HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Advocate, 1887-09-22, Page 60
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be Wpnderfkil countrF,
41;91Z1199 res. time when, pp old songs preys
The earth WASNOt 4.91110. ban 04049P§P1.44;
The sea was as w de as the lieayeus ehuve .
IT.ust millions of nines, and begin again.
that Was the time -ay, and inore's the pity
Pifer sbehlfl had 1 --when the :world cold
• '.hlaY,
Mon thesingers to tales Oa f474„8-1P#Y
• La Vt• wOhdexiiil mint y far away !
But the aphools'iawt coinswith their scales
and irteasures,' .
To hunt the visions' eau weigh the spells;
They sceffed at, the circa...mop with rainbow
treasures,
And circled the -weird in their 'Parallels;
,Thpy cbarterod the •4190 and theeivny mea-
dows!:
Tillers minstrels miglatride fpr a, year an a
' day; „
TheY sounded the dePthCand they Pierced We
shad9Wls • •
'of that wentiettul country far away.'
For fancies they,gtila us their mieresckmicSi
For knowledge a rabble or fapt,aud doubt •
wjeg.;broloin and caged, like' a bird from the
tropice, . • • „ '4
Bon:tame theAyandering stars looked out,
Cold reason, they said, Pith° earthly clen;
Go, study -its springs, and its ores assay ' •
But fairer the dowers and fields forticiden
thatweinderfial country far awa3.
They questien -Cho hluraboriiig baby's a ,:ghter,
And cautiOnefl its elders to dream byriilo ;
All mysteries past and to c
Were a
SIR HUGH'S 1.107.S.
"1 did not want them. Aunt Griselda
would have come, but I would not let them
sena for laer, she would only have troubled
me. Erle—Erle Huntingdon—I mean
cajne down, but I did not want to pee ;
It only made me cry, BO he went away,, and
since then I have been alone.
"Poor child," returned Margaret, softly.
Yes, eho was not too yonng to suffer; she
and Baby hadnot done full jUStiO0 to her.
The ohildish face had lost its baby round-
ness ; the beautiful eyes were dim with
weeping; the strained white look of endur-
ance that one sees on older faces was on
hers and, with a sudden impulse that she
could' not control, Margaret stooped and
kissed her. " Oh, I am so sorry for you,
what you must have suffered," she said,
in a voice that seemed full of tears.
Fay responded to the caressmost warmly.
"Oh, you are always so kind; one feels
you understand without telling. I thought
you would be sorry for me. Do you know
I did something dreadfully, wrong yester-
day; they have never let me see him --
they have shut me out of my husband's
room—but last evening Savilleleft the door
ajar, and I went in."
"on went in ; oh, Lady Redmond 1"
and Margaret shuddered as thongh the sea
breezes chilled her.
"Yes, and he did not know me; fancy
a husband not knowing his wife. They
had cut off his beautiful hair, and he
looked so strange, and his eyes were so
bright and large, and then, when I kissed
him, he pushed me away. Miss Ferrers"
—with a quick remembrance of the house-
keeper's words—" you were old friends'at
least Hugh said so; do you remember his
ever speaking of a little sister Who died 2"
" Oh yes,' returned Margaret, quickly;
"little Joyce; he wasyery fond other as
a boy, she was a lovelylittle creature."
"Joyce, bat her name wasillargaret,
Ws. Heron says" _ •
" TO be sure,'I remember now, Margaret
Joyce ; it is engraved so on the tombstone,
but they never called her Margaret, it was
always Joyce."
"How strange," replied Fay, in a
puzzled tone; they were standing on a little
strip of beach now, and the wafes were
corning in with a lazy splash and 'tipple ;
there was no one in sight, and only a little
boat with sails rocking in the distance;
how calm and still and peaceful it looked.
Little Joyce," she repeated • dreamily,
while the soft sea breeze fanned the little
tendrills of hair from her temples; "but
it was dear Margaret for whom he was
asking."
