The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-06-15
:, voice even and sweet. for she said: No.
will not 60 with you; Paradise 10
hors" ~~N

when Death came again. meeting, as
be glided through the solemn quiet OF
she waiting. praying, desolatc home. .
man whose face was Is pale and set as
Deaths own; whose eyes were heavy
with unshed tears: children with
strange grief upon their hearts. But
needless. implying Death passed them
by. and went once again for the one
who was brought into the shadow Of
his wing. But it was different scene
that met his eyes AS he paused for an
instant at the door; IL was mothers
room now. wide and spacious. Over the
mantel the pictured face Of man. =
scholarly face. pure OF outline and d.
rect and firm OF expression. seemed to
dominate the room. and the groups OF
children's portraits. little shoes upon
the floor, little stockings in the great,
wide workba sket, schoolbooks ana
states on the desk by the window, all
typ,fed her life. with its broad, m
selfish, womanly interests, It's loves
and its cares, its duties and its pleas
ures. Once again she listened TO
Deaths pleadings, and as he looked
beauty he had written upon her face.
Youth and freshness were gone, spent
as generous giyer does mere gold. IN
loving service, glad TO be the poorer;
but there was grace and loneliness pass
ing that of form or color in the quiet,
Madonna-liEe eyes, the thoughtIui
brow the mouth kept sweet and mel
low by sunshine and rain, tlH worVs
of love and the grooming of cradle
songs; all was there, all the Life from
which he had warned her-tcars AND
! laughter, moments of JOY, hours OF
sorrow and grief, years of sweet. calm,
veI-paced content, hope, patience,
| anxiety. realization--the story was adj
written there, and il was gain, not loss;
beauty. strength and al lovesome wom-
anliness, but Death despaired not. even
though he saw more OF happiness than
of sorrow.
.Now you are ready TO come with me
to Paradise; YOU who have known grief
and loss. for | have taken your children
from your arms. and they bloom there.
You have seen all that Life imposes;
YOU have known WEAKNESS; you have
felt the thorns and briars along the
path. Life has not spared you labor or
care To YOU, and such as you. come
as a deliyerer; one who bestows rest
after long toll All LIES burdens Will
be lifted, and you viii forever fold your
hands in eternal peace. Come with me
YOU who should greet the coming OF
friend who will give you Paradise"
But she looked up into his face, into
the passion-pure. marble-like feature'
: Of Death, and. as the glow of thu
Northern Lights fushes into roseat'
hue even fields of ice and snow so tn
face Of Death became i!lumined will
all but human beauty and expression
: as She said, her voice not the timid
faltering tones OF the blushful mai'
who had once answered his plea. bu
the full-rounded. melodious accents
woman: GO your way. Death.
u know all that life means. all that Low
gives and takes. and again will ! sa!
{ after all these years, Paradise is nc
J. with you. Paradise is here, happines
is here, for John is here.'
y And Death trailcd his ghostly gal
: ments through the house and wen
. alone, with almost a bitterness agains
. his brother Life. who could SO hol
: out and so charm. When she wake
e She said. as one who had routed an
II conquered q foe: What does he kno
e Of Paradise Paradise is here, fe
! YOU, my beloved. are here"
n Evening shadows were gathcrin
y when Death came again. The roo
q was all in half lights; a mothers roo
q, still. but no longer that happy moth'
10 OF little children. No little sho'
re upon the floor. no little stockings
the work basket: the low rock
lr where so many lullabies had bee
'k sung was gone: the little pile
lie school books and states was put ava.
ie The lessons TO be learned in mother
IL roor, were not to be corncd fro
AZ books, or written upon states. u
DO mans face still looked down from Z
j. mantcl, but the pictures around
ne were no longer of children. but
n men and women. All was change
nj ali the childish life was folded ava
Is but the anxious ones as he pass
them looked with eyes that stir
nd his memory. the fathomless, ages-c
er memory of Death, with recollecti
m OF two other faces-the child and
woman. neither of whom would
ne with him in these buried years.
hit But now he had scarcely paused
at her side when she said TO him as
nd who yreets and welcomes and n
chides n friend who has tarried
at long: "Nhy have you waited sucf
rs weary time 10 come for me? ! hi
ait been watching and praying for yo'
led oh, 80 long! and you let me lingo
me And. as he gazed upon her out Of
gn depths Of the past he remembered !
~; although it was an old and worn 4
t that was lifted so wistfully to
white and lined. framed in sno
Id; hair, tired and grief-strickcn, but
md voice was the same, though all Its
on brnnt tones were stilled, that vt
an that always took on softer meas