G
THB NBBRA.&KA.N
soft strnggliug hnir moved slowly in tho summer wind;
hio lips worked norvously nnd his long lnshos darkonod
tho shadows undor his eyes, llis shouldors drooled
listlessly ovor his narrow chest, ami ho coughod sharply
as tho minister's voico rolled ont in his reading. But
tho little man prayed on. Ho did not ask happiness;
that was gone. He could not ask for life; ho thought
that life, too, was beyond his roach. So ho prayed for
death and heaven and rest, prayed sincerely ho thought.
But a niomout lator when tho minister was preaching
and tho little man was watching tho girl ho knew that
ho did not want to die; he wanted to live and bo near
hor oven if sho did not care for him. Sho would marry
tho other man; he could not live and seo that. Aftor
all it would bo better to die. Sho would not care, she
would notion re.
Iu sudden rovulsion he turnod upon himsolf fiercely.
Couldu't ho live out his lifo without, her? Wasn't he
strong enough? There would bo other peoplo in tho
world to holp and but not to love like her. "I can't
live 1 can't dio without you, Mary, Mary," ho
sobbed passionately, and his sob was caught up by tho
organ. Ho hold his breath. What were thoy singing?
" wherever you languish,
Come to tho throno of God, fervent ly kneel;
Hero bring your wounded hearts,
Hero toll your anguish, ,
Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal."
Ho "was on his feet in an instant His eves shone;
his faco Hushed; ho felt the rush of music iu his ears
and he, too, joined in tho song.
Down in the blaze of: tho chandelier's light the
young man looked gravely and tenderly at the faco of
tho girl standing besido him. Ho was glad she did
not sing but stood quietly waiting till sho could go
away with him. Her eyes wero happy as sho listened
to tho hymn. Tho words meant littlo to hor and tho
thought of them gave place to idle thoughts of tho or
gan, tho lights, and tho people.
Behind her under tho gallery the little man with his
flushed faco and quick breath was singing his soul out
but she did not hear.
"Como to the feast of lovc,como evor knowing.
Earth has no sorrows but heaven can remove'
The song died away and tho minister's voico foil soft
and beseeching in the bonediction. Thou a sweet light
rose in tho faco of the girl as sho turned to tho man
besido hor. But the light died out in tho face back
under tho gallery. After his moment of exaltation tho
littlo man took up his burden again, and his pain
dimmed oj'es looked out on a lifo that was to go on
and end as it had always been asking littlo and ro-
AN IMPENDING CRISIS.
It was at tho club. "Wo had just eaton our suppor,
and as John (full namo John Christian Wiggonswar
mer) and I woro discussing tho merits of tho last show
he shuddered involuntarily, breathed tho Bigh of n
man in distress nml nbruptly shot out of tho door nnd
ran torrificd down tho stroot, occasionally casting a
frightened look over his shouldor. Something porton
tious was on John's (full namo given) mind.
Two hours lator I encountered him again. Ho
spoko to mo or I should not have known him. Ho
was bundlod up like an Esquimaux. A long bear
overcoat reached to his heels, and the high collar ox
tended fnr nbovo tho heavy fur cap drawn down ovor
his head. His pockets bulged suspiciously. I ask
him cautiously who ho was going to ogg. As ho
stopped back as if shrinking from tho fearful mission
I had recalled, I saw that ho wore four-ply felt boots,
over which large flannel-lined arotics woro drawn.
Extending his hands, which wore lost in enormous
buffalo-hido gloves, ho grasped my own confidingly
and whispered hoarsely, "Examine those pockets for
yourself they will oxplain this ordeal which I must
undergo."
Cautiously I began tho inspection. I first drew
from the right pocket n half dozon candles, then tho
globe of an arc-light, three incandescent?, n piano
lamp, five boxes of matches, and three pairs of extra
magnifying spectacles. Restoring tho ai tides as I
had found them, I began my investigation of tho other
pocket. Therein I found concealed thirty feet oi
strong hemp rope, an extonsiou stop-lnddor, a couplo
of massive eye shades, n flask of compressed air for
ventillation presumably, a feather duster, two boxes
of Sapolio with pnns and sponges, a now work by
Spencer, on "Logic, nnd Probability" (of finding what
you look for), a steam radiator, and a small "Crown
Diamond" base-burner, with tho magazine full of hard
coal.
Reverently I restored those nrticles as I had
others. 1 said never a word. Ho spako not
We understood. I turned nwav with nitv nnd itnmnns.
siou and brotherly reeling filling my heart, for I know
that he had to consult n roferenco in the gallery of
tho univorsity library.
the
again.
coiving nothing!
Annie Prey.
J
iitlti
THE MAGAZINE.
With no " Sombero " this year nnd with other fnvor
nblo omens, tho English club hns thought 1895 a pro
pitious tiino for publishing tho first edition of its
mngnzine. A board of editors hns been appointed
with Professor Adnms, chief oditor, nnd Professors
Bates, Grny nnd Ansley of tho fnculty, nnd Misses
Bullock, Melick, Edwnrds, nnd Messrs Oborlies,
Shrevo, Aloxnnder, nnd Ned Abbott, business rannngor,
of- tho students. Work hns nlrendy been begun nnd it
is hoped that Vol. L, No. 1 will make its nppoarnnco
in creditable form nbout Mny 1st.
fc
