The Brussels Post, 1888-10-12, Page 71
OCT. 12, 1888,
JEST TO EARNEST,
73y E, P. ROE,
AIIT0Olt 07
1' 134.011170R0 BURNED AWAY," " OPENING
A CHESTNUT AUS.U," ETOL
•••••••••••
baolc o the sleigh.
"Comsh
o," he outed, "what's to b
done ?"o
"I will go straight up the bank. I may
lila a ledge, or some rocks, under which
we may cower," aid Homstoad,
"Don't go far," said Dottie, eagerly.
"I should indeed lose hope if you beoatne
separated from us."
Ile soon returned -with the joyful
news that a little way up the bank was
a high ledge, whore thoy would bo com-
pletely sheltered from the wind,
Soon he had them all 111.1(107 it, and the
respite from the driving gale was wel-
comed by none more than Dottie, who, in
spite of her courage and sustaining ex-
citement, was beginning to suffer
greatly,
Do Forrest, being a smoker, had
matches ; but, in his impatience to light
a Aro, destroyed most of them.
" Here, Ju lam give them to me," said
Dottie, most deciaivoly.
Then, altos all the dry material which
could bo collected by groping round in
the dark, was gathered in the most
sheltered nook, she took from hor pocket
a delicate lace handkerchief, and, by
moans of that, lighted the stiolin and
Soon they woro warming their
numb hands and chilled bodies beside to
cheerful blaze.
Hemstoad watched Dottie with won-
dering and incroming admiration. In
securing a fire, all immediate danger
passed away, and she became as cheery
a -s if the disaster, which bad threatened
even a fatal termination,were only au
episode, and the long, wintrybiome in
that desolate place but a pionic in the
woods,
o You are the queerest girl I ever know, ,
Latie," said Belle.
" Sho mama by that you are the best,"
Hon:stead added.
" Conse, this is no th-e for compliments,
but work," said Lott., energetically, and
she sot Do Forrest at it /ilea.
Tho robes were brought from ilia
sleigh, t110 MOW trampled down and
cleared away between the tiro and the
lodge, and hero they were spread. Addie
and Bello were at first terror-stricken at
the thought of spending the night in the
mountains, but -wore made so comfort-
able that at last they ceased their tears.
" Our best hope is this brandy,"
said De Forrest, drawing a flask from his
pocket.
"Nonsense," said Dottie. " Our bat
hope is keeping out senses and a good
Are."
13111 Belle and Addie were ready
enough to take tho brandy, and were
soon sleeping heavily from its effects,
combined with their exposure to the cold
wind. Dottie ooeld not bo prevailed upon
to take any.
• I want the use of my senses to -night,
if ever," she said. s We must take turns
iu keeping awake, and you shall have
the first watch, Julian."
Hemstead at this time was down get-
ting the horses out of the drift, that he
might tio them roar the Are and under
the ledge. Do Forrest set to work vory
zealously under the stimulus of Dottie's(
words and the brandy combined, and
gathered the brushwood that lay near,
and it on the lire. Everything
seemed to promise well, and tho wearied
girl laid herself down by tho side of
Bello and Addis), and was soon sleeping
as naturally and peacefully as if in her
luxurious apartment at home.
CHAPTER XXX'I'II. •
111 0A11150,40.
When Lottio awoke the storm had
passed away. Tho moon, in her last
quartos, was rising in pale, unclouded
light over the eastern mountains and
bringing into dusky outline many inter-
vening hills.
At first, bewildered, and not knowing
svhero she was, she roso up hastily; but
after a moment the 01/011t8 of tho pro -
ceding evening came to her, and she
remembered, veldt gratitude, how they
had found partial- shelter from the
storm.
