The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1906-04-13
Seleet Storp.
LEAH'S EASTER BLESSING
BN 4 NJ FECk.

Miss Kinsley was patrician to the back
bone, and everybody called her proud,
I from no special annoyance on her part or
anv better than thou air, but just be
/ cau4e-as one Of her would be lovers
said--hc Vas
"Faul,ly iaul,less, icily rrcuia,. srleui,dly
null.
/ Dead perfection. no more,'
7 And night here he erred. for she was,
+ underneath the mask whjch she in com
+ mas with the rrsf Of humanity, wore, any
thine whlgh she chose to b.. and It suited
( her to bo unapproaehable, 10 fact. It was
7 hari for her not to Be Thea. too, she
was not 10 sympathy with the Idle ti,sle-
,Atgle Of society, she desplsci the
I Forty ihoasapd wraihcrcoeks
I farming Ahoai 10 the great ard small ways.
..Thcrc Is a disease, D. said Young Schay-
er Al the club one night, called TOO
many gTaH1faihsrs Miss kiuslcy vii
die aa old maid Of L. There wAs her
T grandfather who sas judge, her great
grandfather Who was an eminent statesman,
Z and way back ia the middle AGES some
bzr'ncs oi her family qgaTter,I his arms
T wJth an earl daughter ;. aud Mss kins.
I ley ts the injlrcct result, and 6nds nobody
/ good enough fos her
/ Meantime Leah k,nsley vas in her
( dressing room Easter morning standing be
tarc the pleT sla~s, Arranging her fresh
/ costume Of pale gray and mAavc The
folds Of fine soft sod clearly outlined her
stately. yeri'ec; figure, and tho hat Of gray.
/ with i,s exquisite half wreath Of yioless
+ at Ike a crown on the abundant coils Of
/ eoid,a hair Her eyes we're gray, and
their straight, dark hrows. and the proud
Cured maa,h gave her iacc the naughty
expression. She bad just 6uished p,nnins
bunch 0f Euslish yiole,s ia her eorsage,
and ~as drawing on her bong gray gloves
when half frrtfui voice from the next
room, called out,
Leah, do hurry You wil 10 late,
the horse are a. the door
There j. plenty u time returned
Miss kiuslcy, gosng in and bending over
The couch ahcrc her mother lay wrapped
IN soft whic shawls, aud covered With
silken quilts
Then she knoli on the great fur rug
before the coach, and laid her head tor a
moment on the pillow beside her mother ;,
who qaerulouly exclaimed, -
DO get up; you vii! ruin Your dress
and dlsarrange your hat! And, Leah,
why don you Try and look animated
You have an expression Of having been
pctrihed, or frozen, or something.
Leah ruse with quiyeTing lips, and a
pained expression on her face.
Are you not a. well a. usual this
morning she asked gently.
| "Why, yes; but you do worry me 80.
Here you are in your seventh season and
not married nearly all the girls who came
out when YOU did are settled in life
never supposed that | should be mother to
an old maid, she added plaintiyely.
Miss kinsley's face flushed hotly; but
she controlled herself, and said softly
Mother, this Is Easter; surely you
| forget -
"Ohl never mind me, said her mother,
half alphabetically, a. she saw the look of
pain on Leah face Il am nothing if
not cross and irritable You can t think
what it Is to have nerves--just nerves and
nothing else
Il know, said Leah, tenderly, As she
bent TO kiss her. IF your Easter bless
ing could only be health! she exclaimed
with 4 soft little sign, as she left the room.
For her mind was full Of legend which
she had been reading, that on Easter Day
blessing awaited every one; it was fire.
quently a blessing in disguise, and too
often that which would have given life
long happiness was careleSsly rejected be-
cause its homely garb caused it to be passed
by without recognition. Only a spirit of
humility and unselfshness- so the
legend ran-could make the vision clear
enough to penetrate the rough enfoldings
and discover the radiant treasure within.
Neither the arrogant, the egotistic, nor the
disoontented could see plainly enough to
grasp this great blessing. Leah wondered,
in a vague fashion, if there was anybody
in this wide, wide world who could avail
himself of it,
Miss Kinsley attended services at St.
Judes and as she stepped from her car
riage and went into the church with her
slow, stately walk, sdmiring and envious
eyes were turned toward the fair patrician
face and exquisite costume. Even Rev.
Philip Hartnell, the rector, found time in
the midst of the solemnity of meditation
with which he prepared himself to begin
service, to give Aeeting glance and a
passing thought to the proud, graceful
figure kneeling in the richly cushioned
pew, for Leah had touched the heart of
that ascetic rector as no other woman had
ever touched it. He had rssolutely steeled
himself against the temptation. Even if
| she would, by any possibility, regard him