The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1897-09-08


listened spellbound. He was not in the
strict sense a handsome man, but when
carried away by his eloquence his eyes
would light up with wonderful bright
ness and his face almost grow radiant:
he seemed possessed of a beauty scarce
ly earthlike.
The noise of the people rising from
their seats as his voice died away re-
called me to the present, but it was with
an effort reused myself. l reached
home feeling that while such living
words could reach my ear life could not
be barren.
! entered my fathers study, treading
softly lest l should disturb the slumber
into which he seemed to have fallen.
Drawing near, SOFTLY laid my hand ON
his. 1t was icy cold. l stopped to kiss
his brow, but its marble whiteness re-
vealed to me the awful truth. The desc
lation which had lowered DER my spirit
all day had been no idle precursor of i'll.
Death had entered my home and
snatched from me the one being left
me to love. An awful calm fell upon
me. No tears came to relieve my burn
ing lids-not even when l heard the
dull thud which gave back to mother
earth it's own.
1t was then that Edward Fearing
came to comfort me. 1t was long ere
even his words penetrated the outer
crust of rebellious discomfort; but he
probed his way so skillfully, so tender
ly, that ere knew it the healing waters
of comfort rushed in, and found their
vent in outward tears.
l do not know when 1 learned to love
my teacher. Does one ever measure
the hour, the moment, when love ems
ters their lives? could see by this pas
sion which awakened in me the mean
ing of true love and false. No world
ly glitter, no tickle allurements were
here. The life we must lead together
would foe one devoted to the Masters
service, but l felt nothing could be
sacrifice l shared with him. had told
him all my past one afternoon, when he
had Just left me, and the echo of his
words still was ringing in my ear, when
an impatient tread across the hall, a
shadow darkened the door of the room
in which l sat.
l looked up, wondering if Edward
had returned, with some forgotten word
of fondness on his lips, when, stand
ing with pale face saw what in that
first agonized moment believed my
husbands ghost.
l started with wild cry, and would
have fallen but that his arms caught
and held me, and then knew that it
was no spirit, but living flesh which
bound me.
Oh, the agony of that awakening, the
torture of the thought which slowly
burned itself upon my brain, that my
love for Edward now was sin, that
who had so lightly talked of sacrifice
shared with him must meet a greater
sacrifice than any he had pictured, ant
meet it alone!
All this l endured while / lay seem
ingly in outward calm, and listened tt
my husbands story, how he had beer
left, as his friends supposed, dead upoI
the field; but how the Indians, strange
ly moved to pity, bound up the wound!
they themselves had caused, and helC
him for six months captive. Then, pro
curing his release, and learning
thought him dead, he determined t
leave me in that belief, but how his hf
had grown purposeless, and he grew
10 feel vain yearning for home ant
wife.
Had I found you married, Madge,
he ended, 81 would have gone away ant
made no sign, but instead you still
wear the outward badge of widowhood
and though l little dreamed, my dar
ling, that you should have mourne'
my loss, may not by that sign plea
for pardon? Win you not give me tn
hope of casting some sunshine on tn
: fife l have SO cruelty darkened"
, That night Edward and | parted for
, ever. l sent for him and told him all
, and watched his face blench while l sa
: outwardly calm and unmoved.
= Gods ways are not our ways" h
| said at last. 'He has shown us hoN
= purposeless were the sacrifices we ha
planned, and He had greater ends il
: view. May He give us strength to bear.
n The months which followed passeda
i in dream, but my hands found plent
r to fill them. My husband had com
d home to me broken man, and l say
d day by day that his strength was fai
e ing. Oh, how glad l was in those Ion
o vigils by his bedside that l had nc
e faltered. A love as of mother for he
y child grew in my breast as l watche
h his remorsefui care, his earnest solic
l. tude in my Behalf, as his life ebbe
If away. 1t YVES inner as well as QUITE
a mourning l now wore, and for yea
Is 1 lived on alone in my home, with n
particular event to note the feetin
r time.
y One day letter was put in my han
l. opened it and out dropped two inclo
1t ures, one in hand which even the
'e caused my heart to beat, and one fe
il lines in a strange writing. Edwards
10 for it was from him-ran thus: "Whe
It l learned that you were free, Madg
" the wild, sweet hope rose in my brca
Z n. Il,
IS claim my wife, but it was not to be.
l have been stricken with a contagiov
l fever, and my life is rapidly eb6ir
lie away. The verdict has gone forth, al
y,uet do IL 10 Int for n littla whila