With something of a child's ‚wonder
and pleasure, she looked aroma upon a
seem more wild and strange than any
she had over soon even in pictures of
gipsy onatanpmeas. Bello and Adclie
were sleeping by he side as soundly as
if such a nightly bivouac wore all ordin-
ary experience. In like heavy stupor
De Forrest lay nem tho lire, though the
music of his dreams was by no moats
sweet. He had made his watch a
very brief ono, and, having piled the fire
high with light brashwood that would
soon be consumed, and leaving no supply
on hand, ho bad sueounthed to the com-
bined influence of the cold and the
brandy: and now, with the flames light-
ing up his face, he looked like a hand-
some bandit.
The patient horses stood motionless
and shadowy, a little off oue side. Above
hor head TOW /sigh, sooky osage, from
whose crevices clung bushes and stunted
trees with their crest of snow. And
snow, btight and gleaming near the Are,
but growing pale and ghostly, dull and
leaden in the distance, stretched away
before her, as far as she Could 800; while
from this white surface roso shrubs,
evergreens and tho gaunt outlines of
trees, its the hap -hazard grouping of the
Wilderness. Where, before, the dorm
had reshal, with moan and shriek, now
breaded a quiet which only the crackling
of the flames and Do Forrest's resonant'
nasal organ disturbed.
But Ilenastead was nowhere to bo seem
She Was becoming vory ciolialtous, feels
iug that ho hall straggled off alone, in
older to bring thorn relief, whon a sound
caught her attention,' ana silo saw him
coming with a load of corchwood en his
abet -fides,
8ht: seelined again, that she seiglIt
ereasaressinC=ZZIESIMOST"ms,1
watch him a few moments unporeeivecs
Ho throw his burden down ; pub a stick
or two more of the heavy wood on th
Are. Thou Dottie noticed that the genial
beat no longer mono from tho quickly
consumed brush, but from solid wood
of which there was a good supply or
hand,
The stieleht stood e fow momenta
looking at the iso; then his eyes droop
oil, and he swayed backwards and for
'warcla as if nearly overpowered by oleo
Mal weariness. Thou lie wooldstraightei
hionielf In a way that made 'Dottie fee
liko laughing and crying at the sem
time, so great was his effort to patiently
maintain his watch, At last ho trio
the expedient of going to the horses and
pettiug them; but before he know it 11
was leaning an the neck of ono of them
half asleep. Then Dottie saw lira coma
directly towards her, and half closed her
eyes. Tho student looked long and
fixedly at her facie, as the firelight shone
upon ; then drew himself up straight
as a Soldier, and marched backwards
and forwards like a sentinel on duty
But after a little while his stops grew
irregular, mid ho was evidently almost
asleep even while be walked. Then she
saw him turn off abruptly and disappear
in the shadowy forest.
She sprang op, and secreting hersoll
behind an adjacent evergreen, -waited
for his return. Soon she saw him stag.
goring back under another great load of
cord -wood.
Ho at once, naiad her absence, and
was wide awake instautly. He seized
a heavy stick for a club, as if he would
pursue an enemy who might have carried
hor off, when her lowlaugh brought him
to hor side.
" Don't you hit mo with that," she
said, advancing to the tire.
"1 thank you 'very cordially for wak-
ing Inc up so thoroughly," ho said, de-
lighted at finding her so bright and well,
and in such good spirits, after all her
exposure. s I admit, to my shame, that
r was almost asleep two or three times."
" Hero is another assertion of your
masculine riuperiority," she replied, in
mock severity. " I may sleep, as a
:teeter of course; but you, as a ream
aro to rise superior, even to nature her-
self, and remain awake as long as your
imperious will dictates."
I am inueli afraid," he said, rue-
fully, " if you had not spoken to me, my
imperious will would soon have tumbled
helplessly off its throne, and you have
found your watchman and protector
little better than these logs here."
'Who has decreed that you must
watch all night while the rest of us
sleep Cam, it's my turn now, and I
will watch and protect you for a while."
" Do you mean for me to sleep while
you sit here alone and watch."
" Cestainly."
" put my hand in the fire first, if
in no other way mu I keep awake."
"Didn't you call inc captain? You
will have to obey your orders."
