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CHAPTER V.
|IME passed, but it brought not the old
light to the sad heart of Sweet Cloud.
I No ripple of gladness ever disturbed
the peaceful sadness of her counte-
T
nance.
The ingenuity of parents and physician had
been exhausted in trying to devise means to
effect a change; but in vain. At length she
was prevailed upon to spend a few weeks
with her cousin. Nettie Richards. But she re
turned earlier than was expected, for which,
at least, she avoided giving her reason.
One evening, however, as they sat together
in the drawing room, with Nettie’s clear laugh
calling to the echoes about the old mansion,
Major Cloud had for the first time reproached
his daughter for not participating in the gaiety
natural to her age. But as he saw the tears
start to her eyes, he regretted his words. He
drew the gentle head to his bosom, and as she
began to sob, he asked in a tone of distress:
“Dear heart, are you sorry you did not
marry Rupert? Do you in your heart censure
me for preventing it?”
“No, father, I do not censure you. I am
sorry you had occasion to forbid our union:
but from my heart, I thank you, yes, a thou
sand times for saving me from the years of
misery that would have been my lot. For I
understand that Rupert is a drunkard still;
and if he had not sufficient love for me and
strength of character to reform in order to win
me for his bride, I know that, after marriage,
he would not likely have done so, and if so,
it would haver been only temporary';”
The relief that shone upon the father’s and
mother’s faces was pathetic; but their expres
sion changed to one of apprehension as she
continued:
“My heart is sad and I cannot help it;
and yet there is a joy divine in my soul, for
I believe that ere long I shall be where no sor
row can enter to mar the heart’s unceasing
happiness. That is why I came home so soon.
I wanted to die here, father, with your strong
arms about me, and mother’s affectionate
kisses warm upon my brow.”
The last words were spoken with an arm
around each parent; and waves of a mystic
light gleamed upon her countenance that seem
ed to have fallen from an angel’s wing.
‘ ‘ Sweet, my child, do not talk so, ’ ’ her moth
er said, “we cannot bear to think of such a
thing. ’ ’
“You must not entertain such fancies, darl
ing,” added her father solemnly. There was
anxiety in his tones, however, and across his
heart a great weight of darkness had fallen.
“You must look up with fortitude to a long
and useful life? on earth, and you will feel
stronger and happier.”
“I entertain no fancies, dear father; neither
am I weary, but strong, and in highest sense of
the word, happy. I am sorry to leave you
and all my dear ones; but heaven is so fair
and Jesus is waiting for me. If the spirits
of the redeemed are permitted to watch over
mortals, I shall come again to you. It is my
prayer that Rupert will be changed and join
me there. If so, we together shall guard your
footsteps as you totter down life’s decline.
When you are weary, we will soothe you with
one of heaven’s songs, and will cheer you
with glimpses of eternal day. When death
comes to you, we will be near to accompany
<( QWFFT CI m IO” an INSPIRING
l * 1 VIuVW TEMPERANCE STORY.
By PERMELIA SMITH SHIVERS —Revised and Published by Mildred Shivers CarrolL
The Golden Age for May 29, 1913
your rejoicing spirits to our home of bliss.”
For a time no word was spoken. Then her
father forbade her speaking of these things
again. He wished to lead her mind back to
the beauty of this world. But the resplend
ant view she had caught of heaven was too
magnetic.
She forbore to mention it again to her par
ents because of the pain it gave them. But
from day to day her heart rejoiced in the
blessed anticipation, and she would sing soft
ly to herself, “I am nearer my home today
than I have ever been before!” And some
how during these days her manner changed.
Something of her old-time sunshine returned.
Her parents rejoiced to see it, thinking that
she was taking a new hold on life.
But Nettie knew the truth. Sweet had talk
ed with her again of her anticipated depart
ure. She spoke too of Rupert’s sad career,
adding: “Dear, dear Nettie, when you look
upon wine giving its color in the cup, when
you see it passing from friend to friend, tell
them of the wasted talents. I am convinced
that the social glass is the commencement of
the downfall of thousands besides Rupert. Oh,
that all men everywhere would adopt the
motto: ‘Touch not, taste not.’ It is the only
safe rule. Remember this, dear, when I am
gone, for I shall very soon leave this world.”
“Tell me, precious Sweet,” said Nettie,
“why you persist in the belief that you will
die, while you seem to retain your usual health
and your cheeks still hold their bloom? Why
do you repeat emphatically, ‘I shall go very
soon’?”
