The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-06-25
THE WOMAN IN WHITE


| soothed my aching eyes: no relief came
| 10 me from my sisters sympathy OF my
mothers love.
on that third morning opened my
heart 10 them. At last the words passed
nv lips which I had longed TO speak on
| the day when my mother told me or her
| death.
Let me go away alone for little
| while I said L shall bear IL better
| when have looked once more at the
| place where ! first saw her-when i nave
knelt and prayed by the grave where
they have laid her 10 rest"
/ departed on my journey-my journey
to the grave OF Laura Fairlie.
| II was n quiet autumn afternoon when
| stopped at the solitary station, and set
| forth alone, on foot by the well-remem-
| bered road The waning sun was shining
| family through the thin white clouds :
! the air was warm and still; the peacetul-
| ness OF the lonely country was overshad- :
owed and saddened by the influence or
the falling year.
I reached the moor;'I stood again on
| the brow OF the hill; ] looked on. along
| the path--and there were the familiar
garden trees In the distance, the clear
| sweeping semicircle of the drive. the
| high white walls OF Limmeridge House.
| The chances and changes. the wander
ings and dangers Of months and months
| past. all shrunk and shriveled 20 nothing
| I'm my mind 1t was like yesterday since
| my feet had last trodden the fragrant
heathy ground, I thought | should see
| her coming to meet me. with her little
straw hat shading her face. her simple
dress fiuttering I'm the air. and her we'll
filled sketch-book ready In her hand.
oh. Death. thou hast thy sting! Oh,
! Grave, thou hast thy victory!
/ turned aside: and there, below me in
the glen was the lonesome gray church,
the porch where I had waited for the
coming OF the woman In white; the hills
| encircling the quiet burial ground: the
| brook bubbling cold over It's stony bed.
! There was the marble cross. fair and
white. at the head of the tomb-the tomb
| that now rose over mother and daughter
| alike
approached the grave. I crossed once
more the low stone stile. and barred my
head as touched the sacred ground. Sa-
cred 10 gentleness and goodness: sacred
to reverence and grief.
7 stopped before the pedestal from
which the cross rose. On one side OF II.
on the side nearest 10 me. the newly-cut
| inscription met my eyes-the hard. clear.
cruel black letters which told the story
| OF her life and death. / tried to read
them did read as far as the name. 'Sa-
cred TO the Memory OF Laura" The
| kind blue eyes dim with tears: the fair
head dropping YEARLY; the innocent part
ing words which implored me to leave
| her-oh. for a happier last memory of
her than this: the memory I took away
with me. the memory bring back with
| me to her grave!
A second time I tried to read the in
scription. I saw, at the end. the date OF
her death; and above IT.
Above II. there were lines on the mar
| BILE, there was name among them
which disturbed my thoughts OF her.
went round to the other side~of the grave
where there was nothing to read-nothinf
of earthly vileness TO force its way be
tween her spirits and mine.
! | knelt down by the tomb. laid m,
hands, laid my head. on the broad
white stone and closed my weary eye:
on the earth around on the light above
let her come back TO me. Oh, my love
my love! my heart may speak TO yot
now! II is yesterday again, since we
parted-yesterday. since your dear hant
lay In mine-yesterday, since my eyes
looked their last on you. My love! my
love.
Time had flowed on: and silence hat
fallen. like thick night. over It's course.
The first sound that came after tn,
heavenly peace, rustled family. like &
passing breath OF air, over the grass OF
the burial ground / heard II nearing m,
slowly until II came changed TO my ear
came like footsteps moving onward-ther
stopped.
l looked up.
The sunset was near at hand Tn,
clouds had parted; the slanting light fel
mellow over the hills. The last OF the da,
was cold and clear and still In the quie
valley of the dead
Beyond me- in the burial-ground
standing together In the cold cloarness O
the lower light. ] saw two women The,
were looking toward the tomb-lookinl
toward me.
Two.
(To be continued)