"111 mutiny in this case, rest assured.
Besides, Pm not sleepy any more."
" Why, what's tho matter ?"
" Do you thiuk I could sleep while
you were awake and willing to talk to
Inc?'
" I slept a long time while you were
awake." She pulled out her watch and
exclaimed: "Mr. Hemetectdl iu ten
minutes more we enter on a, new year."
"Hon' much may happen within a
year, and even a few days of a year,"
ho said, musingly. "11 seems an ago
since I tossed by books aside, and yet,
it was within this month. Tho whole
world has chauged to me since that
day."
I hope for tho bettor," said Dottie,
ge'Y
n'tle.s, for the better, whatever may
bo the future. That Sabbath afternoon,
when you actually led me to the One
whom I was misrepresenting and wrong-
ing, cannot fail to make me, and that
tittle bit of the world which Ican roach,
the better. I feel that I shall owe to
you any best Christian experience and
usefulness."
"And 1 fool that X should never have
been really a Christian at all if I had
not met you," she • said, looking grate-
fully up. "Whatever may be the fu -
tare, as you say, I trust God Will 00707
permit Inc to be again tho false, selfish
creature that X was when I first took
your hand in seaming kindness."
" I trust that God has been leading us
both," said Hemstead, gsavoly and
thoughtfully.
Dottie again took out hor watch, and
said, in the low tone which we use in
the prosonce of the dying
'Mr, Henistead, the old year is pass-
ing ; there is but a moment loft."
lie uncovered his head, and bowing
reverently, said
May God forgive us all the folly and
evil of the past year, for tho sake of His
dear Son."
Lottie's head bowed es low and rev-
erently as his own, and for several mo-
ments neither spoke.
Then ho turned, and took he hand
as he said :
" Many have wished you a happy •
11(00 year before, but I can scescelythiuk
that any ono ever meant the words as I
do. Miss Dottie, I would do anything,
suffer anything, and eve up anything,
save honor and duty, to make you
happy. You have often laughed at me
bemuse I carried my thoughts and feel-
ings in my face. Therefore, you know
well that novo you with all the truth
and strength of which I am capable.
But nave had a great drea& lest my
love might eventually make you un-
happy, you know what my life will be,
and duty will never permit Inc to
ehaugo."
Her al.181787 was vory different from
what ho expected. Almost reproach.
hilly she asked: "Mr. Hemstead, is
earthly happiness the end and aim of
your life 2"
" No," he said, after a moment.
" Whet then 2"
" thefulnese, I trust—the doing faith-
fully tho work that God gives Inc,"
"And must X of necessity differ from
you in this soaped 2"
" Miss Dottie, forgive me. I am not
vvathy of you. But can it be possible
that you are W11110g to 81.18,70 10 my
humbffi, toilsome life? .1 fou you have
o idea of the hardships and psaltiltiOIM
H 13 sSEls )ST
.51SICZMON1r.X.1M09=47..161.92=151ralMlif
spooking, 111 t.110 unison of feeling that
needs 110 words,
At bat in sudden transition to one of
her rairthf ul, piquant expressione,Latie
turned to her companion, and said;
4' Frank, you aro 00 the mountain top
of exalted thought and seutiraent. Your
face is as rapt as though you seW 41
Yillona.'
Ore you wonder 2"
Well, I'm going to give yea an aws
fel tenable— worse than the one you
feared last night whou the aleigh tip.
ped. I a101 se hungry as any wolf that
ever howled in these mountaimi."
"What a comparison 1" said the etes
dent, laughing heartily. Then, his face
becoming all solicitude, he queried,
"What Shall I do 2" And110 was about to
rise, -with the impression that he ought to
do something.