“Nettie, dear, you know of my heart’s be
ing affected, do you? It is likely that this will
be the cause of my death. I am assured of
my early departure because of a recent dream.
While at your mother’s, it was the night that
we heard the horrid rumor of Rupert’s being
taken from the streets in a state of intoxica
tion. I had retired in a most pitiable frame
of mind. Oh, how my soul struggled in prayer.
It seemed that the suffering of a life-time had
come in that one hour to crush me. But with
sleep came peace, and I was favored with a
beautiful and most impresisve dream. I wish
I might tell it to you, or that you might have
seen it with me; for it was so heavenly, so
glorious, that this human mind could not re
tain it. I only know that when I awoke there
was still a soft halo of light around me. The
impression that the Savior had been holding
sweet and immediate communion with my
soul, and the conviction that I should soon be
with him in Paradise, was all that remained
to me of this blissful and sweet dream.”
A soft heavenly radiance rested upon the
brow of Sweet Cloud as she continued:
“Last night the vision was repeated, and
my heart still thrills with its glory, and my
soul is hushed with a heavenly peace. I do
not believe that the Lord would have been
thus gracious to me had I not obeyed my par
ents in giving up Rupert. Oh, I am so glad
I did! Still I would willingly have sacri
ficed my physical energies, my moral strength
and the gushing fountain of my life, Nettie,
if father had only permitted. Yes, I would
gladly have wasted all in a life-time’s attempt
to rescue him from a drunkard’s grave. But
my arm would have been too short. Only the
Redeemer can give him grace and strength to
overcome the tempter, and resist his wiles.
0, divine Savior, wilt thou by thine omnipot-
ent arm, rescue him and bring him to dwell
in thy pure kingdom above!
“Dear Nettie, somehow I feel that you will
see Rupert again if I do not. Won’t you lead
him to a knowledge of Jesus and his saving
power? Tell him how I longed for him to
serve the Master, and that I shall watch for
him in glory.”
“0 my dearest Sweet,” cried Nettie, “my
heart aches and yet is deeply stirred by your
recital of that wonderful dream; but it re
lieves somewhat the awfully sad anticipation
of your loss to witness your heavenly joy.
And my heart is stirred to its depths by your
appeal for Rubert. Yes, darling, I will do all
in my power to lead Rupert to the feet of
Jesus But, lam so weak, so powerless. Pray
for me even now, won’t you, Sweet, that I
may be prepared by the blessed Spirit and
clothed with his power for this serious and
sacred work?”
They knelt together, and the gentle voice
was raised in earnest petition to the One whom
she wholly trusted. And Nettie felt lifted to
a higher atmosphere and renewed in spirit as
her heart went up in unison with the speaker.
They both rose with an awed sense of the
nearness and power of the Divine One, and re
tired without further conversation. Their
souls filled with a wonderful peace, they soon
dropped into gentle slumber.
Only a few days glided by—days of sweet
companionship. Then one bright morning, as,
in answer to the silvery call of the prayei
bell, the two girls descended the stair, arm
in arm, Sweet leaned somewhat for support
upon her cousin’s arm, remarking, “I feel un
usually weak this mornin, strangly so.”
Nettie’s eyes seemed riveted upon her cou
sin’s face as Major Cloud read: He leadeth
me in green pastures and besides the still wa
ters; He restoreth my soul.” For Sweet was
drinking in the words as though they were
rapt music.
They were rising from the morning s de
votion, when a pitiful cry escaped the lips of
Sweet Cloud. In an instant she was clasped
in her father’s arms. There seemed to be
no more pain, for a heavenly smile shone upon
her features,’ two whispered words, “Home
and Jesus,” and the gentle spirit had taken
its flight from this sphere of heartache to
realms of eternal bliss, where her God would
“wipe away all tears.”
The physician was summoned; but her sleep
remained unbroken. He could prescribe no
remedy. He knew no power that could dis
turb such slumber save that of Jesus of Naz
areth.
So they opened earth’s bosom and rever
ently laid her body there. The wreath of flow
ers they? laid upon her brow was bedewed
with tears. Still they felt assured that a fade
less, imperishable wreath adorned the spirit s
brO w—a wreath whose flowers were blown
in the fragrant gardens of Paradise.
As the last sad rites were being performed, a
dust-begrimed stranger approached in evident
haste. But when he discovered that all was
over, with bowed head, he smote upon his
breast; then turned to the marble slab where
the ivy twined above the mortal remains of
Mrs. Vane.
A tramp he seemed. Certainly no one rec
ognized him for a slouched hat and hea\y
beard concealed his identity.
(Continued on page 16.)
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