There waa a quick gasp Strangled before
it rose to a sob—for one moment Margaret
thought she was in danger of swooning—
the sky sweemed whirling, the tsee, as all
round her, the band was. nothing but a
giddy circle of purple and ros9, and blind-
ing yellow ; then it passed, there was firm
ground under her feet, the mist cleared
before her eyes, and Fay was holding her
by the arm.
Were you giddy? how white you
looked. Shall we sit down a little ? your
hand is trembling still." ,
" It was nothing, I have not been strong
lately; yes, we will sit, the air will do us
both good. What were you saying, Lady
Redraond ?" as though the words were not
burnt into her memory, "dear Margaret,
why, the very angels must have wept to
hear hira 1" •
Whom could he mean "continued Fay,
with nervous reiteration. "1 don't believe
Mrs. Heron was right when she said that
he was thinking of his baby sister; he
would have called: her Joyce). Margaret,
there is no one that I know -who has that
name exaept yourself; but," looking at her
doubtfully, "though you were old friends,
it was not likely that he meant you."
A deep flush rose to Margaret's face, a
quick petition for help and 'Wisdom to
guide her at this critical moment rose from
Der heart.
"He used to call me Margaret, in the
old days," she said, in a very 16:w Voide.
"That need not surprise you, Lady Red.
mond, as we were such old friends; his
mother called me Margaret too."
You knew his mother."
" Yee, when I was a child, Sir Hugh and
I were playfellows ; has he not bead you
that; ah, well, it is sad when old friends
get estranged. Lady Redmond, I tee you
have a question on your lips, may I ask
you not to put it. I think that it would not
be acting honorable to your husband if
you should hear anything from our lips;
he cannot tell you Inniself now btit ib will
not hert you to wait.
"'Th," thplied ay; slowlY, no, it would
not hurt me to wait, as you say, but then
YPU Bee XIII& Pay refnee te tell rue, as he
did before:
"Will you ask him again and siee if he
refusewill you tell hire that NargaVet
Ferrers begs Mrn most earneetly to tell you
why Redmond Hall and the Grange are
estranged? tell him, that no consideration
for us need seal his lips any longet, that he
has always :been ..ftee to speak, that we will
willingly take (int Abate of the blame; will
you tell him this?'
Ob yes," returned Fay, in h 'relieved
voice; " and he will be sure to tell me now:
no doubt he was afraid of paining you in
some way. Hugh is eo kindhearted, he
hates to raahe any one uncemfortahle. 7
will not try and find out any mere by
myself ; I Will be good and patient until he ;
gets well."
•
" That is spoken -like a brave wife,"
replied Margaret, with a faint singe- By
one who loves her husband mere than
herself."
"As I love Hugh," Was the soft response,
"dor Mies Pertere, lined go now; the
ponies will be growing restless, and I am a
long way from home.
Ye, 1 must mit keep you. .qed, bless,
you, Lady Redmond., Will you forgive me
if I stop here, for 'I have been walking
from Pierrepoint, and need rest;" but
Margaret did not add that her strength had
forsaken her, and that she dared not move
from her place for fear her .limbs should
refuse to carry her,; she Would Wait a little
until strength came back, and she emild
meet Ruby with lier usual calmness.
"Yes, you look very tired," was Fay's
unconscious answer; " but you will soon
get rested with this loyely air." And then
she kissed her affectionately; and went up
the beach with her eld elastic step, and
Margaret watched her sadly :until she as
out of sight.
" She is sweet and good, but he does not
love her yet," she said to herself; " but it
ill COMO, it must come in *rte." .
Fay drove.happily home, endives met at
th lodge gates by the good news that Sir
Hu h had had an hour or two's refreshing.
slee , and that Dr. Conway, as well as Dr.
Mar in, were quite hatiafted with the,
progr es he badmade.
