The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1905-11-25
CHANGED
IN AN HOUR.
rv HANNAH HOPPER.

r;c.rre, A woman half kne1li1;
heap OF time-siained letters ~
,oose on the carpet. ilcr form
.lt,bt \. and graceful. Her hair datA
s.d I waving and falling loosely TO he'
r,ist Her eyes raised beseechinsly
i heaven. The twilight gathering
.leptly and stoal,hily about her. q
.,rele ray FROM the almost sombei
..st steajiag in tie half-opcned win
aor and falling, not upon the kneel-
I, form but uyo2 the confused heap
a old letters
1 moan, despairing and hopeless.
.me from the h2lf-parted lips, and
~ picture was changed. The hands
,ere unclasped, and drew, in a kind
4 shudaering yet tender way, the vel
hr missiyes toward the beating heart
The head was bowed, until the face
ns buried among the letters, and then
,ob after sob shook the slender form.
.And this is the END Of all my hopes
md beautiful dreamings." she said.
u must bid farewell 70 all the tender
neu the sentimentality. the fond,
fond musings, the adoring lcge which
for years made my life blessed. l
thought that had conquered the pain,
The heartache, that | could drop these
letters one by one upon the shining
Goals, and feel no pang, Dut ! can
not"
She arose, lighted a candle. knelt
again upon the carpet, and placed the
candle by her side One by one she
took the cherished missives, and hold
ing them tremblingly in the blaze,
nw them burn to cinder. Over one
she hesitated, and half quietly pressed
4 to her lips.
This is the first she said, 'in
which he mentioned love"
She drew it from the wrapper, and
unfclded it. The first words she saw
we're, Dear Jewel" How beautiful |
hose words had looked to her when
she saw them the first time. Her heart
thrilled with an inexpreSsihla Joy, and
she had slept that night with the let
ter upon her bosom. and could hardly
Ileep for the happiness that was flood
ns her soul. The memory of that
reat Joy came rushing back, as she
leld the letter in her trembling hand.
Could she burn that which had made
ler once so very, very happy? NO."
be said, slowly, and slipping 1t back
nto Its wrapper, she pressed it again
her lips, and then placed it careful
in her bosom.
ALI Of the others she saw consumed
the blaze Of the candle. Then she
'ose, extinguished the light, knelt at
e window and gazed mournfully into
9 Infinite meadows of heaven"
nere the stars were h.ossoming one /
one.
Lie Is so strange" she unused, "and
= are SO fleeting and so few. Once
melt at this window without a sha-
OF mar the perfect happiness Of I
neart. could not think of grief
n, | could not think that sorrow &
au ever come to me. everything !
mea SO fair, so beautiful, SO true.
aa betrothal ring upon my finger
nave now, but how differently |
Aed upon that from what I do upon
remember how | kissed it. and {
SEQ the giver. and asked Heaven
eep hlm from all pain and sorrow. t
Is gone from my finger now, and [
is another. try TO be glad it q
aefe; know that he who placed
iere is true and noble, and loves s
WE'LL and have promised to be +
VIE. Was it wrong? told him h
lese letters. l did not promise to
nim as have loved, and he f
- sad, but said he would be con- s.
WIN less affection if | would only W
nim little and be his wife. He i,
ne would try to make me happy, tt
Know he will; but can he sue D,
on! ii l had never known this r
love, or if l could forget it. I.
ne would be all the world to me. b;
should be happy, but | will be
.ilul wife, and trust to Heaven I,
ee rest" -
draw long sigh, dropped her a,
upon her clasped hands and Of II
4 silent prayer, and then went in h;
her sister was playing some fe
old melody upon the piano.
as only a week before the day h;
ted for her wedding. In her dc
life she had loved Aubrey Mil wi
"a they had been for years be- W;
lovers, but at last he had gone he
and she heard no more from Ia
nd grew tired OF waiting and ~
ng, and finally was told that he Il
Use. Years went by. and she =,
not forget him. At last, when 81
Gordon asked her to be bis te
he had told him all, and then. Y