Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1908-06-04
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| came down the narrow cottage stair
| case--the day when, all excitement and
newness of death over, she realized.
sharp and distinct, the fact that the
armchair by the fire was really and for
ever vacant, and that tonight, and to-.
morrow night, and so on till she died
she would be alone.
Very commonplace and uninteresting
lives sometimes leave as wide gap
rs brilliant and exceptional ones. Miss
Lynch's feebleness of mind and excess
of speech had been real, severe trials
to Jane for years; and yet, before her
old companion had been dead Il week
she felt-ah, with how sharp a pang!-
that she would patiently, gladly put up
with all such poor, small defects now,
could she but get back the kindly, lov-
ing. unselfish soul she had lost. There
was no longer the garrulous, high
pitched voice wandering, wandering on,
that overflowing, discursive uninterest.
ing chatter that used to irritate her
weak nerves so when she lonSed for
rest and quiet; but there was no longer
the kindly hand to press hers night and
morning, no longer the poor little figure
creeping in at night, with shaded lamp
and stealthy step. to see if Jane wanted
anything, or if Jane was watching, or
IL Jane thought it would make her sleep
to have a cup of tea, or to be read
to, or stayed WITH the one human ele-
ment, in short, the one human affec-
tlon, had passed away from her life,
and she knew, almost with astonish.
ment at first, how fearfully great her
loss was, how much worse the state
she had used to think so dreary had
now become.
If Mr.. Follett had understood such
things better, he might have known
that this was the time, If ever, for
him to speak to Jane of his love. But
he was too shy, too delicate, too reti.
cent to intrude upon any great grief.
Jane in her deep black was not the
Jane he had thought of with a beating
heart that summer morning in the
clover field but the poor, pale-faccd
child Of the years afar, the little child
who had walked with him handin.
hand along the village street.-the for.
saken, nameless girl from whose par.
entage of shame all had turned away,
and whom it was his duty, as pastor
and priest, to befriend So rs Il priest,
he visited her during the dark weeks
when the first revulson of grief made
her long-chillcd feelings warm and
open; and when, the following spring,
he began to commune with himself
as to whether he might dare to speak
OF not, James heart was sealed again;
and whatever fluttering words strovc
occasionally to pass the Wears lips
We're frozen back in second by the
calm, unconscious fricndllness with
which she received them.
Although still considering him MS
something wholly alien to herself and
to her personal happiness, Jane yet felt
that she had grown to like him far
better Of late than she had used to do
when he paid her snowy compliments
as very young girl. In poor Miss
Lynch's lingering last illness he was
constantly in attendance Oh her: and
Jane had been often touched by his
great patience and Santleness in minis
tering to the weak, tickle, exactlng re-
Quirements of the dying woman.
True to the creed of all her life. Miss
Lynch was firm to the last in her faith
in doctors and clergymen. When Mr..
Huntlcy's worst drugs were exhausted
and the hand of the great Healer was
upon her, she still seemed to find con-
ISOLATION in being physicked and bis
tered-"using every means as she
termed ito the last; and as doctors
keep tolerably correct accounts of such
matters, Jane, of course, viewed Mr..
Uuntley's alacrity in obeying all calls
upon his attention as natural. When
Mr.. Follett had heard her confession,
and had given her Chostly consolation
and read to her, and prayed with her
in the forenoon, there was. never any
certainty that he would not be sum-
moned through mud and rain, at 10
o'clock at night, to perform the same
offices again. And knowing that sDr-
itual medicine is unpaid for, and that
the vicar was by nature avcrse to nn-
timely cxertion and night air. also that
Miss Lynch's profuse requirements Ct
familiar spiritual comfort were not
strictly in unison with his own broad
and rarefed creed knowing these
things, Jane was forced to admit to
herself that she had greatly underrated
Mr. Follett in nearly all of the opinions
that she had once formed concerning
| him.
After Miss Lynch's death her new
Drepossessions in his favor were
strengthened. She never thought him
selfish now. She never thought as she
used to think, that he wasted his ener-
gies in his study or among his fields,
while Mr.. Bradley did tho rea! hard
work among the poor of the parish.
Learning, MS people do when their
youth is over, TO see the real inner core,
! not the mere coarse crust Of character,
she came gradually to think Of MFR.
Follett as Il man placed altogether In
the wrong groove of life but allowing
none but himself to suffer from the an
giles that continually Jared upon him;
man made by nature for intellectual
| md artistic enioymeut but living out