0 1, could it begiiite true,:r*Fay asked,'
when he readlled the Hall.' " • •
Yes, t :wag quite true 41.i4 fever had
abated. Sir Hugh's'', wonderful ,strength
and vital 'fy had triumphed'at last, and the,
doctors so n announced that he was out of
danger.
There w re still days of weary waiting
for Fay be re it was pronounced' safe for
her to nter her husband's sick-
room; but t last the day came, and one
sWeet spring vening, Hugh waking up from
a brief deze, ela tears falling on his fore-
head, and sgfr Fay leaning overbim. He
was too wee' ;:ven to put out his hand, but
a faint smulefoame to his lips. My Wee
Wilie," Fay eard him say, but the next
moment th smile had died away into
sadness.
AFTER XXI.
" LET E SEE MBC -ET."
Be withme, 7 ye, when weak and worn,
My life °Dor vibrates to and fro;
When with th flood -tide's backward tiow
My soul stands waiting -to be gone.,
And let pie, with 'iny failing hand,
Hold fast to that 5 lovegio well,
Till thine clasps but an empty shell,
Amid the driftwelon the sand.
Be with =that mydosing oyes
In that last hour may seek thy face,
Thine image so canknone displace
Bus soar with me through yonder sties.
'Mien Marion Burnside.
" But they were not out of the wood yet,"
as Mrs. Heron abserved to Ellerton.
When he had reached a certain point Sir
Hugh failed to make any further progress.
The London physician,D
,r. Conway,
frankly owned that Sir, 'Hugh's case
completely baffled hie niedical Skill and
experiende. • • ,
Just when they had ,least expected it the
'fever had abated, and, he had begun to
amend; and now he as steadily refused to
get well. •
'Day afterday he lay in an extreniity of
weakness that was pitiable,to witness ; and
ever, as time went on, seemed einking-
slowly from sheer inanition and exhaustion.
After all there must be some strange
mischief at work, he said; but Dr. Martin
wasof a different opinion.
He had seen enough of his patient by
this time to be sure that there was sickness
of heart as well 58 01 brain, and that it needed
some other healing p)owerthan theirs before
the man could throw off the load of
oppression that was retarding his recovery
and, gatheringtip hiS waited energies, take
up his life again.
BUt now he seemed . Very far from
recovery. '
Day after day he lay with that far-off
look on his face that it made Fay weep to
see for she thought that he must surely
die
Hugh thought so too.
Hour by hour he felt himself drifting
nearer to the dark 'valley which, to his tired
eyes and heart, seemed only like some still
haven of repose. Only to sleep, he said, to
sleep—to rest—and with his white lips he
murmured, " and may God have meroy on
my soul. "and ever he longed and prayed
that he might Abe Margaret again.
And one night he dreamt of bee.
He dreamt that he was dying—as he
surely believed he was—and that Margaret,
came to his bedside and looked at him.
He could see her distinctly ; the pale,
beautiful face, the folds of her dress, the
wave of her dead -brown hair. And when
he 'awoke and saw only the spring sunshine
filling the room, and quivering light under
his eyelids, and knew that the fresh day
WaS drawing brightly to all but him, he
could nOt Suppress the groan that thee to
his lips; Margaret: Margaret."
Fay was sitting by him, hut the' curtain
concealed her ; she had been curled up kr,
hours in the big artn.cheir that stood at
the head of the bed: It Was her habit to
rise 'early and go to her husband's tooth
and send the mule to rest; indeed, Dr.
Martin had to tee alibis authority to induce'
het to take needful exercise, for Fay
begrudged every moment spent out of the
Siek•koom.
She was looking out at the avenue aria
listening t� the soft soughing Of the spring
biteSes in the tree -tops, and thinking of
the Summer days that were to bring her a
marvelloug gift; but at the sound of Hugh's
I agonized 'voice her day clrearn Vanished,
" Margaret, Margaret,' he hod said, and
, then almost With a sob, " my one and Maly
love Margaret."
