Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1897-10-16
A STORM MIRACLE.

Sunday after Sunday the same demure
little creature sat in the last pew on tho
right hand side of the center aisle in St.
Matthias church, and Sunday after Sun.
day the young minister in charge looked
down over his congregation and caught
the wistful look Of pair of dark brown
eyes that was solemn and pathetic at once.
Before the last amen of the occasional had
ceased to vibrate on the ears of the kneel.
Ing worshipers the little creature had each
time made her way out of the church I'M
noticed. After awhile the Rev. John
Grimshaw, who was six and twenty and
impressonable at that, began to feel the
influence of that benign expression and OF
those solemn dark eyes and decided to
speak with the girl if an opportunity pre-.
sented itself, and the opportunity did come
one Friday night on a saints day when
there was a special service at the church
in the evening.
She had never been into the church be.
fore except on Sunday, and what was his
surprise and pleasure when the young
minister lifted his eyes that night and saw
the face that was beginning to interest
him sitting before him quite near the
front. During the singing of hymn he
approached her and asked her to remain
after the service, as he wished to say few
words to her She did not reply, except
with mute appeal with her splendid dark
eyes. He mistook her silence for embar-
rassment and returned to his place at the
lecturn. At the close Of the service he
hurried to the side of the girl, who was
just in the act of leaving her pew, and
spoke a few words to her. He was invit-
ing her in that calm, deliberate way that
characterized him to come to church of.
ten, to consult him, to become regular
worshiper at the church, but as he talked
IN low, persuasive tones and no response
came from the girl he began to wonder at
her extreme bashfulness, and when she be.
gan to shake her head, to make rapid signs
with her deft fingers, in an instant he real
lied that the appealing eyes that followed
him in his dreams and in his waking mo-
ments and the pretty but sad face were
those of deaf mute, and SO swift and sud
den was the surprise that swept over him
that he could have cried out in his an
guish. A chill came over his heart, but
communicated as best he could by mods
and smiles and expression that he under,
stood her and was sorry for her. He tried
TO make her understand that he would like
her to continue to come to church and be
good Christian, but whether she compre-
hended him or not he did not know He
walked to the door with her, and as she
went slowly down the stone steps he nod
ded pleasant good night as she looked
back.
When he was alone that night, the
young preacher gave way to his emotion
He realized that he was deeply in love
with the little being who had never spoken
a word to him and whom he now knew
would never speak to him. He should
never know that sound Of her voice, which
In his fancy was low and soft and musical.
And now--oh, God, it was too hard to
bear! And then he would never know her
name. All, 1t must be pretty name, so
he thought! True, there were other girls
in the parish who would gladly accept him
If he would make the offer, but he did not
love one Of them as he now realized that
he loved this girl who had occupied that
rear seat In the church that Sunday, al
ways attired in neat black dress, bit Of |
soft white lace falling over her collar and |
setting of her pretty throat. She might |
be Is or 20, he thought, and was just tall
enough. He had noticed that she came to
his shoulder as he walked down the aisle
with her that night. Her hands were SO
pretty, too, when she made few hurried
signs, and he should never be able to hold
them between his two large palms.
At last sleep pulled the curtain before
these precious yet bitter thoughts, and the
Rev. MIR. Grimshaw fell into deep slum-
Der and dreamed that he was sailing the
sea with this beautiful girl, that he held
her in his arms, that he called her Ruth.
When he awoke, 1t was with the bitterest
ppointment, for he was alone, and the
bright sun was streaming full upon his
face. He remembered that the Kings
Daughters Of the parish were to enjoy an
excursion down the bay that day, and as
he had many little affairs of Importance
to attend to before O'Clock, the hour of
sailing, he busted himself about them,
saying the name Ruth softly to himself In
the meanwhile and wondering II her name
were really Ruth.
The excursion steamer was In waiting /
1t the dock, and enc by one the young
girls stepped aboard, each smiling her
sweetest as she noticed the young minister
on the wharf. He returned their
salutations with serious countenance and
with dignity slightly lifted his hat, but his
eyes were strained to the little narrow
street beyond, watching and waiting for
her, hoping, yet not knowing, that she
would come. II wanted one minute Of the
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