The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1901-10-10
CHAPTER XI.

Sorrow unmixed with remorse is the
souls education. The soul of the
woman who grieyes in silence broadens
and deepens. sending down into her
own life far-reaching roots and un-
folding upward rare auxiliary bios
SONS that fill the life about her with
divine breathings. Such was the ex-
perience Of Frances Brookin. Thrown
back upon herself. conscious OF inno-
eence, and feeling always the presence
Of sorrow, the sorrow of . great dis
appointment, she saw her girlhood
slipping away faster than time itself;
for II Is true that age is the sum Of
experience rather than years, and all
Of life may be lived between the set
ting and the rising Of the sun. But
with Frances this change was not the
shrinking of the soul into forgetful-
ness; II was an enlargement Of view
and perspective in which old headlands
assumed smaller proportions. New
imperative duties they seemed, arose
and met her: new responsibilities pre-
sented themselves; she faced them oil
bravely. hopefully. lovingly. The fine
quality OF her soul proved itself In the
casting out OF all the bitterness which
had In the Rrst hours Of her misfor.
tune stormed its citadel and raised
somber banners there. The victory
over self wap by This frail girl was no
marvelousiy .sSgese that no cynicism
supplanted hei irSsNeni faith In the
eternal existence 81 truth and good
~ass suI xA.s. ,,l,,,r.Sa try,,,,, ~, nvar
evil. Her touching acceptance Of life
In its new aspect was not born In q
day. There were weeks OF anguish;
there were months Of dull heartache
and loneliness; there were tear-wet
pillows and nights Of crying out against
fate; for the death of an ideal Is the
saddest death In all the universe, since
for this there Is no resurrection. The
girlish ideal Of Frances Brookin was
dead at last, and slept under the petals
Of faded white rose. Richard Somsrs
was out OF her life, out OF her heart.
The man she loved had never existed,
she told herself. He was q dream, q
romance, an immaculate conception Of
q virgin mind. The real man was the
unworthy offspring Of base, worldly
passions; he was nothing to her but
q name.
Political events hastened the girl
into womanhood and towards that
large tolerance with which the strong
soul at last Invariably encysts the In
explicable and unwelcone facts II can
not avoid. With one leap the fierce
south entered the arena OF war, and
Virginia hills echoed the mingled
cheers Of contending armies and the
thunder Of mighty guns. Richmond
seemed to have become, as In . day,
the center Of intrigue and Of action,
On every side flashed the gold and sill
YER Of wars rich trapping@ Plumes
danced In the breexes and the confed-
erate gray met the eye, rest where II
would. From the capitol the banner
Of . new nation Aoated proudly, and
beneath u echoed the tramp Of march
ing legions. the gslloping hoof-beati
of horses. through all hours Of day and
nieht. Men, In this hitherto stsid old
southern city. hurried. under the spur
Of emotions that seemed born, Of . con
tagion In the air. and anxious women
went about with willing hands TO aid
Ia every department they might In
wade. Among these, her life adjusting
itself easily and gratefully TO the new
demands. was Frances Brookin. ths
tenderness Of her fine face softenet
and deepsnsd into divine womanliness
the iovs-ray eloquent In her melting
eyes.
Swiftly The holiday side Of the wal
And Sadsd out Of view. Agonised 81
lenes swallowed up laughter. For III
Am Ras coming IN from where ths
nn11Io n4sds lesshs se IN