No I she was not asleep, the words Were
, ringing in her ears. Hugh, her Hugh, had
poken them, "My one and only love,
*argar,ett" '
gp must take hack those words, that wap
°11:11°'tbe no'llPe°8°Billuiletog
dnoot
la
MA living if she thought he meant them.:
but be *,EI ill, and sbe nuist not agitate
him, she must speak to him very quietly
for fear the fever had returned • and his
poor bead was confused again.
"You have been dreaming," she said,
gently—oh BO gent,. "Whatie it you
want, my dearest:"
And Hugh, folding ' lijs Wasted 1.3.6iae
together as though hewere' praying, looked
eyes,
to, o4hpocIr pwa 34unutterable 94 .1)4, . 4. 41 or g in hi
ye
" Margaret " she repeatedslowly ." what
Margaret do you eart, Hugh ?" e •
"Margaret Ferrers," . he whispered..
"
Oh, Fay, deer Fay, if I have wronged Y94,
fergiveme. In the old times before, I knew
you Margaret and I were engaged—She
had promised to be my wife," andthen she
took back her promise. Child, I meant to
tell you, I alwayerneant to tell you, , hut I
a2d not like to grieve you by what was over
and gone; but I am dying—God knows I
cannot live in this, Weakness—let me see;
lillargarlt mica, and )44 her ‘good-bye before+
.? go." .
there Ti'as no doubt now 1 filoWlY but
surely the gofer faded out of the swept
face.
' If be had piped that helpless arm of his,
and -felled her to the' ground,she could net
have felt solitunned and bruised and:giddy
as she stood theta Winding and unwinding
the fringe of the quilt betvieen „lier cold
fingers, with that strange „filmy leak in her
eyes: , -
• She understood it now. The arrow.; ala
feebly winged had sped to the depths ot
that innocent heart, and what she would.
not have believed if an angel had told it
her she had heard from her husband's
Margaret was beloved and ,not phe,,, and
Fay must bear it andlive„
And the fair child -face grew whiter and
whiter, 'but she only took the nervelesii handd
in hers and kissed them..
• " Do not fret, -Hugh, #.812An be as you
she said in a voiee so low that he
only just heatd for ,a " sobbing biotin
:seemedItoimpede her utterance; " it shall
be as you wish, ray dear husband,". and
.then, not trusting herself to look at him,
'she leitthe roma.
In the corridor she met Saville.
• "Please find the nurse suideend her to
Sir Hugh," she said, hiirriedly, " and toll
Ford I want him to take a note over to
'Ssindycliffer,and then'the went into the
library and Wrote a few words.
Dzan 'Miss FPI-Mans—My husband
wisheslo :see you : will you come to him at
ono() ?, He thinks that he very ill; and
cannot live and he wisheslo bid you good-
bye. He lies told. me the reason, and it is
quite right; and I hope you will come, for I
Oannot bear to see him fret."
And then she remembered that she had
not ordered the pony -carriage, and that
Fat(' would be saddling one of the horses;
so She rang for Ellerton, and made him
understand very carefully that tFord was
to drive °vett° the Grange and take the
note, and that he must Wait and bring
Miss Ferrers back with him. "For you
must know, Ellerton," she said, with
pathetic dignity, but not looking at the old
servant, that Sir Hugh feels himself
worse,,,and wants to say good-bye to his
old friend", "for of course" thought Fay,
-when Ellerton had left the library with
tears in his eyes, "if Hugh and she Were
engaged, all the servants must know, and
it was better fer me to speak out like
b
"
thwaten Margatet read that poor little note
the tears fell fast and blotted the page.
"Thank God she knows at last," she said
to herself as she folded it up, and then
hurriedly prepared to obey the sunamond.
