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VOL I --NO. 3.
1 1 1 1
AX. Kl. il i 1)1.
J;V M,:;'.A! KT .i. VM. N.
Tiif path f lift- lav stu t - : 1 1 i ' brfoiv a ll.ijipv
rhild.
Who
wirii h s
uoi -
l:i!U-iiiun!i'.
thr
b.-guil-d,
It
whs a narrow pathway, ulul finwi
ti uniting hiic
r. of
( t'. i
u 1 1 it ,-dg-. and 1 1 n I !.i nc..tii. a vawii-
i J i depth ir-.m vi. -,v.
So. iJl uHwnrtii il of danger, with gay ami
ral -h-s air.
Hi' Wiiii. li-iV'! "li without a thought of a be
guiling snare, i
lint win n his fi i vi ii u vision, tin- fruits and
rli'wci'M il.'scriln-il.
Their liraiity wmi him from his eoiirso and
tuned his steps asid
Jti-i garb was rent by briars, his flesh was
rudely torn,
lit- strovr to gmsp tin- fruit, ami closed his
hand upon a thorn.
His tender feet wciv i iiukU'iI, liis brow
givw vexed with raiv;
Atul o'er his eye a hadow rdl that hud no
llllsilll-NS there.
15'it with tlii.1 lmv before him, Lit- pressed y-t
tart her thrnii gb.
Until tin- pathway's beetling edge broke on
his .startled i w.
Ill doubt, and sore disquiet, bewildered by
Ills f'Ml'S,
With ali a child's a.lmndonmen t, ho sobbed,
amid his tear --
"(),
where is he will lead meH I needs : .
must turn aside;
I aui not strong enough of hearf to walk
without 11 guide.
"I sLidl be foiled and tempted, misled, and
ovcrtlirovvn -I
ciinnot keep so straight a path I dare not
walk all-in-!"
"Nor shalt tlum, tender pilgrim! ZJclnddin
me thy grade!
The wim jnng cliil i iookud up, and saw an
angt l at his side.
Turn tiom flu- hri.'ht seductions, that work
th.:e only ill,
Nor rest tliei- in thv childish strength, for it
will fail thee still.
-Shut out from thy daaed vision, these false, (lriver uf ;l publit. etmVevance she fol
eusiianug ehalins. "
And thou shall walk misearfd amidst te-iq.- j h'e.l him out. and was conducted to
t.ition worst alarms." . where an dd hack stood in readiness.
The little trembler listened, with look ot
suddi-i) enlm:
Then rinsed his eyes,
w ithin the angel
and laid his h.ind
palm.
'Veil, lead tile, blessed angel! gllid
timu
my M.'ps aright,
ilid teach nie it is West to walk hy faith, and
not bv sight
THE -ATONEMENT.
A SEQUEL
"THE' WAIF,
or.
THE WEBOF LIFE
HX KMMA CHK1STI.VK KKICHSKN.
ihahtki; 1.
CU.N'T1MKI.
The letter dispatched, the girl com
menced to make preparation for her fi
nal departure, packing her trunks, vis- ; I will await results, she mentally decid- aud with a sweeping tide of keen pain the young lady somewhat haughtily,
itiug old. familiar places, bidding them ' ed : and crushing back the rising tears. ;iud regret, it surges back to the present. "I have had euough of hjwk riding for
farewell : and she was joyous and hap- they jogged on in silence. With a troubled, almost agonized ei- . a while, and can pay for a more T)ni-
p . The world outside, though a sealed' After a long, aud to Zenobia never pression upon her lieautiful face, she fortable aud respectable mode of trans
book to her. as yet. promised bright, de- . ending drive, or lather jolt, the hack looks upon her. The high, ohl-fanh- jortation."
