Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1909-05-26
ii ~ CALI Or MEMORY
BY j. SAGKVILLE MARTIN.
49, @ 6 e q 90
husband" she kept saying to herself
t.That Is the man who is to be M

s sa8 w ~
husband" she kept saying to herself.
THAT is the man who is to be my
husband" sst''s ;s
There ::wass only y j a vague wonder
within hgr at the knowledge; no
doubt 1t all. I'd
When at length the marriage was
arranged it was not without ,consid-
cradle opposition on the part of the
Vicar. Greatly as he admired the
missionary character, he looked
upon his loss of memory as mental
weakness, and could not consider him
desirable husband FOR his daughter.
Moreover, Mr.. Lyall was fully deter
mined to go to China, and Edith not
only accepted his determination, but
even sustained him in 1t. In the end
her quiet persistence won its way,
and her father gave in at last and re-
signed himself to the loss Of her. On
che day OF the wedding he himself
performed the ceremony, saw the
newly married pair drive away, and
then shut himself In his study to
pore over books he could hardly see
for the tears that gathered in his
eyes.
Edith was quietly happy. She had
learned from her husband something
Of his missionary zeal, and looked be-
yond the happiness OF the early
months of marriage to the work they
were to accomplish together. Not
until they had started on their voy.
age to the East did she begin to real
ize the mere pleasures Of living. Then
the world in its mystery and beauty
took hold. of her. She saw 1t unroll
before her as map. The hot sands
of Port Said, the long blue levels Of
the Indian Ocean, the vivid green Of
Singapore, became all constituent
parts of one glorious whole. The
evenings spent under awnings in
calm seas, listening to the throbbing
Of the screw. were so many hours of
placid happiness, hours to be stored
in the mind as precious memories.
1t was with a half sigh of regret that
she reached Shanghai at last, and,
putting aside those memories, faced
the future that lay before her.
Here she learned to give up her
European dress and to wear the
straight, ungraceful garo of the Chi
snese woman. She worked hard at
the language, and spoke iocS with
men and women who knew the IN
terror. A month was spent in prep
aration; then her husband received
his orders. He accepted them with
out comment. They left together on
one of the big, shallow draft river
steamers with white sides and high
decks, and a stand Of muskets In the
wheelhouse. At Hankow, six hundred
miles up the muddy river, they
changed to smaller steamer, which
took them another three hundred
miles to Ichang. From this onward
they travelled in junks, passing up
ward through the gorges of the Yang
tse, where the river, pent within
mountain walls, rushes swiftly down
in a series of mighty rapids; where
their boat was dragged by main
strength of coolie labor against the
current, through reaches each more
savage and desolate than the last.
It was here that Edith began to
notice something OF change in her
husband suppressed excitement,
a curious mental exaltation that
showed itself at times in words and
gestures that almost frightened her
One evening, as they sat In the sterr
of their junk, anchored for the night
he swept his arm toward the noun
tains.
These are the gates OF strange
| land" he said, solemnly-"a lant
1 peopled by devils. All the false god'
of the world who have fed befor'
our faith have come here to dwell
together. And power is here givel
unto them over the souls Of men. II
them the whole land is. utterly givel
over. And we, too" he added, wit
sombre deliberation, I'VE too are de
i livered into their hands,"
i John" she cried, startled an
| distressed.
He started. and when she ques
toned further, did not seem to kno7
that DE had spoken.
J AT length they passed the gorge:
and two days later came to the wi
lage that was to be their home. The
parted from their European compa1
ions, who. were going higher, t
Chungking, and took up their quar-
ters in the house provided for then
) 1t stood in a compound on the e:
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