Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1905-01-26

I "
q Everybody said that the wreaths wei
ie beautiful, especially the great circlet {
y white roses which had been sent b
d the curate's wife. She had written
J. verse on the card which went with d
l. for she contributed poetry to the week
y ly papers sometimes.
Il The verse rang In the brides hea,
y while the slow ritual Of the service
Il went on:
The happy dead are here;
/ Their spirits in tho sun
4 Sing softly and make cheer
Because that life is done"
She said TO herself bitterly that II
was cruel and unfair that he should be
free and Joyous on some happy spiritual
plane whilst she spent long gray years
In the world that had suddenly become
undressing. He had been so kind
so considerable, so much her own dur
ing the fortnight that they had spent
together She missed his ready atten-
ton, the exclusive delight which he
had in her company. the way that his
hand caressed the short bits of hair IN
her neck She dared not allow her
self to realize that she would never
have these things again. The thought
hurt her Intensely. and she detested
pain.
Something In her mind cried out. 20
| come backi Come backl want voul"
His death, his vanishment. as she
thought Of It, sitting in the Oar
church with her eyes fixed on the white
mass OF flowers. seemed too rnonstrous
and unnatural to be true.
She cried little as she walked hart
across the churchyard and thought o.
the text which the curate had several
Tunes repeated: so also Is the resur-
reetlon Of the dead. II is sown in cor |
ruption; 1t is raised in interruption. F."
Her father-in-law and his two dauph- |
ters were with her, They all felt a |
little tired and dull now that the great |
event was over They went slowly dowr |
the church lane, through the garden |
gate, up the path still marked with the
heaVy footsteps Of the bearers THE
dead man was in all their thoughts inst
then; he had been a great gardener
ana had planted & little while before
his marriage the lilies which his bride
now brushed with her stir crepe skirt
In the garden which he had given life
20 II was difficult to believe In his death
lhey looked at each other RECOGNIZING
between them an adGed sensation Of
loss
And in the porch they found him
waiting for them.
Afterwards. when they came 10 tall
about 1t, no one could quite remember
Nhat he wore or how be looked ONLY |
be was there, standing in the doorway
IS he had been accustomed to star,
ooking at his flowers after a morn
ngs work at the desk There was an
III Of entire reality about II.
His father, tongue responding auto-
haticaily to the stimulus OF sight be.
IAN TO say; Hello. my boy" Thef
be stopped, looked hastily at the others !
ND hoped they had not heard him !
For Just five seconds there was !
cad silence. The father heard tho !
watch tick ia his waistcoat pocket arf d
he sound Of his own strenuous breath I
ie knew that the three girls were an {
ooking at the lgurs in the porch Then t
ne bride gave a little cry. Her hus- a
and had stepped towards her boIffrs \
III his arms with that buyigh gesture "
affection which she had always likef Il
0 much. b
bertha darling couldn't leave
GU. he said. His voice had the low b
~ note Of a Traveller come home b
sae turned away from him and Hupr u
erseit against her father-in-.aw bff
Pr face ou bis sleeve. and began To or 4
Ell
m SO sorry said the young man NJ
I've startled all Of you. tbouprt q
'mehow, you'd understand when yru 10
.w me here but Of course Won DOM to
was stupid o. me. The point is r.ve
me bach Bertha wanted me. arf n
aFihg her alone seemed so horrible O.
He turned back into the house AM, in
lie others followed him. staring stnnfs NJ
. and not liking % speak 10 one an
her No one as yet bad said anvthfrr vi
him. al
They went into the dinfnr-r1om III gr
as not there. The el-th was laid fr~ tri
nch, there was a faint scent of rah an
ees and sewed rabbit its
They all felt treasured. II was zr an
l1ent what had happened They ha. BE
an the victims of q collective hahn m
latian-a natural thing enough nm ao
r The circumstance Of nerve sfrasr Up
q s5neH The bride rafzes ha~ vel.
d u1 hEr small WHa ta fare tbrrs nee.
es s r#1ei as we'll ais uf dEsappeInf-