lightful realizations. She imagined she ' came to a halt before an old. tumble- ioned bedstead, with its downy bed , The old lady shrugged her shoulders,
was an heiress, with a tall. dark, hand- down gate, and jumping down thedriv- robed in white, certainly looked invit- but not a visible sign of life flitted over
some guardian with a kind, indulgent er pushed it ojen. and leading his horse ing. for she was physically weary and,' her fare which seemed a very stone in
heart. Many a romantic and dreamy in. urged him upthrough theovergrown heart ore. and otherwise the aiartment its nxeduess. Zenobia took a seat at the
fancy she had woven, connected with garden. " Wt 1 , h Te ye be missis." h exhibited signs of comfort and cleanli- . table, for she felt faint, nervous, and ut
this unknown personage, and of all her explained, coming to the side and offer- ness : but nothing nice and pretty terly despondent, and without a word,
longings and aspirations, there was none ing to assist the old lady to alight, which enough to suit her refined, fastidious ( Mrs. Rigby placed a dish of hot toust
more anient than to meet and know j feat she accomplished with much dilri- , taste, her face became more dissatisfied, j and a cup of steaming, fragrant tea be
him. Two visiouary. dream-like mem-; culty : then turning, he was about to her eyes more gloomy aud troubled as , fore her. While esiting. the girl in hopes
ories of her childish years were some-' offer the same politeness to Zenobia. but she continued her inspection. She would ; of finding out twmethiog concerning her
how associated with this nominal guar-; with crimson cheek and flashing eye. .not venture into the parlor, but stood . guardian, according ventured
dian. but she could recall nothing vivid-: she drew back, ami exclaimed : "What on the treshohl. looking around with ; "Do you know where my guardian
Back, back, through the misty vLstas
KERNERSVILLE, N. C,
of years gone, she seemed to see Witter.
;mil ;i large ship, and a tall, dark look
in:! man. and she would think and think,
n t j Li 1 her very mind seemed to whirl in
pain and confusion, but she could make
nothing nut of it : then the other, was
that night of travel on the railroad :
both instances were someho w connected
with her supposed guardian, hut both
so dreamy and obscure, that the Lonely
academic prisoner could not define
whether they had been dreams, or actual
. circumstances connected with her very
early years.
In due time, an answer came to her
letter in the form of a dispatch, saying
shi' could come to C just when it
suited her : but that sin
must notif y
him when .-he would arrive, so some one
could meet her.
Oh I what a thrill of joy and freedom
bounded through the girl's being as she
read these few lines, and thought that
the time of revelation had come, when
all her doubts and wonderings would be
put to rest : that she would now, at last,
see her mysterious guardian, and know
from him something about her unknown t
parents, and who she was.
And this was the revelation. After a
few hours travel, she had arrived, well
and bright at her destination, and wait- ;
ed with feverish restfulness m the re
ception room for her guardiaJ. or some
; one to -'ome forward to claim her : but :
an half hour, then another, ticked wear
ily by. and she was still waiting ner
vously, walking to and fro and watch
ing the busy, selfish crowd about the de
pot. When almost despairing, and
wondering w hat such treatment meant,
! sht heard her name called, and starting
; forward eagerly, was told a hack was
waitiug outside for her. Delivering her
liirht traveling luggage to the man ithe
wherein sat a wrinkled visaged old ladv
with a dark brown wig. and attired in
the most grotesque and ancient stvle
, iniagiuable. .She was handed in. her
things stored away, and Zenobia De
Hacy was driven off. her warm, san
guine feelings chilled, her heart sinking
perceptibly below zero. She waited for
an explanation: but none was vouch
safe!
Her companion's face was like a fully, ami curiously she gazed uK)U the to jr Hastings fur a home. I decided
not a muscle moving, her lip.-, lovely lace pictured there, and into the jv pre: e the latter, and would thank
stone
compressed tightly, her eyes gazing out
into vacancy. The hark rattled on.
along one street, then into another :
; branching olF suddenly, then turning in
; to another : jolting and jostling thedis
, gusted and indignant young lady almost
j continually from her seat. "What are
ception." she murmured under her
I breath, her heart swelling with disap
! pointmeut. the tears of chagrin welling
; up into the beautiful eyes. But the face
ojipite was too forbidding, and she
wa-; too proud to seek an explanation.
1 does this mean You do not pretend to
JULY 1, 1887.
say that this is my destination '1 I will
not alight and enter such a barracks as
that. Where is iny guardian ." With
a shrill of her shoulders, the old ladv
replied in precise, automatic tones :
"Your guardian has left the city, and
Have instructions that I must meet and
bring you here for the resent : but I
do not force you to enter if you have
any where else to go. There is a letter
upstairs which will explain, but do as
you please.'" And without Another word
she turned awav and entered the house.
"This is abominable, disgraceful.'" ex
claimed the outraged girl : but not
knowing what course to pursue, she
sprang trom the vehicle and swept an-
grily up the stairs, which creaked and
trembled under her weight.
