The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-08-28
Stories of an Inland State.

changed from grey TO rose. a ripple in tn,
| little brook in the midst of the great, widc
| river-bed, flashed like diamond, then sanl
| again. as If the sun had awakened II from
| a sound sleep.
John Wright stood where ne had stood
| wears before when he first came TO Kansas
| ard watched now as he had watched then
| this strange water-channel, the sandy bee
I from bank TO bank, the minute tracings
| layers, curls and water-fgurings in the dry
| sand from which the river had receded. the
| little brook of water, which played in its
| great course, swinging from bank 10 bank
! IDLY curling in the sand, doubling and re-
doubling. falling into great pools and run
| r:rg out again, dividing at bar. be-
| low it uniting again, nesting beneath q
| great worn bank. and spr:nging forth again
| to m:ngle with the sand. For sand was
part of it. and turned its waters tawny
| in tie morning sun. And at the edges OF
| this Ettle brook which frol:cked like a
| child at freedom in a great palace, the
yellow sand Redeemed with moisture.
John Wright took note of this and said:
THE sand is red; the river rising"
He had walked all night. slowly, for his
companion had retarded him. She now
lay sleeping at his feet. Long he stood
tude and bullying outlines broke above the
hills in front of him and beyond the river,
opening to his view the dreary channel as
il wound a:mlessly away, with its lodging
rivulet glittering in the distance and the
sand-hills on the banks smoking yellowly
at the touch of the morning breeze.
She arose and reached her beautiful white
hands out gracefully, and with curious
inability TO speak, he touched her to let
her know that he was near. AS he glanced
I'D into her face them he started back with
the surprise of a man who has been long
mild and calm. Her bandaged face shown
with a new beauty, an illumining of inner
Joy, and she raised her voice TO a tone
that rang with strange ecstacy, and, with
words that seemed to be a part of the
beauty of the lips which formed them,
turned her face upward in fervent smile
of conscious and undivided bliss.
1T is the dawn" she cried. II feel its
warmth, I feel its rosy light upon my
heart, I am not blind. 1t was light that
blinded me. In illumination, our vision is
shut out. In utter darkness we see best.
What long vistas in our souls il we but
look in darkness into the regions of our
Self, What stars of hope, what glnting,
flaming beacons of glorious promise glow,
there in our hearts when night has come,
when we are blinded no longer by excess
i've light. We shall go out little way,
across the green pastures of His promise,
and by His still waters OF rest for our
souls are restored, and in our blindness we
have seen. The sun of our sins has gone
down, and the darkness has brought the
revelation of His Love, as day steals our
vision and night brings us the armament.
He noted her warmth and bowed his
head He doubted the origin OF her fervor,
d;sbelieved its truth, but he respected it.
How, how he respected it,
He did not speak, but stood so, with
bowed head. listening while she spoke with
glowing earnestness her newborn love.
Let us go out little way" she said
AGAIN. with a smile on her lips, ito meet
the light of His countenance and the
warmth of His gentle love"
He glanced up quickly. Some distant OBJ
feet had caught his eye. If he had seen
something he gave no sign of surprise.
but dropped his head again and said
slowly and with repressed passion:
1.-The way of death is dark and death is
endless blindness. In 1t we cannot see.
But a little time and we shall be OF less
account than We were in the veins of our
ancestors a thousand years ago. Blind
then we shall be blind again. Aye, death
is infinite blindness"
He looked upon her beautiful face. expect
ing disapproval and guilty that he should
stop the consoling tenor OF her thoughts.
But there was no frown upon her white,
pure face, and placing her hand upon his
arm. she said:
Death is dark that we may better see.
Let us go out, for death is near Believe
in Him. Be brave The haven is recon-
pense for the dark road that leads to
its portals. Be firm of heart. 1t is little
WHILE then life and glory
He turned about with lips set firmly
and anger and antagonism flashing from
his eyes. His mind famed with its last
challenge to mis- hated world.
He looked angrily across the hills. watch
ed the moving figures that appeared at the
successive crests and disappeared again,
coming nearer, nearer, nearer.
Come on" he cried beneath his breath,
for he would not offend the child at his
side. "Come on, you puppets OF an en-
shaved world, What do 1 care for your
vrits or weapons. authority or forcec |
Come on, Your place your lives above lib |
erty, truth. justice, honor. Come on TO |
the wall of death and stop, or follow if |
you dare you towards. Come on, and |
treat II you can. with DEATH
He turned and took Neil Everett by the |
hand, and led her down the gentle hill 10 |
the great dry channel. Once he paused and /
looked upon her glowing face and with some |
dreadful thought, choked and grew livid. |
Il may have been the thought of his respon- |
sibiity for this womans plight, for he |
said:
Turn back go to death"
Let us go on" she said, with undisturb-
I'd fervency.
The yellow sand was shifting beneath
heir feet, for they Were in the channel.
Now they sank deeper in the REDEEMED
edges. now they walked out into the little
brook with its boiling, sand-saturated wa
ers
He studied her face with a blank stare.
She was still glowing with happiness. He
,laced his hands over his heart and thought
,uriously of its own cessation. Then he
\ ent out further into the little stream in
ient. angry determination.
But she stopped him and stayed him and
lropped into the water on her knees and In
voice, rich IN soulful purity, sang:
abide with me,
Fast falls the even-tide.
The darkness deepens
Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail
And comforts fee
Help OF the helpless,
O. abide with me-
Re picked her up and carried her out
nd placed her in the shallow stream. |
lie felt the grasping quisksands
: his feet He did not look