Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1908-08-06

company me to the church yard.
Gathering my light summer dress ur
out of the dust, walked along behind
the little faxen-haired maid
That is the parsonage" said the
child, after a while, pointing to a
rather neat house, whose windows
were nearly overgrown with Virginia
creeper. The old linden was still
standing in the fruit garden, and
shaded a bench on which a girl of
about twelve sat, reading intently as
if she were learning something b.,
heart.
1 stopped. When the child perceived
me, she got up quietly, made an en-
barrassed courtesy, and, flushing
deeply, ran up quietly with her book
into the open house-door. I turned
then to the opposite house, which
must have been her home; this, too,
lay deep in the shadow of two lindens,
which stood on either side of the old
sandstone steps: the windows were
wide open, and let in the mild spring
air. In one Of these an old man, with
; snow-White hair, was sitting in ar
armchair, looking intently at me. He
got up and came to the door. I went
across and stood before him, taking
his black cap off his head. he said
pleasantly:
II am sure you must be the young
| friend Of Fraulein Siegismund. l have
; long been expecting you, and l will
gladly go with you to the churchyard."
He shook hands, and then walked
briskly beside me, his tall form still
, unbent, his clear blue eyes bent On me
i with searching expression.
Il reached my old friend just in
time to close her eyes," he continued.
"She told me a great deal about you,
and 1 was glad that at last she had
| opened her heart to some one. Then
l brought her here to her old home.
May her rest be peaceful here in the
little churchyard where she played as
child! Here is her grave" he added
! pointing to a mound newly turted
there her parents rest, and this Is
Katharine's grave"
| l went nearer, and laid my cross or
the white marble Of the simple stone
Margaret Seigismund," l read in q
low tone, born the Goth of May, 1912;
died March 25, 1875. Blessed are they
that mourn, for they shall be comfort
ed "
Quiet tears fell from my eyes; q
feeling of deep sorrow had seized up
on me-
| nh old MON baciSa mo IOoIyo5 In
tently down at the grave, then he said
gently. weep, my child, she is worthy
of your tears. A sweeter nature, q
nobler heart, a more upright charac
ter, is rarely found in this world.
cannot recall a single act of hers
which did not bear the stamp Of true
womanIiness and humility. She suffer
ed much in her life, but she knew how
to endure as no other ever did"
Truly a beautiful tribute from the
friend of her youth.
put out my hand to him in silence.
AS we stood there the last rays of the
sun famed out in deepest crimson and
cast their rosy glow on the little
Churchyard and over the quiet graves
and the face OF the gray-halred man
looked wonderfully young. A light
evening breeze moved the old linden
trees on the low wall, and from the
park came the tender melody of a
Schubert song; there was wonderful
peacefulness in nature at this hour;
gentle longing after something
higher and hoIier seemed to be linger-
ing in the air, and from the lips of the
old man came dreamily the words:
This is the peace after the storm,
and at last will come the meeting"
The music died away in the dis
lance, the sunset glow faded in the
sky, and over the little church shone
the evening star. Then the bells be-
gan to ring for evening prayer; first
low, and then louder and fuller, their
tones rang out in the soft air over the
quiet graves, and they sounded IKE
peace and reuniOni