THE WEST SHORE.
21
You find her propped with pillows; she is looking over
a little picture-book bethumbed by the dear boy (die has
lost. She hides it in her chair; she has pity on you.
Another day of revival, when the spring snrt shines
and flowers open out-of-doors; she leans on your arm and
strolls into the garden where the first birds are singing.
Listen to them with her; what memories are in bird
songs! You ueed not shudder at her tears; they are tears
of thanksgiving. Press the hand that lies light upon
your arm, and you, too, thank God, while yet you may!
You are early home, mid-afternoon. Your step is not
light; it is heavy, terriblo.
They have sent for you.
She is lying down, her eyos half closed, her breathing
long and interrupted.
She hears you; her eye opens; you put your hand in
hers; yours trembles; hers does not. Her lips move; it
is your name.
"15o strong," she says; "Ood will help you."
She presses harder your hand: "Adieu!"
A long breath another; you are alone again. No
tears now; poor man! You cannot find them!
Again home early. There is a smell of varnish in
your house. A coflin is there; they have clothed the lody
in decent grave-clothes, and the undertaker is screwing
down the lid, slipping round on tiptoe. Does ho fear to
waken her?
He asks you a simple question alxmt the inscription
upon the plate, rubbing it with his coat-eiuT. You look
him slraight in the eye; you motion to the door; you dare
not speak.
He takes up his hat and glides out stealthftil as a cat
The man has done his work well for all. It is a nice
coffin, a very nice coflin. Pass your hand over it; how
smooth!
Some sprigs of mignonette are lying carelessly in a
little gilt-edged saucer. She loved mignonette.
It is a good stanch table the coffin rest on; it is your
table; you are a housekeeper, n man of family.
Aye, of family; keep down outcry, or the nurse will be
in. Look over at the pinched features; is this all that is
left of her? And where is your heart now? No, don't
thrust yonr nails into your hands, nor mangle your lip,
nor grate your teeth together. If you could only weep!
Another day. The coflin is gone out. The stupid
mourners have wept what idle tears! Sho, with your
crushed heart, has gone out
Will you have pleasant evenings at your home now?
(lo into your parlor that your prim housckecier has
made comfortable with clean hearth nnd bla.o of sticks.
Sit down in your chair; there is nnother velvet-cushioned
one, over against yours, empty. You press your
fingers on your eyeballs, ns if you would press out some
thing that hurt the brain; but you cannot Your head
leans uixn your hand; your eye rests uion the flushing
blaze.
Ashes always come after blaze.
Go now into the room where sho was sick -softly, lest
the prim housekeeper como after.
They have put new dimity upon her chair; they have
hung new curtains Over tllC bod. Tliuy have loinovml
from the stand its phials and silver 1m11; they havo put a
little vase of flowers in their place; the perfume will not
offend the sick sense now. They have half opened the
window, that the mini so long closed may have air. It
will not be toi cold.
Sho is not there,
Oh God! Thou who dost temper the wind to the
shorn lamb, bo kind!
The embers were dark; I stirred them; there was no
sign of life. My dog was asleep. The clock in my ten
ant's chamber hail struck one.
I dashed a tear or two from my eyes; how they came
there I know not I half ejaculated a prayer of thanks
that such desolation had not yet come nigh me, ant!h
prayer of hope that it might never come.
In a half hour more I was sleeping soundly, ly
llovorie was ended
WHAT OUR FINGERS TEACH.
Hands are divided into three different kinds those
with round-pointed fingers, thoso with squaro tips and
those that are Hpado-sha)ed, with pods of flesh at each
side of the nail. The first type, with round-pointed
lingers, belong to characters with inceptions extra sen
sitive, to very pious people, to contemplative minds, to the
impulsive, and to all iocts and artists who havo ideality
as a prominent trait The second type, those that are
square-shaped, belong to sciontilie people, to sensible,
self -contained characters, and to the class of professional
men who are neither visionary nor altogether sordid.
Tho third tyio, thoso that are spado-shaped, with pods of
flesh at the side of tho nail, indicate ooplo whose in.
teresls and instincts aro mostly material - people who
have a genius for business, and who havo a high appre
ciation of everything that pertains to lxxlily use and com
fort. Kacli finger, no matter what kind of n hand it is,
has a joint representing each of these types. Tho division
of the finger that is nearest the palm stands for the Ixxly,
the middle division represents mind, and tho highest joint
spirit or soul. If the top joint is longer than tho others,
it denotes a character with too much imagination, great
ideality, and of leaning toward tho theoretical rather than
the practical. When the middle joint of the finger is
long, it promises a logical, calculating iind n very
common-sense kind of a icrson; and when tho lowest
joint is longest it indicates n nature that clings more to
tho luxuries than to the refinements of life - a mind that
looks for the utility Ix'foro Ix'uuty. If they are nearly
alike, and especially if the length of the fingern equals
tho length of tho palm, it indicates a well balanced mind.
The rejected lover who swears that his idol is col.l
hoartod, can get up a neat heartburn for himself by a
li)crnl use of pie and milk. '