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12 INTO UAmLOUS LIQHT (Continued from last week.) To be plain with you, that is the way the imprac ticability of your views strike me. But I do wish you would get Annie aroused on those lines, for I think if she would get enthused over something of the sort she would not have time to think about the various little vexations that ocasionally come into the best regulated households. Accidents will happen sometimes, don’t you know. I shall take your ad vice on one point, though, and have Annie go down to Monteagle for a change. Just because you and I differ on religious views is no reason why we should fall out about them. You know me, and I also know you, so here’s my hand, old boy.” CHAPTER XXIII. During the next six months Christiana’s life was like a wave upon a restless sea. She had spent a month at the old homestead in the Monteagle Valley. The first week was one of intense emotion, joy and sorrow alternating. She felt her desolation as nev er before. Not until then did she fully realize her father was gone, never to return. Her lone liness was almost unbearable, and the monotony of winter in the country began to pall upon her, even though she were back in the old homestead with her aunt and grandparents, who loved her so. The quiet of the snow covered mountains and valleys seemed more deafening than the noise of the great city. The darkness of the long nights that mantled the world about her made her wish to lift the curtain, and gaze upon the electric stars of another world. The days which came and went seemed to have no sun, the nights no stars. By degrees much of the suffering of that other world seemed more unreal, and its pleasures more to be desired. Like Lot’s wife, she looked back. She looked away from her recent bitter experiences, and saw only a great, bril liant city, thronged with gay people, dashing equip ages, luxurious homes, merry parties, sumptuous re pasts, and recalled the devoted husband more often than the faithless one, but above all longed for the face that had become the inspiration of her life. When she returned to New York she met her husband with more warmth of manner than he had dared hope for. With nervous anticipation she longed for a sight of John Marsden’s face, but she kept her secret well. She had learned to hide her real self and had grown many years older in the one year and a half. Not in any way had she become a morally stronger woman. Each time she tried to rise to a higher life the waves of environment casr her adrift. Then an angel came down in disguise and pointed her upward, bringing to her new thoughts, new hopes, new inspirations. Her past life seemed as one long night, brightened by stars afar off—flicker ing, uncertain hopes and pleasures. Suddenly dav dawned with the brightness of the midday sun. As she looked upon the couch where infant beauty lay she began her own existence in another life. The rose of her own being had revealed its central fold; she looked within and marveled at the beauty she beheld. Trust in a woman’s heart so long as it throbs in unspeakable joy as she sings a sweet lul laby by the cradle’s side. No woman has realized the height of earthly joy until she has become a mother. As there are heights of suffering that woman only reaches, there are also heights of joy and love that she only is capable of reaching; and she will ever cling to that joy, though she must pass through the valley of the shadow of death to at tain it. The new queen of May, christened Maybelle De veaux, gave occasion to a visit to the great metrop olis from Grandfather and Grandmother Bennett. Nothing could be more amusing than were Mrs. Ben nett’s comments and criticisms on the city, its closely built houses, its numerous classes and nationalities The Golden Age for May 31, 1906. By LLEWELYN ST EP HENS. of people, its varied modes of transit, and especially her suggestions and comments uopn the Deveaux household, with its retinue of liveried servants. She pronounced Mr. Deveaux the most extravagant man she had ever known in her life, and at once decided to give him a lecture on economy. She insisted on Christiana dismissing the nurse, and allowing her to fill that position. The next morning after Mr. and Mrs. Bennett’s arrival the latter took the first opportunity to say, “Christiana, it seems strange to me, when you’ve got everything so fine, you wouldn’t have give me and your grandpa a decent bed to sleep on. My bones ache so this morning; I feel as if I had passed through a stretch of rheumatic. I just tell you, I can’t stand that hard bed and them springs jumpin’ up and down every time I turn over, that I can’t. I was actually afraid to turn over, afraid those springs would roll me out. I’ll have to home and get my feather bed, if I stay here any time.” “No, no, grandmother,” exclaimed Christiana, re pressing a smile; “we shall Have you a Big fat feather bed sent up this very day. It was careless in me to forget to tell the housekeeper about it. I fear grandfather did not sleep well, either. I must ask him about rt.” “Oh, he’d a never said nothin’ about it; but leave all the talkin’ for me to do, no matter what he thought, so I could get the blame of bein’ called the grumbler. That’s the way with men. They put everything on the woman, especially all the blame for everything that’s gone wrong from Eve down to the present day. Is that the way Julian treats you ? ” l “I’ll let you see for yourself how Julian treats me.” “He seems powerful devoted before me and your grandpa, but I didn’t know