She hoped that she would not see Lady
Redmondbefore that parting with Hugh
were over, for she needed all her. strength
for that; and to • her great relief only:
Ellerton received her. She Wes ushered
for s few minutes into the empty draw -
ng -room, and then Sir Hugh'ienurse came
down to her, and said Dr. Martin had just
left the house, and her roaster would see
Ube Ferrers now. • •
And there was no one in the Sick -room
when she entered it, though the nurse had
told her that she would be in the dressing -
room within call. There was no one to see
the flash of joy in the sick ,man's eyes,
When Margaret's cold lips touched his
forehead, or to hear his low "Margaret,
darling," that greeted her,
But when she had looked in his face the'
knew he Would not die, and that her work
was before her; andWhile poor weak Hugh
panted out words of passionate longing and
despair, she was girding up her strength
for what she had to say, and praying for
help that She might be able comfort
hitch
And no one knew what passed between
them but their guardian angels; only
Hugh's Miserable selfish /Melon sank
down abashed as he listened to this brave
sweet woman who was not ashamed to tell
biro how she loved him, and how she would
love hire to her life's end. And as he saw
into the depths of that pure heatt,its Stainless
purity, its lintel:pining sorrow, he trembled
and was silent.
" What am I that I should touch even
the hem of her gatment ?"he said toThirnself
afterwards.
And she told him What, he had never
„uessed, that were he free ehe would never
Marry himor any ether man for in her
trouble long ago she had vowed: herself to
leaven; and With h few forcible words she
showed him the plan and purpose of her
Attire life—when Baby should have ceased
ti teed her ; drawing 'Mob calm pictures of
altender ministry and a saintly sisterhood,
that Hugh, looking at her with dazzled
thought he could almost discern a
Taint halo"rotind hothead,.
• " Yen Were always toe good or mO
Illargaret," lie nintterecli but she only sniilecl
st him, and still holding bib hands as she
'knelt beside him, she Whispered that her
pYityerti Were heard, and that she knew he
*mid not die f that ibwas only his weakness,
shd he wotild aeon Struggle batik to life
tgain
" But Wliat good id Ilk to nie Withenit
Margaret ?" he hated, iti a despairing
" Whet good 2 hate you fOtgOtteii yeiii
Itife, Hugh ?"
IN'o, he murmured restlessly " hut
she is only a child;' but argaret Shook
lief head.
" Yeti are w
rong, sini
ni not a thildv 'net
eyer WP1:46Ana ro!,A-Terrpoly
he prgo.ilpp iste.1.4 was orn,sog ,tp
tell Fay t.11.0.W.1191.e 0.4Y of their ,engage;
inept ehe.yeap afraid those .few Words
that he119.4fel#144, werP..4F14.snid
444et Ma49 Ile,;* A.41.0,PPY :h4t
Hogh wenhi not allow *ils, He tol4
Margarettlult she 4a. miderstand Fity„
or hew young :and innecent shereally ‚was;
pie had not eeerped ;agitated or disturbed
when he 14a, ,asked to see A.Thrgaript4-Shiy
had answeredlim quite trangUilly ; he was
sere she would not suffer! from 'the loth*: :
ledge of theit. Ongagement, fprhevasalay8,
lijnd to, het and she loyed hum ; 04,14 then ne;
added bitter7y, *at the suffering was his,
bar vilienhe got well, if he 'ever'did get well,1
Le would go away, for he could not go on
living like this. • , „ '
. And when Margaretseave how t was elle'
ala not dissnade'hirn ; perhaps, after all, i1.
would be better fer WM to go away for a
little, and eorae bath and begin his life
tainoenw, doing a.,eciall's Work in his genera-.
• .