"Do as; I bid you, of course; sit still
while I toll youwhat 18110(1 no. 1 snao
patiently endure this aching void, as I
trust I shall tho other inevitahle ills of
our lot. Whet weld be more appro.
priate than this prelude of hulloes in
ono proposing to marry a home mie-
sionary 2"
With an odd blending of Sialight rwil
sympathy 111 his face. Hoinstead ex-
claimed:
"Dottie 1 you have received more
complirnonts than You could eouirt iu
year, but I am going to give •ou ouo
clifi 1...4 at from auy that you 1:070 ver
remised before. Yon are what I Should
call o wholesome woman,"
At length the others awoke, and what
they had passe(1 through seemed like a
grotesque, horrible dream. Do Forrest
looked suspiciously at Hemstoad and
Dottie, but could gather nothing frora
their quiet bearing toward each other.
Early in the clay relief reached. them,
and by the middle of the forenoon they
were doing ample justice to Mrs. March-
nsont's sumptuous breakfast.
Then the toll -tale ring on Lottie's
Anger revealed the secret, and there
was consternation. Poor De Forrest
was so outrageously hungry that he had
to eat,even in this most thying emergency.
And yet he had a painful sense that
it was not the proper thing to do under
tho circumstances, and so was exceed-
ly avekwarcI for once in his life.
Mr. Dimmorly chuckled all that Sun-
day evening with "unbecoming levity,"
his sister said.
Poor Mrs. Marchmont lost all eonli-
denoe in herself as a good manager, and
was in a lively state of indignation at
her nephew and Lottie, aIIC1 dread of -
Mrs. Mersdn's reproaches.
Belle tried to think it was not her
fault, and Addle did not much care.
The holiday visit came to an end. The
months sped away. Lottie's purpose
was severely tested. Every possible
motive, reason and argument was
brought to bear upon the brave girl.
Worse than all, she had to endure the
cold, averted looks of those she fondly
loved. She pleaded her own case elo-
quently. She frequently quoted her
friend's example, who was about to
marry the officer in the army.
"Bub that was very different," they
faaia
Only once she lost her temper. There
was a Bost of family conclave of aunts
and relatives, and they had. beset her
sorely. At last she turned upon them
suddenly, and asked:
"Aro you Christians? Do you
believe there is a Coil?"
"Why, certainly. Do you thiuk
aro heathen?
"Why talk, then, like heathen, and
act like infidels If it is thought right
in the fashionable world to marry a
trusted servant of a human government,
how much better must it bo to marry a
servant of the Bing of All 1 I honor my
friend because the marries the man she
loves, and I shall marry the ono I love.
I am of age—I have chosen my lot.
Mark my words 1 you will yet bo proud
of tho ono whom you now so despise;
while the ouo you wish me to marry
will cover his own, and the names of all
connected with him with shame." And
she left them to recover from this bomb-
shell of truth as best they might.
But the patient gentleness which she
usually manifested at length won their
obdurate hearts. Her father was tho
first to relent, and was finally brought,
by Lottio's irresistible witchery, mute
over to her side. But in her mother's
case, it was only partial resignation to a
great but inevitable misfortune. Mse.
Marsden was a sincere idolater of tho
world for which she lived.
In AU04 Jane Lottie had a staunch
ally, and a sympathizing and comfort.
ing help=
But the postmen who bsought, with
increasing frequency, letters flint were
big and heavy, liko tho writer, was the
man whom Lottie most doted on in all
the oily.
With tho Nobel° energy011107 forceful,
praoticsal nature, 8h0 trained herself for
her work, its Hemstoad was braining
himself for his. And when a year later
she gave him hor hand at the moored
altar, it was not a helpless hand.
Yeasashave passed. Mr. ancl Mrs.
Homstitricl aro tho chief social, refining,
and Christianizing influences of a grow-
ing wosto ,vn. They have the con-
fidence s lathy of Om calm 00112-
, ...o people of such force
that they make themselves felt in every
involval."
" I atood by_you faithfully last nicht
o its the storm, did T nob 2" elle said, with
O 51,y, halidnisehievous glauoo.
