-a little child again with
in the folds of Iove-and hand was clasped
in hand and heart was hnshed TO haart as