OWS:day you will love your. wife," she
said to hil" and indeed' ynn ,cannot, 4411
loyo bet, anclthen you willonly re.;
membet that you 'hays a .sister Margaret
praying for you every day of her lif. No
do not ,iookatr.nieLlike *at, Hugh, 'Up in
heaven ,ittyvill he,n9„.ein to love yon---I„ean
keep my 16vo till then." 'Arid 'she the
tried te'leayebird,'Ior, strong ah 'she was',
she couldnot haveborne this ;Scene, ninth
longer,. and Hugh was terribly exhaneted.
once More; Margaret 2"
he had asked, faintly, and she had .stooped
over hire again and kiesedbie fetelieed
eye, and • then .gently , bade Aod laless
him.
,Was this a woman he bad loved' or an
ungetAugh wondered, as she closed the
o‘ior and lataiim alone in the sun -light ;
but he Was too' Weak to carry out the
thought. Niikeu the nurse came to his side
he ilea fallen bite a, refreshing sleep.
, Margaret ok6iiied' the threshold .of the
drepsing.roord she, dtrght sight ole listless
wlitiritt0:481141 Boift'ttihieg. CloTrfanti-, Tf-htheree deep
xas
ppamregtahriedtg_ainn ibre or f attitudedeep
app'e
''hat struck
w
tio:la.r.of ultheer,
forlornness, that went to her h
beentifni,littletead Seemed, drooping Witla
wearinesai,but as she ent closer and saw
the wan face and the baby ram* quivering,
With the under lip`pressed like a child's in
'pain, she gave an involuntary exclamation.
•She would not suffer, Hugh had said, ehe
WAS SO young and innocent ; and now—the
angels crenate:et your broken heart, sweet
Fay.
, Hush I" she,said, turning roun4 as she.
beard'. Margaret's voice we "nitst not
talk here, it would disturb him, and he
must be kept very quiet—oh I very quiet,
Dr. Conway says. Come in here, if you
wish to speak to me," and she led the uay
bite her little room. "„Will you eit down?"
she went on, with the sante passive .gentls-
nese ; "you we're' odd- to ' ooiro, bitt-lain
-it must have tired you."
"Oh I, Lady Redinond•-," But here
Margaret could say no More. She seemed
to have no strengthleft for this ; she felt as,
though he'? &tininess and :fortitude were
deserting her, • «
"1 told Dr. conway,,that you were
coming; and he thatight it would do no harm,
and Dr. Martin said the same. He knows
you, he says, and he Was sure that you
would be .v.ery wise and :quiet, that you
would not excite him. No, do 'not tell me
anythineabont it. I—I oan trust you, and
Hugh would not like me to know.
" Indeed yeni are .mistaken," ;;Ingan
Margaret, eagerly, but Fay °hedged .1aer
with a little dignity.
a Never Mind that. DO you know'Mies
Ferrers, that Dr. Conway says' that ,nay
husband is better, that he will not die, it
is only( weakness and • a -nervous fancy;
but though he is. so slow in ,.getting
they notice a gradual improvement."
'4 Thank God, for your sake; Lady
Redmond." Buetts the staid this apainful
flush mounted to Fay's forehead. -
" You shouldsay for his sake," she
returned ; ' quiak1y. " What does. it matter
about me? Perhaps before the 'summer is
over we may, be at rest together, baby
and I." .
"Lady Redmond!' ,Oh I canna bear
it ;" and here. Margatet burst into tears.
Yes, she whe, bad patted dry-eyed from
her lever wept bitterly for the deceived and
unhappy wife.
" Why do You dry,,Mies Ferrers ?" asked
Fay,in the seine subdued'Veddi. If seems
to me that if God would take us both it
would be se innen better for Ile all: Nobody
*ant& us"—and bete her lips quivered.
" mad I should not like ray baby to live
without me :What &mild Hugh de with it,
you know V' . •
" My ohild," replied Margaret, checking
her scibs, "is this yout faith ? is thie your
vecuria,n's courage ? 'Would You who love
him so be content to die 'without Winning
your husbands heart 7"
Fay looked at her wonderingly.
"It is yours' to. win," she continued,
" Oh! deo not leek at Me like that, as
though I have murdered yenir happiness.
