Brookings weekly register. (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1898-1903, 1898-12-29

did, it so filed me with Joy that could
not utter a word. My tongue refused
its office, and in the boundlessness Of
my ecstasy l laughed, then hurried
from his presence to my room, that I
might weep for JOY. A sweet little con-
eeit came to me. In the morning when
I meet him / will lay my hand in his
and say, "This is your Christmas gift"
"'When morning came, ne was gone.
I thought that he had returned to
his home, and feeling that he had mis-
interpreted my laugh I wrote him,
wherein l told him with more truth
than modesty how dearly loved him.
He never received that letter. His moth
er did, and after keeping it for years
returned it to me. When found that
he was gone, no one knew where, / re-
turned to the homestead, to our mother,
for such she has always been to me.
She comforted me by saying: "He will
soon return. He will write to me, and l
will send him your letter. Then. could
he command the winds, they would be
too slow for his return. She stilled my
throhbing heart by resting it against
Der own. We waited, but he came not.
Her sorrow, though never uttered, ate
up her heart. One evening she drew me
close to her breast and said, II am 60
ing to leave you; then he will return. ."
"Oh, no, you must not-shall not
gor l exclaimed. "f you go, he will
never return. While you remain there
is hope. Without you there is none. "
t. 10 Oh
family murmured. burst into passion
ate tears. When | had wept myself
calm, gaZed into her face. l was with
| the dead. Desolation of desolation! The
| sweet, kind messenger who released her
sorrowing soul denied himself to me.
was then alone indeed. The weary
| years came and went ladened with dis
appointments. The estate proved in
solvent, and my little all was swallow
ed up with the rest. I returned to the
great city, where l have struggled for
bread and raiment and shelter. 1t has
| given them to me grudgingly. have
not been exacting, but have accepted
thankfully the little l have earned. Now
he has returned, but he is no longer
John Frostberg. There are two. The
one of old l will retain in my heart as
the lost one. The one of today will
not know, nor shall he know.
"John Frostberg of today" said the
| guest, show much does that story add
to your happiness?"
| "Oh, wretch, monster that l amp
agonized John Frostberg
| "That is true, said his guest. "You
know yourself. You are wretch. You
have hugged delusion that another
made you so. You are the outgrowth Of
| your selfish self. You are miserable and
wretched, and you deserve to be So
You should not be a monster. There
are two parts of you. The wretched
and the miserable is the better. That
| you can be miserable is evidence that
you are not entirely lost. It is proof
that it is possible to save you from
yourself. To do this you must adopt
heroic action. You must cut out the
monster part.
~ will, I will" exclaimed John
Frostberg
"Stay a moment and hear me, " said
his guest. "You must cast out the de-
mons which have possessed you. Greed,
] avarice, revenge and hate and your
\ wretched self must be cast out of your
heart, to remain ont forever. In their
stead You must place back the chestnuts
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