Rocky Ford enterprise., 1902-12-12

IL
day and she was so weary. so unut.
terably tired. II was a blank. blank
wall she faced and to-day her courage
would not respond to her Efforts. The
weight of her afiiiction was SO heavy
and she so longed for rest. Years OF
gray monotony and dependence
stretching their sombre lengths before
her. Years of duh inaction and
changeiess, level existence. Her bed.
her invalid chair. her room-how her
horizon had narrowed. And II had ap-
peared so broad. SO beautiful. SO glow
Ing.
Two hot. soaring tears stole from
between the fringcs Of her eyes as
she thought that but for that fateful
ride she should even now be rcailz'
Ing the most luxurious dream OF her
life: she should be wandering through
the memory mists Of rich old Italy.
finding an objective answer to those
years OF hard. ambitious preparation.
which she had made. She should rev.
ei In the fact that for two years longer
there would be nothing TO do but to
open her eyes and her heart to the
Impressions which travel would give
and to store those Impressions away
to be mctamorphosed later and touch
tho minds of others through her songs
and stories. Surely IL she had been
broadcnci by this experience the
small success which had met her pre-
ylouE work would have been warm
and triumphant and she would have
gained tina, place In the affections OF
q people that her ambition and her
ycarnins love desired.
Hut II was gone now. The luscious
dream had fallen into ashes. Long.
long ycS-s, Bleak. colorlcss years!
And she 40 young. Her life thus
nIppcd and marrcd Just rs IL was
opening into fulicS, roSchooh. The
dull hcavincRS of II all oppressed her
heart until the tears were weighted
down and. stccpcd In utter life wcar!'
ness. she turned her head toward tho
window and EaEcd where the paliid
November sunset sank i!stic4siy into
the west.
Slightly toward tho south. where
the yellow hung most clear. wooded
hill arose. the blush tenderness of
the haze. which distance loves to fold
around all objects. elin.ins softly
about It's base. though the ,rcca on the
summit shook back their vtstmcn,s
and. barcarmcd ana dark. raised
their many hands In striking silhor'
cttc. aE u performing their evening
sacrifice.
Only n part of this hill and that par;
framed On either side by buildings
near at hand. could be viewed from
the window where she rcciincd. but
there was enough TO ease her eyes
and her mind and to cmanntc n
mighty vibration OF peace tina; softly. |
gently. impcrccptibiy began to roll rs
incense over that unhappy heart. 81. |
lcrtly. uuconsciously u difTuEed Its !
soothing beauty through her thoughts
and changed their bitterness Into ten. |
der melancholy. Gradually she fcl;
her soul responding TO the scene. A
accp religious cNaltation awokc In her |
rrcast, n strange. beautiful ycarning. |
cropping peace. n sensation that was n |
prayer. a longing that was an apoca-
lypse. And life was new.
This was the beginning of an alb.
Eorbing personal love which the girl |
learned to feel for that bit of wooded ,
hill. 1t was different from the love
she felt for picture or other inanimate
object. Indeed the hill was not inan. !
innate to her. II possessed n soul. n
mighty soul. and II stood before her |
AS some strong. beautiful priest that !
was to purify her heart for perfect |
love OF Nature and for the Spirit that
quickcns and is manifest in Nature.
Every morning she longed for her
first glimpse OF II as some earnest |
souls long for the moment of secret |
prayer. Every evening she could not