What have you dote, you poor 'Child, that
you should Stiffer like this for my sake.
FOr the sake of My tutu& piece of mind I
entreat you to hetet' to
And then, as Fay aid not refuse, Margaret
took the listless little hand, and 'told her
all. And she judged wisely indoing
so, for it was out Of her great pity for him
that Fay learnt b�forgiveher h tieband, and
that the vague hope arose in her heart
that she might comfort and win him back.
And when Margaret had finiated her 88a
story, Fay put her siting thund het and
kissed her. • •
"Oh, I am so Serry for yen; b�w
Unhappy you must have been when you
gave him up hut it was noble of you, and
you aia it for bit; sake. Forgive me if I
wronged yoti; for when you 'were in that
them talking to hind, I felt angry and
bittet with and you 'fix! but I see it is
no one's fault, billy 'we are all so unhappy;
please forgive tno, fat indeed you ate better
I than I." .
" There is nothing.. to forgive," replied
Margaret, gently, " yes's!, I tried to do iny
duty, and if youe husband has failed in his,
rental-03er that he is' net patient by nature,
that menare not like itt. One day he will
be palate, and you're sOlely, and then you
' will he able to think Of the Withont bitter-,
nese:" Then, taking the little creature
in het Mane, the added, "Goodbye, be
brave and patient and generous for yenk
husband's sake, and it will all come right,
and with a low Word Of bleeenig 'She let her
, .
Abd When Hugh Wthe that iiVening from
hialong trance-l4teileep be forma /As
Wifie as opal beside him. •
•he had been pitting there all day, wit
her tearless eyes Axed on vaeanoy ; ref us in
intake rest er feed, never moving except t
droop her head still lower over her claspe
hands. -
" Yon are tired, Wee Wifie," he said, a
she steeped over him and asked how It
felt. " you will, wear yeurself out, m
child ;" and he felt for the little hand tha
generally lay so near his own. Fay put
in his, and bent over him with an unsteady
smile,
" Darn not so very tired, and I like to
take care of you," she said, with a quiver
in het sweet voice. " I promised in sick-
ness as well as health, you know; let me
do my ditty, dear," and Hugh was silent.
But that night, while Hugh slept, and
Margaret knelt praying pitiful prayers for
Vay,'Fay, tossing in her lonely chamber,
sobbed in the desolate darkness ;
" Oh, if it would please God that whop '
the sumnaer has come baby and I might
die together ; for if Tin& cannot loye me,
my sorrow is greater than I could. bear."
To be continued.)
The Area anti Population of Europe«
General Strelbitski, who was selected by
the International Statistical Congress, held
at the Hague to prepare a report upon the
area..ancl ntunber of inhabitants in the
different countries of Europe, has com-
pleted his labors, the gist of them being
that the total area of Europe is 6,233,060
square miles, of which 3,423,185 square
miles belong to Russia, 301,000 to Austria-
Hungary, 338,000 to Germany, 333,435 to
France, 312,810 to Spain, 281,615 to
Sweden, 203,375 to Norway,. 190,015 to,
Great Britain and Ireland, 180,310 to Italy,,
163,350 th Turkey in Europe and Bosnia,
8548:801,00 too poorntmu gaarlk, ;408,2,
431.25 5t 0 td r,411@be eu,m3073i7a1),
to Servia, 25,875 to 'Switzerland, 2o,ossto.