"
[1 8001128 too good to be true," he
' said, in a low tone,
"Was those over soli a diffident,
modest oreature," she said brusquely,
" Mr . Ifoinsteed, you will never enter
• Heaven. Tho angels will have to pull
• you in."
p 4, °ma angel has made a heaven of
1 this dreary place already," he aoswored,
1 seeking to drays her to him.
o "Wait is ruomont ; what do you mean,
sdr2 I have made yo11 no promises and
given you no rights."
13ut I have made you to and of
o promisee, and given you absolute right
, over mo. My every glance has said,
'
Lotti Marsden, I am yours, body. and
soul, so far as a man with a consomme
can be.'
"All this counts for nothing," said
Lathe, with a little iinpatieut stamp of
hor foot. if I promised that dear old
. modifier, Uncle Diremerly, that you,in
doop humility and penitence for having
arrogautly assumed that you could be a
missionary and I couldn't, shouldask 010
to bo a homemissionary ; and you have
wasted lots of precious time."
He caught her quaint humor, and,
taking her hand and falling on ono knee,
said:
" Dottie Marsden, child of luirary, the
prize which the proudest; covet, will you
leave your elegant home—will you turn
your back upon the world which is at
your feet, and go with nie, away to the
far West, that you may become a. poor,
forlorn homemissionary ?"
Yes, Iiirank,in your home—but never
forlosn while I have you to laugh at, and
never poor while I possess your big, un-
worldly heart."
Have I any rights now ?" he ex-
claimed, and, springing up, he exercised
them to a degree that almost took away
her breath.
" Here, behave yourself," she said.
" The idea of one who had plumed hire -
self on his heroic self-saaifice acting so
liko an ordinary mortal 1 You have had
more kisses now than yon ought in a
week. If we are to be so poor, we ought
to commence practising at once."
"Yon are the most beautiful and
mischievous girl that nature ever
fashioned," he replied. "3' plainly fore-
see that you can till the plainest little
home with light and music,"
" Yes, I warn you, before it's too late,
that I never can become a solemn,
ghostly sot of missionary." '
011, it's too late now, I assure you,"
he said; "my mind is made up."
"So is ,nine—that you shall take a
long nap, while I :mount guard."
'Nap, indeed I" he said, indignantly.
" But do you realizo, dearest, how much
you are giving up 2"
" Yes," she said ruefully; "the worsb
heartache I 110,70 0707 had. I don't be.
Hove you felt half so miserable as r
" But when the hard and prosaic life
comes, with its daily cares and weary
burdens, are you sure that you will not
regret your ohoiee—are yen sure that
you wili not wish yourself again the
queenly beauty with the world at your
feet 2"
" Who with right claims the higher
rank," Lottie answered, her lovely face
growing noble with her thought, "a
queenly beauty with a false, selfish
heart, or a Christian -woman? And
what is that world, which you say is at
my fest? Whore is it tonight 2 Where
was it when the tempest made it doubt-
ful whether we should ever sae this new
year? Hero I am in the solemn mid-
night, and upon this desolate mountain.
11 ±8 not the softness of a summer night
to which we are exposed; it is mid-
winter. And yet I am certain that
there is not a queen OR the earth es
happy as I am. Bob what pastime that
world, to which you refer, hadiumalsing
me happy? I knew there was clangor
last night. I had read of people perish-
ing in the snow almost at their own
doors. I think realized that death
might be near, but my heart WU so
light and happy in the consciousness of
God's love and of youss, that I could
look at tho grim old shadow fearlessly.
But suppose 11101 3' had had nothing bet-
tor thea to think of than this vain
world, about which you are malting so
much ado Once before, when the
world was at my feet, as you term i, I
faced a sudden danger in your conipany.
