El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-30
ION. W mao NNOH.U . esus 90 {

JlOn, w usiG WOu-C Jesus 90
"There's no danger of it, - said Rose,
rising suddenly from the couch as the
tea bell rang.
Its very impracticable movement
to my mind. /" said Mr.. Sterling sharply.
Il understand from Rachel's letter
that the church in Raymond is going
to make an attempt to extend the idea
Of the pledge to the other churches II
they succeed they viii certainly make
great changes in the churches and in
peoples lives. said Felicia.
ooh, well. let's have some tea first, -
said Rose walking into the dining
room. Her father and Felicia followed,
and the meal proceeded in silence. Mrs.
Sterling had her meals served in her
room. Nj. Sterling was preoccupied.
He ate very little and excused himself
early, and, although it was Saturday
night, he remarked as he went out that
he would be down town late ON some
special business
Don't you think father looks very
much disturbed lately2" asked Felicia
a little while after he had gone out.
"Oh, don't knowi hadn't noticed
anything unusual, replied Rose. After
a silence she said: care you going to
the play tonight, Felicia2 Mrs. Delano
will be here at half past Z. think you
ought to go. She will feel hurt if you
refuse"
"I'n go. I don't care about it. can
see shadows enough without going to
the play
"Thats doleful remark for a girl
10 years old to make" replied Rose,
''but then you're queer in your ideas
anyhow, Felicia. If you'r going up to
see mother, tell her I'll run in after the
play if she is still awake.
Felicia went up to see her mother
and remain with her until the Delano
carriage came. Mrs. Sterling was wor-
ried about her husband. She talked in
cessantly and was irritated by every re-
mark Felicia made She would not list
en- to Felicia attempts to read even a
part of RachePs letter, and when Fee
licia offered to stay with her for the
evening she refused the offer with a
good deal OF positive sharpness.
So Felicia started off to the play not
very happy, but she was familiar wit
that feeling only sometimes she wa
more unhappy than at other times Her
feeling expressed itself tonight by a
withdrawal into herself. When the
company was seated in the box and the
curtain was up, Felicia was back Of
the others and remained for the even
ing by herself. Mrs. Delano as chaperon
for half dozen young ladies under
stood Felicia well enough to know that
she was "queer." as Rose so often said.
and she made no attempt to draw her
out of the corner, and so Felicia really
experienced that night by herself one
of the feelings that added to the mo-
mentum that was increasing the coming
on of her great crisis
The play was an English melodrama
full of startling situations realistic
scenery and unexpected climaxes. There
was one scene in the third act that i'm
pressed even Rose Sterling.
1t was midnight on Blackfriars
bridge. The Thames flowed dark and
below. st. Paul's rose
through the dim light, imposing. its
dome seeming to float above the build
ings surrounding it. The figure of
child came upon the bridge and stood
there for moment, peering about as
if looking for some one Several persons
were crossing the bridge, but in one of
the recesses about midway of the river
4 woman stood, leaning out over the
parapet with a strained agony of face
and figure that told plainly of her in
tentions. Just as she was stealthily
the parapet to throw herself
into the river the child caught sight of
aer, ran forward. with shrin cry more
animal than human, and. Selling the
dress. dragged back upon it
with all her little strength. Then there
came suddenly upon the scene two other
characters who had already figured in
The play. tall, handsome, athletic gen.
;leman dressed in the fashion, attended
oy a slim figured lad. who was as re-
ined in dress and appearance as the lit
lie girl chnging to her mother was
hideous in her rags and re-
oulsive poverty. These two the gentle
nan and the lad. prevented the at
empted suicide. and after tableau on
he bridge where the audience learned
hat the man and woman were brother
md sister the scene was transferred to
he interior of one of the slum tene-
nents in the east side of London Here
he scene painter and carpenter had
lone their utmost to produce an exact
'opy of famous court and alley well
Inown to the poor creatures who make
Up part of the outcast London hui
nanity. The rags. the crowding, the
7ileness, the broken furniture, the hor-
'ible animal existence forced upon
Features made in Gods image, were so
killfully shown in this scene that more
han one elegant woman in the theater,
Gated. like Rose Sterling, in sump-
uous box. surrounded with silk hang
ngs and velvet covered railing, caught
herself shrinking back a little, as if
were possible from the
learness of this piece of painted canvas.
+ almost too 1:caaliSti1. and Il