Evening star., 1902-03-29

been chairman. The only daughter of her
father, she had doubtless
The organ, stationed in the gallery at the
rear of the church, suddenly pealed forth
IN Veritable shout of triumph. All that
young man from Boston played we'll! But
now the paen of praise died away into
ripping accompaniment and the Reverend
Archibald Truax bent forward, his hands
ciutchlng the arms of the crimson velvet
pulpit chair in which he sat That could
be no voice save hers. And then his vision
cleared and he saw her there above him.
hal1 hidden by masses Of southern smilax
and white bloom
He is risen He is risen! And with
Him shall we livew
Oh, the confidence of II the absolute
fa1th, the perfect purity, the unswerving
lldellty! 1t seemed to him as if all the
Ideals he had ever tried to reach rang
truthfully In that voice Had 1t been given
TO TINS woman of little learning to know
and live the great truths which he had
somehow missed? And could she bring to
MN that perfect confidence which rang in
her song? What mattered the opinion of
the men and women he served? What mat
tered creeds, dogmas and conventionalittes?
She could breathe into his soul the power.
the life. it had never known, and, there
Tore, could never give forth.
And while she sang on and on he sat
staring, like one in a dream, at his manu-
script those empty words on which he had
spent so many hours, those carefully built
sentences which meant so little after all.
Her voice melted into silence and from
the vast congregation rose a sigh as if the
gates of Paradise, having swung open lust
for moment, had suddenly closed again.
BUT Rev. Archibald Truax leaned over be-
hlnd MS pulpit, his face buried in his hand
When he rose to face his people he held
In MS hand no manuscript, nor did he omen
the pages of his Bible. He announced his
text In quiet voice:
And the greatest of these is charity, -
A strange Easter text, thought those who
listened, but before he finished thew saw
the lesson he would teach, that out of The
DEAD embers of old dOgmas and creeds. out
OF the narrow boundaries of self-imposed
rules, one must rise to new and broader
life and love which shall embrace all men
de spoke extemporaneously for the first
time since taking his charge yet people
Sald never mad he preached like this And
Mrs. Sawyer, leaning back contentedlv in
her pew, remarked to herself: "Ah he is
awake at last"
He had shaken hands with the last men,
Der or MS mock, the church seemed strangely
quiet and empty, yet still he stood In the
small Vestibuie. a the foot Of the stair
leaolng to the organ loft. He must know
whether she had heard and-understood
What those words meant to him and to her
He was sure she had not left the church.
yet overhead there was only silence.
But by and by came the sound of gentle
FOOTBALLS, then steps that were halting and
intermittent, and his heart beat fast and
hard. She was before him now in the gray
dreSS, with wrap of the same material
and fower-laden hat dropping over her
race. Her eyes were bright yet her mouth
had curve that was almost wdstful
Il have been waiting to thank you he
murmured, and wondered why the young
organist remained at her side eft was q
delightful surprise to us all. 1 hope you
Will sing for us again, very often"
And again he glanced at the organist.
who apparently felt called upon to make
some explanation.
Yes, no one sings like her-here-not
even the handsome Miss Grant. who has
studied abroad. 1t is the soul that sings,
not the voice alone. And my Mariana has
me every Sunday now, for without her the
church would seem empty. 1 could not
play.
Truax had been standing with his hands
clasped behind him. Now their grip on each
| other was like that of an iron clamp.
Mariana raised her misty eyes to his.
Yes, she said softly, I'VE are to be
married soon, and we stopped to pray that
We might be happy together always.
know it Is not the custom of your church"
There was something of the old defiance in
her voice But no one saw or knew, and
we must live our own life, Carl and L. .
Never fear, Mr.. Truax," interrupted the
young musician eagerly. TT shall be a
happy life. All, 1 loved my music always
but now with Mariana, what shall not do :?
Yes, wonderful things. l will make name
| for her. only for her. good woman, Mr.
Truax, can make man do all things
And with an adoring glance at Mariana
VINO was gazing through the open doorway
into the tender spring sunlight, he tucked
| his music under his arm. carefully adjust
| ed her cane for her and led her gently
down the stone steps. She did not look
| long, long ago?
And SO he had let her pass out of his
life without word. And she did not know
Rev. archibald Truax walked with down
after his sermon. Perhaps he should read
1t that night. He had meant to take a