Thanks to God's mercy and your skill
and streugt1s, we were not dashed down
into that ravieo when the horses ran
away. What did the world do for mo
then Did it throw a ray of light into
that black gulf of death, which yawned
' at every side? Oh, thank God I" she
said, with passionate earnestness, "that
I was not sent out of life that night, a
shivering ghost—a homeless wanderer
for evor. But what could the world do
to prevent it ? I know all about that
glittosing world, Frank, to gain which
so many are staking their all, and I
know it's more of o phanbom than a
reality. It flattered mo, excited and
intoxicated me, but it neva made me
one-hundredth siert as happy as I mu
to.night. And when I thought I
had lost your respect and your love,
I no mom thought of tureing to theworld
for solace and happiness, than I would
look in a coal -bin for diamonds. I knew
all about the world, and in the depths
of ray soul realized that it was a sham.
How far away 11 18 tonight, with those
solemn racruntaina rising all around us
and yet how near seems God and hat -
von, and how await and satisfying the
hopes they impart 1 I have thought it
all out, Frank, The time is comin
when illness a age, mortal pain an
weakness will ehut me away, like these
dark, -wintry hills, even from your love
—much more from the onoaring, heart.
less ‚world; but something in my heath
±01113 1320 that my Saviour, who wept for
sympathy when no one else wouldsveep,
will be nay strong, faithful feiend
through it all, and not for allele worlds
glittering there in yonder sky, much
loss for my poor little, gilt and Hosed
world in NOW Yorlc, will I give up this 1
assaance."
"1 ara tail. Hematead in a
tone of deop content; God wills it."
departnient of lifo. They are shaping
and ennobling many choral:Am:a, and few
days pass in which Lottie does not lay
up in memory some good deed, Hang
she never stops to count hor hoard, Bob
in gladness she will barn in God's
good. time that such deeds aro the riches
that have no wings.
Sho made good her warning, said
neva became a 'solemn, ghostly sort
of a missionary." Sho was usually as
"wholesome " as the suiashine, or if the
occasion required, as 0, stiff north wind,
and had a pronounced little way of her
0170 V711011 things wontsysaig at betimes
in the ohuroh, of giving all concerned the
benefit of sore° practical common sense.
Da she also, in the main, kopt her
1,1<1(1(10 10 endure patiently, as she did
107 hunget ou the mountain, the many
)1:Routh:Ms and trials of their la.
Whilo she sustained her htiSIAPa's
e iloubloti his tisofiiMesa abroad. I
They sat for a long time 'without
he generally found at home o sunny
philosopher who laughed him out of
half his troublee,
"With Increasing frequency he said,
"Dottie, you are so wholesome; there's
not a morbid, unnatural trait in you."
One evening a feeble, Redman, step-
ped down fseinthe trail; and was borno
off iu triumph by Hemstoad to the
warmest corner of his hearth.
Dottie gave him such e welcome that
the Old gentleman cried out
"Stop I My goodness gracioue
haven't you sobered dowe yet V"
Then with Frank etanding near, with
his hand, upon her shoulder, unhooking
down as proud of her as a man could
be, and with just such a black-eyed
cherub in ha armshe must have
been horeelf twenty odd years before,
and with her face aglow with health,
happiness and content, she asked;
Well, uncle, what do you think of
your meddling now 2"
Mr. Dirmnerly went off into oneva his
old-time chuckles, as he said:
" This is one of the things which the
world never can , stop. ' "
2
COMMENCE READING OUR
W
.V.17.230.1•21511M161121.,141.31141AVIDIS111.78
—IT IS 8--
OOD
ANT)
Poll of lank
r•W '
e Pis
-FOR THE
Balance
of 1888
—FOR --
IN ADVANCE.
ars,MIRMIRRIMInsateMkatarel=
TELEPRONE
TO TOUR NEIGIIDOR
AI3OUT IT.
1'
11
4 .5:
k
7
0-)
of.)
CD
f—'
0
I-3 Pa,
CD
r-7,1
0 d
1-t
CDF
cjc
0.„
(pit
c -D
0
Toti
c'' -
P rcsn
c,r)
D•`"' 0
cr)
No
0
CD
p
<1
0
D
a a,
.444