Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1900-06-08
CHAPTER v.

s CHAPTER v.
| 1t was many weary day that Ma
marah waited for tidings which came
not. 1t was her habit to sit at work
with her maidens upon the roof, or else
| high up in the top chamber of the
house, and always she would place
herself near to the window which
looked toward the field Of battle, and
none knew why it was that she
strained her eyes so wistfully into the
air, as If she looked for and expected
some token in the heavens. Often
her work would fall from her fingers,
and she would rest a long time idle,
with no sound escaping her, except the
deep-drawn signs which none knew
how to interpret. The maidens that
were her companions looked on at
this and marveled. They knew that
Namarah was ever a loving and solicit
tous daughter, but it was not uncom-
mon for her father to be away and
in danger, and this was something
more than her usual concern for him.
She had lost heart in her work, also
and cared no longer for the amuse-
ments and pastimes with which it had
formerly been her wont to occupy her
self. But, in spite of this, her inter-
est was more tender than ever before
in those who were sick or in trouble,
and she spent much time in prayer.
Her chief amusement and diversion
during this time were her doves. and
sometimes, after feeding them she
would place herself on the garden seat
and let them climb and futter all about
her, and take their food from her
mouth and fingers and even from the
meshes of her hair. She had told to
no one lthe secret of her heart, and
these .ent witnesses of her meetings
with( dina seemed now the nearest
thina to him that there remained to
her.
At length, one morning, when Ma
marah had grown paler than was her
won't, with long waiting and watching,
she stood at the easement of her cham
Der, and her listless gaze that had been
long fixed YEARLY upon the distant
scene, became in moment alert and
animated. Far up in the blue she had
seen flying bird. and at that sight
her heart within her always trembled.
Perhaps it was skylark, or even one
of her own pets, wandered farther
than its custom away from home. Yes,
1t was dove-a snow-white carrier
and surely, one of her own, as there
was none like them in that region. She
had never known one of hers to fly
so high as that before, and the throb-
bling Of her heart grew violent, as she
looked up and saw it pausing and cir
cling above her head. Surely she
caught sight of a tiny object, not a
feather, between it's wing and breast,
as the bird swooped downward and
few into the pigeon house. !
With limbs that shook with hope and
fear; Namarah stole softly through the
silent halls and chambers, down the
garden path and into the place where
all her birds were together. They
were cooling and muttering and CAB
bling as if something out of the COM
mon had happened to them, and when
she paused in the doorway and called,
they all came fluttering to her. One
by one she touched them with her
hands and felt beneath their wings.
They were too exactly each like each
to distinguish among them, but all of
them came tamely to her cali, it be-
ing her habit to stroke and smooth
them as she would. Just as her heart
began to sink with disappointment, she
noticed one with broken feathers, and
her fingers touched something smooth
and hard, and 10, there was, indeed, the
thing she sought-a tightly folded pa
per, tied with a small cord under the
birds wing. Her hands trembled as
she loosed it, and she hid it hurriedly
in her bosom. Then she ran swiftly
through the garden paths and back
to her own room, where she shut her
self in, and taking out the precious
paper, pressed it to her lips and then
fell upon her knees in prayer. She
entreated God most earnestly that the
tidings might be good; her heart
swelled with praises to His holy name,
and her faith was strong in the answer
to her prayers, as she opened the pa
per and read. These were the words:
"NIost Dear Maiden-It hath pleased
the God Of Israel to send the hosts Of
Jephthah, thy father, complete and
mighty victory, and we be, even now,
upon our way to thee, returning in
triumph and great thankfulness of
heart. Thou will greet me as thy
chosen and sanctioned husband, Ma
marah, for thy father hath so COM
mended my bearing in the fight, where
in was able to render him good serv-
ice that he hath promised me that I
shall choose my own reward, and I
have chosen even the maiden Namarah
to be my wife. I have even so spoken
to thy father, feeling sure that at that
moment he would not say me nay, and
he hath even given me his blessing.