CHAPTER LXIL

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1592, 16 September 1882, Page 5

CHAPTER LXIL

After long years we meet again, Never to part. Soirow is past, happy fates reign, Heart of my cart 1 But thou, poor erring mortal, straying On death and lifes's confine ; ' Long in the land of life delaying, A different fate is thine ! Now, God, in mercy and in kindness, Upon thee pity have, • And paidon thee thy sin and blindness 1 On this side of the giavc. With a beating heart .Tack found himself in Willow-street. He wbuld once, more see her he loved so dearly ; ho would clasp her to his breast, and thenceforward they two would never be parted until death loosed the silver band. How the blood coursed through his veins ; how bright visions of happiness in store rose before him, to vanish like shadows when the sun of reality shone upon them. But this would not do ; time was passing, and the soul of the guilty man from whom he expected to learn so much might have fled while he was waiting at the door. He had a duty to discharge to Bertha, but he was also under obligation to the dear dead ; and when all came to all, Jack felt the gentle visitings of tenderness when he thought of his father. He had been a bad' man ; he had cruelly used Janet and himself ; he had been a drunkard, a gambler, a spendthrift ; yet, after all, was he not his father ? Hardly daring to breathe, Jack knocked at the door. There was a pause. It was not until he knocked again that a step was heard within, and then the door was slowly opened, not by Bertha, however. Her father stood in the doorway, peering out in a childish way. Jack felt shocked when he saw how greatly altered was the once imperious Mr. White. •Time had wrought great change in others as well as in him, and had brought woe to more t^an Jack. It was not long before Mr. White recognised his visitor.' An infantile' smile of pleasure passed over his face, and extending his skinny hand, he spoke kindly, as if he had forgotten all that had passed between them. "Bless me, Jack, is that you?" said he. "What a long time you've been away. Herding your flock, no doubt ? And how's father and mother ? Where's Spot ? I've not seen him for a long time." Jack looked at him pityingly. He saw at once the great calamity which had ruined his fortunes, had affected his mind. Now it was that he understood at a glance the trouble and sorrow of poor Bertha — alone with an idiot father. Ho felt that instead of mooning about Grit, lamenting his fate, he ought to have put hir hand to the 'plough, and helped Bertha. But what was the use of vain regrets for the past ? The future was all he had to look to now, and that future wduld be assured' if hUman endeavor was of avail,. " All," said the old man ; " you're wondering wnero Bertha is ! She's just gone out to look' after the flock, and won't be a minute. Come in and sit down. Jack, we've lost Lassy; she took sick of the distemper and died. ' Lassy was a good dog, Jack ; she knew almost as much as I did." Jack was not of an emotional nature, but it was as much as he could do to keep down his tears. He had never expected to find so terrible a wreck. But, after all, was the old man to be pitied? Poor babbling Lear, was he not at least unconscious of the terrible realities of life ? The handle of the door was now turned. The blood rushed back to Jack's heart ; his whole being seemed paralysed. There' at the door stood Bertha — Bertha, beautiful as ever ! Not the grand and glorious goddess of old, indeed ; but a lovely, fragile being ; sorrow in her face, poverty in, her aspect; but invested with a beauty that was even more irresistible, more touching, than the beauty of the past. She looked at her father first ; then she saw Jack. A short cry, a half-joyous, halfstartled exclamation, and her head was on his breast, Tier hands around his neck, her lips to hisl It was the happinesa,of years crowded into the experience of a minute I He held her in his arms ; he kissed away the tears that flowed down her pale, languid cheeks. Neither spoke. In these few moments the misunderstandings of years, the jealousies, fears,' sorrows, of their youth vanished, and were forgotten. Heart was merged into heart ; their souls became one. True and full and perfect love was theirs. As a flash of sunlight clears up the darkness that has long hidden nature, so -this gleam of true love at a stroke dissipated the mists that had so long prevented perfect union. - Blessed moment ! Happy are those who have known such an experience; it repays the suffering and anxiety of years ; it gives a pleasure that otherwise could not' b$ obtained. The path to the, sweetest extacy is often through sorrow. As he who has thirsted and 'hungered long almost thanks his abstinence' for a new delight, so did they tlerive from the bitterness of the past fresh sweetness! • The old 'man/looked ori in childish delight," rubbing his hands with glee. .The busiestpart 6i his life pras'now a blank, and' for 'him there was no recollection of ',the Jrying scenesof his' later days: *He thougKt of Bertha and, 'Jack' as onlyV'tioy and "gif l"' ana" the idea occurred to Ms mind' that wh^n they were grown, up' they^" would make' a, 'splendid pair! t '»,'-. *V \ '> " * /• ' ; /'ln my happiness, k dearest 1 Jack," ,B'aid' 'Bertha, -" Xha'd ' entirely forgoiiteri your poor father; is'fas^ebbin'g/angb.yritt^ust' JLosg F nfr t time in seeing Hun. , Evidently <$$'&$& . some* lir^jt^ful^cpnfession'to 'mak^'an'd^iit" 'fre'haf told youill'hewill ribt,be ? at ea6ei<";V: ' ' ?'' asked &&..-. <J % f n *\] '.* ;- s|n^ti% -^ext / Kp^^repMl. |eMa % U' Tnejsis a^gM;attendm&liiiiil' a^d* j?ludencjei ntf" **'^*<} J *<Prti^* if* 1 T T^' I '^* J &+^f t> ' n ''<J^vn s B?3£ '' Ltoo|ioUu'jOll£QC&lalBr vETlll^xlOif JlSt6li|tOj4lll3lK&^ 1 £

Mucinnis was iv his hands. What mystery surrounded Prudence's existence ?