With an expression of positive alarm
and disgust depicted u)on lier beautiful
face. Zenobia De Hacy paused upon the
threshold of the door, and peered, with
feeling better imagined than desctibed.
into the faded, dusty little parlor : then
entered the chamber which looked the
most inviting. Her eyes looking around ,
Sl)(m fen Up0n the mentioned letter.
whieh lay upon the table in the centre '
()f tjie loom ; snatching it up, she tore
the seal onen. and Mrttinsr down was verv !
soc n acquainted with its contents. And
still , she sits tihere; as In reader
found her. shocked, disappointed." , 'sr-1
iVctly miserable: hardly able tocompre- I
hend the meaning of it all. certainly not
a.s yet realizing the new phase of life
openrrr-ijefore her.
"Alone, ilone, " she murmurs audibly. .
".lo;c in this wiile. wide, world : poor,
and an orphan, dependent all these years
on the Ixmnty of a stranger. What a
rude, abrupt awakening from ray hap-
py. bright, rose-tinted dreams. Oh. it
is terrible." With a quivering, sobbing
groan, sin buried her face in her hands:
but rousing herself almost instantly,
she again audibly soliloquizes, raising
her black eves, now humid with tears.
to the jtortrait before her. And who is
this beautiful girl, placed here as my
companion I supio.se. somehow there is
something very familiar about this love
ly lace too. sue went on. rising a nu go-
ing up to the mantle, her tall, queenly
height bringing her face almost on a
level w ith the picture. Long, thought-
dreamy, sad eyes of heavenly blue,
seemingly looking at you with a half
sad. half pleading expression. The long-
er she gazes, the more thoughtful, the ..you can please yourself Miss De
more intensely questioning' becomes her : Hacy." was answered in automatic, frig
gaze : but with a puzzled, dissatisfied id tones. But sit down and get a cupof
air she finally turns away, with an im-' tel, you must feel the ueel of some re-
jiatieut gesture "Another mystery to
torment me. I have eeu that face be
fore : but where and when ''. Is it a
dream or reality '" Back. back, to the
shadowy past, her thoughts travel, but
no answer comes to the mental query.
dismay and disgust at the faded, dusty
PRICE:-$2.00 A YEAR.
f urnishiugs.
piazza, and
Then she went out on the
the expression upon her
countenani-f changed to one of positive
horror, a she gazed about her. The
large, old trees. gaunt and moss-robed.
ex hided the view from all quarters, no
signs of life could be seen anywhere,
and only the distant, indistinct hum of
the city could be heard : the neighlxu-
hood seemed as silent as a grave yard,
The overgrown, weedy yard, the gloomy
old trees, the dilapidation of th" house.
tlfe silence which reigned every where
rilled the girl with a dismal, weird feel
ing of loneliness and horror. "A verita
ble prison, "jjhe muttered, turnjng into
the house agaid. "Stav here 'J. No. not
one night if I can prevent it." she w ailed
forth in utter misery ami perplexity,
clasping her hands in her agonized dis-
tress. Growing calmer after a little
while, she mentally decides Yes. I
must try and leave this place at once :
free my guardian of any further burden
on my account. But what a price to
pay for independence and a home: to
become a drudge of a teacher. Books,
Inn.'f.s, again, books from infancy, and
no escape yet. Only a few days ago I
threw them all a way, vowing never to
touch oue again, and now herethev are
thrust upon me as the alternative be
tween them, find this den tf 'depend
ence. horror, and loneliness
Withering up her skirts she descended
the rickety stairs, and knocking ujwm
the door in which Mrs. Rigby had
tered. she wits bade to come in. The
r(om w-.,.s c.ie;in mfortuble. al-
though verv tvoorlv furnished, and was
llsed apjKireiitlv. a.s kitchen, parlor and
dining room. A small table was in the
centre of the rlr. with a white cloth,
and set for one person, with quite a
pretty and dainty gilt china tea service :
and the delicious aroma of hyson tea
brewing, rilled the atmosphere with a
refreshing odor. The old lady, divested
of her ancient costume, was attired in a
neat, dark gown and white cap. and
seemingly busy with the pots and kettle.
As Zenobia entered she turned her face.
the same stolid, -stony expression uhh
jt ail(1 i,, llt tne wjW) fun )f
ller ,esire to get away before night,
said bluntly : "Mrs. Rigby. my guardian
writes that I cau eiUier stav here, or go
you to direct me how to liml him. for I
uo n,,t r!ire j,, s(.u- j,er). one jjiglit if I
e:uhelpit."
freshments after traveling. Your
trunks will be here presently, then you
can :if.k tbe man to bring you a hark,
and I will direct him how to find Mr.
Hiistings"
"A carriage if you please. " corrected
, has goDe Mrs. Rigby ;"
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