The Norfolk Virginian. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 186?-189?, 1897-04-18

more comfortable. You can get your
meals down town. shall go back and
forth every week or so, and you can tell
me all that has happened in my alb
SenCe'
AS you say. my dear; as you say"
In the eyes that Ephraim LItchteld
turned to her was the pain of Il wound
ed deer. Had Dorothy beneId them this
story had never been told. But fate de-
creed that She should follow the broken
sky line until the old man had passed
out OF her presence. as he had passed
out OF her thoughts.
Y.
The chair Of domestic science in u
woman's Industrial institute controlled
by wealthy, fashionable philanthropists
Is not Il bed Of roses. Dorothy Litch-
field was not slow In making the discov-
cry. No slave Of the sweating system
worked more logged for his daily bread
than did this aspiring 4. B. to meet
the requirements Of the lady board of
managers. This modern Sister Glare,
like her predecessor OF medieval times,
was an apostle OF work-the work that
bears ready, tangible results. She had
hoped to meet the benighted masses
more directly, administer with her own
hands the garnered wisdom Of the pre-
paratory years, and She awakened to
find herself absorbed by the lady board
~
class work, which she had calculated to
spend In the homes of the poor, in
structing them personally, was lost in
social amenities. Is was incumbent on
the professor OF domestic science. the
board instructed, to participate in the
Institutes social affairs
The limitations of this institutes hor-
lion set her thinking on new lines The
discomfort Of the unwashed 20 whom
she had hoped TO point the way to
wholesome living, paed at length be-
tofe her own mental unrest. The end
OF the week generally found her physi-
cal wreck. q state OF affairs that grad
ually curtailed her promised weekly Wis
its to her father. II was several months
since she had been home. He had been
on long trip. business was dull" he
wrote her.
Poor Gather, he is too old to work.
lie must give It up. Next year will get
q house on Long Island. or somewhere
along the Palisades"
The more she thought Of 1T; had
come to her at high tea at the palatial
home Of the president Of the lady board
OF managers-the more impat ient grew
INC desire TO talk it over with him.
FORGETTING an extra course Of demon.
st,ation that she had agreed 10 give
during the Easter eve, and soon was
climbing tho familiar staircase to The
cyrie home in which had passed so many
happy days Of planning. On the way
from the station she bought a great
bunch OF Easter lilies and left an or
der at the grocer'S She hoped to reach
The den before her father returned and
surprise him with the festive decora-
tons. q good dinner of her own cooking.
and the suppressed affection of years
that had elapsed since she was n LIGHT
hearted girl: impatiently she looked for
the key under the door mat. where they
were wont 10 hide it. 1t was not there
An appalling sense Of loniness crept over
her. She was about to seek the janitress
when her hand turned the knob: the
door opened The familiar surround
ings. SO CHEEKY in her day. wore a bleak.
dcsolate air. Dead ashes lay piled on
the open hearth. Her colonial writing
desk stood open. Her searching eve
iell upon an unfinished letter in n famil-
lar hand
Dearest" it read, II am i'll. fear
very, very i'll. The last trim was TOO
much. | forgot, we both forgot. that
am not as strong rs l used TO be.
nave Kept it back, love. all these years.
because knew You had i great work TO
do in the world; but | must tell YOU to-
night have been very lonely with
out YOU, especially since your mother
passed away 1t seems To me that nv
old heart will break If | don't see YOU
Sooli. ~ would ne broken now, | be-
lieNe, We're it not for the comforting at
tentionS OBI
The rest was undcciphcra BILE anpar-
emily blurred by tears
Dorothy laid down the letter and mass
ed into her little bedroom rcdolent of
aesthetic taste. On the couch Law her
rather The silver locks lay in matted
curls on his broad, white brow. Ills
eyes were closed. \ smile lowered
round his mouth. In the gathering twi-
light Dorothy did not perceive that
the large white hand resting on the COW
erlct twitched nervously. She stond
tranStiNed. Was it the mystery of
Death or the mystery of Life that CON
lFohted her? In one swift moment
came the revelation. Blindly she had
turned from the duty, the love at hand,
10 Srope after what 10 ner distorted
reasoning seemed the higher life. the no.
bier part
Father. SHE cried. throwing herself
across the PROSTATE form, ''forglye
met"
is that YOU Dorothy. dear?" The
hand she thought cold in death fell ten
derry upon her bowed head, 20 wallan to
Joyous life all her benumbed sensibili-
ties
Alleluia! alleluia! chimed Grace
church throughout the long watches OF
That night, as Dorothy sat by the old
mans side, wooing him back to a life
now doubly dear to both He is risen!
lie is risen, indeed" was the refrain
that came over the chimney pots to
find an echo IN her heart.