Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-06-28
] Repented at Leisure. |
BERTHA M. CLAY.
j



hard" Now that she knew him and
looked at him, she could better I'M
derstand all the brave endurance, the
courage, the fearlessness. What
would he say, she wondered. II he
knew thai he had been an influence in
her life-lIat he had first taught her
| to look up from the slough of despond,
and take higher views?
Suddenly she became aware that he
was looking at her again with the same
bright, grave smile.
Miss st. Norman" he said, I'VE
have chosen a strange subject; and a
dinner party is hardly the occasion one
would select for the discussion of
pain"
Il have an unfortunate habit Of
speaking Of the subject that occupies
me-" she confessed.
And you were thinking so intently
of pain? That is strange subject for
a young lady's musing"
us it?" she asked, simply.
II think so. A young girls thoughts
|
to pleasures past or to come; her
musings should be bright, cheerful,
hopeful"
Mine never are" she sighed; and
| then she seemed to repent of her
words and he, seeing that she wished
them unspoken, took no notice of
| them.
| las a stranger to you" he said, Il
must apologize for what l am going
TO say. VIII you give me a full and
| free pardon before | commit the Of
| fense?"
Yes" she replied; you may say
what you will to me"
Then forgive me If | tell you that
| | think you are inclined to look upon
the gloomy side of life. There is
plenty of pain, but there is also plenty
of pleasure. Do you never think of
that-of all that life holds so bright
and beautiful that men never wish to
leave it?"
No." she replied; my thoughts
| seldom dwell on that brighter side"
THAT seems strange" he returned.
| You are the first young lady | have
met with so peculiar turn of mind"
| She thought to herself, with bit
terness words could not describe, that
she was in all probability the only
| one he had ever met with who carried
| about with her a terrible secret-the
| only one who bearing a noble name,
was in secrecy the wife of criminal.
| you do not think | am presuming
| upon your kindness in speaking so
| freely?" he inquired.
NO" she replied, raising her sweet,
! clear eyes to his face; Il am CRATE
| full to you I shall remember all that
you have said" Presently she asked:
| DO you remember these lines of Bar
| ny CORVALLIS:
We toll through pain and wrong
We fight and fly
We love-we lose-and then ere long
Stone-dead we lie.
o Life, is all thy song
Endure and die!
| That is the great lesson-the great end
of life" she commented; endure and
die When one has learned that, the
| secret Of life is known"
MY dear Miss st. Norman, what
sad views you take, Believe me,
have suffered my share; | have gone
through the bitterness Of death, yet
did not die. For every one there is a
vast amount of pleasure and happiness
in this world, if they viii but seek 1t,
How is it that a man who has neither
money, nor home, nor food, who is
sick even unto death and worn with
privaton, whose every breath is full
OF pain--how is it that even such
man will cling with the utmost te-
nacity to life? There must be some
thing in It despite its sorrows. or we
should not cling so eagerly to it"
But what, she inquired, IF a per-
son completely destroys all the pos
slble happiness of a lifetime by one
rash action?"
That rarely happens he answered;
land l do not think i possible to de-
stroy all happiness. What, for in
stance can take from us our love of
nature? What can change the beauty
of the sunrise, the glory OF the sunset,
the holy calm of starllt nights, the
mystical silence OF the woods? |
would that ! could choose for you
books to read. pictures to look at,
scenes to enjoy, that would give you
brighter, happier ideas Of life than
you seem TO possess
You shall so teach me If you will,
she returned, and the compact was
made then and there.
CHAPTER XXXtI.