how he was behind our backs. We thought it was dreadful for Mary’s baby to marry a play actor, and it seems we never can get used to it. It was all your pa’s Join’s, though He always did have the queerest ideas about things, so fancy-like.” Christiana was getting very nervous, and it was fortunate that her grandfather came in just then to change the bent of the conversation. “Good morning, dearie. It seems as if I must be dreaming to be so far away from my home in my old age, and to be in such a beautiful one all be longing to you. But yon deserve it, dearie, you deserve it. Nothing could be too fine and nice for you. Even when a child you were like no one but yourself, so different from other children in the neighborhood. You always loved pretty things so, and now I am glad you have been so blessed. Let me take a peep at the wee lassie by daylight, to see' if she looks like her mother. Ah, to think that I should have lived to see Annie’s daughter. I am ready to go home and die quite content now.” “How sweet to have you here, grandfather. I wish you would never go back home, but live with me always. Nurse, hold Maybelle up where grand father can have a good look at her. Does she look at all like me, do you think?” “Just for the world, dearie, just for the world. Come Rebecca and see what a striking likeness of Annie when she came to us. It seems but,yester day. and how the nineteen years have flown by.” “Now, Clement, don’t go to callin’ up those sad times. I think of the time my Mary was taken away so sudden-like often enough without being reminded of it. I don’t see that the baby looks like anybody yet. You must claim to have a powerful good mem ory to remember how Christiana looked when a baby nearly twenty years ago. “As if I could forget how Annie looked any day since she came to us, like a sweet flower in a desert.” Mr. Deveaux came in to give Christiana an un usually affectionate good-bye for the sake of making a good impression on her grandparents. He invited Mr. Bennett to drive out with him and made himself especially agreeable; but the old man was tired from the long journey and the tension caused by the for mality and style of his surroundings, so begged to remain at home and rest for a few days. He was quite content just to be with Annie, and talk over the sweet old days of her childhood and girlhood. Mrs. Bennett was the one who was on the alert, curious about everything, especially that-which con cerned Christiana’s home. Before a second day had passed Mrs. Bennett had examined every piece of furniture in the house, ask ing the price of each. She had counted the china and silver. Sh& had numbered the servants and learned the duties of each. Then she had Chris tiana’s maid to show her the different wardrobes of the Deveaux family. This accomplished, she was ready for war. j <r Christiana, I feel in duty bound to give you some good motherly advice. You’ve got everything powerful fine here, but you know what the good Book says about riches takin’ wings and vanishin’. You always did hold too high a hand, and you cer tainly are a keepin’ it up here. You’ll be sure to have a terrible downfall some day. Now, just mark my words. You ought to live plainer and give to those that need. Remember the rich man and Laz arus.” “Why, grandmother, I have had nothing to do with securing all that T have, no more than you have. And I often tell Mr. Marsden never to allow anyone to go in need where money can give relief, for Julian gives me all I ask of him to supply calls for charity. Ido not see any reason in voluntarily giving up comforts and pleasures to make ourselves miserable, just because other people m the world somewhere might be in need, unless our so doing would help others.” “But there is no use in havin’ unnecessaries just for show like you have here. Now, I have already counted nineteen servants, and am lookin’ for others to pop up every time I turn aroun’. It seems to me yon must have nigh onto a Solomon’s household. It must be a sight of trouble to you. How did yon take to such a job of housekeepin’? You never did cnre nothin’ about honsekeepin’ before your pa took you away from me. Then your aunt spoiled you after your pa took you to town, and let you do just ps you pleased, doin’ nothin’ but studyin’ books and playin’ the piano, and paintin’ pictures. You know I always said they seemed to be preparin’ you for a rich man. Your pa was dead set on it. But rich or no rich, all this household must be a sight o’ 1 rouble to you. I don’t see how you ever get time to do anything else.” “I have no more to do with the housekeeping than you have, grandmother. Julian engages all the servants and looks after everything. He does not wish me to do anything except- always to be ready to entertain his friends.” “Entertain his friends! Well, do tell! How in the world do you entertain his friends? It appears to me that the husband and not the wife is the one to entertain the men visitors.” “Oh, I do not mean Julian’s gentleman friends only, but all our friends, both ladies and gentlemen. We have a great deal of company.” “And who are they?” “Dear me, grandmother, there are hundreds and hundreds of them. I could not begin to tell you their names. Julian has known most of them for years.” “Good many of them play actors and play act resses, I reckon,” ventured Mrs. Bennett. “Oh, yes, of course,” answered Christiana, un able to repress a smile. “Dreadful to think of my poor Mary’s daughter livin ’ among such awful people! How do you stand it after bein’ raised by such good people as your pa arus.”