Reiland, and 18,430 to Belgium. The
Russian Eznpirevin Europe alone covers .
more than half of the whole continent
embracing the Kingdom of Poland, the
,Grand Duchy of Finland, and -part of vie
CaOCELSUS. Russia also stands far i
advance of all the other nations in respe
teller population, which is given by Ge
eral Strelbitski at 93,000,000, the countr
which come next being the German Etnp
(47,200,000), Austria-Hungary (30,900,00
France (38,300,000), Great Britain and I
land (37,200,000), Italy (30,000,000), Sp
(16,900,000), Switzerland (7,900011),
gium (5,850,000), Roumania (5,400,
Turkey in Europe (4,000,000), Sw
(4,700,000), Holland andPortugal (4,40
each), Denmark (2,190,000),
(2,000,000), and Norway (1,960,000).
density of population is very differen
while Belgium hap 201 inhabitants
Banat.° kilometre (five-eighthof a
Holland 133, Great Britain and
119, Italy 105, the German Empi
Switzerland 71, and Austria-Hungar
Spain has only 35, Turkey 27, Russia
Denmark 15 and Norway 6. But th
mulation of Russia is increasing at the=
ral.e of 1,250,000,a year, and in half a cen-
tury it will at this rate exceed 150,000,000.
4a -
The Timo for vacations.
The writer once knew in a distant city
on interesting old fellow who simply
laughed at the idea of summer vacations.
He had money in plenty, and could do as
he pleased, but one thing he would not do -
and that was to travel in the heated term.
What I leave ray home at this tirae 7" I
have heard him say often on sweltering
summer days; "Not so long as I remain
hi possession of my 'senses.' And he never •
am., But when the cool days of middle
Eeptember came ie, would start out on his
annuS,1 jaunt and return five or six weeks
later, looking rosy a4 round, "All the
summer people were gone," was his usual
testimony, and the best theme and
service et the hotels. . There was no .insh,
no erowd. Try it next year and see." Of
anirse 1 was disposed to consider him a
crank,'but I followed hiss advice one year
and have never taken my vacation in mid-
summer since, The old man, by the way,,
was sensible in other things, and wore the
whitest of garments and the lightest of'
hats throughout July and August.—Phila-
delphia Times.
Fun at Blarney castle.
fieuis P. Beyer tells, some amusing ex--
periezices connected with his trip to Europe.
He was relating several incidents to friends,
and among others he said: "One day a jolly
old iriahman took me to Blarney Castle.-
Asl looked at the castle I said, 'it must be.
very old.' ' Yis, sur,' he replied. How old.
is it,' I asked, '0,.very mild, sur.' But..
how old is it?' 'Well, sur, ever since Adam .
was a little boy.' Corning out of the place •
I observed a barefooted but 'pretty colleen,
to whom I said: 'You're a very pretty girl.
ra like to marry you.' 'God' bless your
Irish face,' said she, but the blarney -stone
has had a bad effect,on ye.' The idea of , A
having an Irish face was too good."—Buffalo
Courier.
A Tiresome Bye:ling%
Girl—Isn't Mr. De Blank funny ?
Youth—I noticed you seemed to think so..
"Why, he has kept us laughing half the
evening. Didn't you enjoy hie Wit ? "
" I found it very tireseme 1"
" Tiresome ? 0 you don't mean it. I
knoW you have a keen appreciation of
humor. Why didn't you enjoy Mr. De
Blank's jokes?"
"Well, the fact is, he takes the same •
funny paper that
A 11111q1143 case.
There is an old mendicant that Wanders
up and down Main Street beating on his ,
breast a 'placard reading: a I sun• a poor
men which is tottaley If he ever
recovers it will be a Miracle. There isn't
anothet 'case like it in the Medical books.—
Piteate &War.
A party of Japanese have bought 400 •
acres Of land in the foothills near Campo,
SOW, Calaveras eounty, Cal.; and they pro.
, pose to irrigate through a mining ditch
from the Mokeltimne Rivet and convert it
into a tea Duni. It is said that Japanese
have expetintented With tee in the Vicinity
'and ptoved it A success.
Seivish il.thsender : A clergyman on a En:&.
tr • afternoon piiinied in his sermon and
sal " saw an advertismnent last week •
for 500 :Sleeper's for a, railroad. I think X •
could supply mty un tecOininerid theta AP .
good and sound!"
/