"'As they turned away from us,
Dear eyes that were heavy and dim.
May have met His look who was lifted there,
May be sleeping safe in Him.'"
"Where did you bury him, Richard?"
"Under the tree. Not in all the world could we have found for him so
lovely and so still a grave. Just at sunrise we laid him there, 'in
sure and certain hope' of the resurrection. One of the Mexicans cut
a cross and placed it at his head, and, rude and ignorant as they all
were, I believe every one said a prayer for his repose. Then I took
the little gold he had, divided it among them, paid them their wages,
and let them return home. I waited till all the tumult of their
departure was over, then I, too, silently lifted my hat in a last
'farewell.' It was quite noon then, and the grave lay in a band of
sunshine--a very pleasant grave to remember, Elizabeth."
She was weeping unrestrainedly, and Richard let her weep. Such rain
softens and fertilizes the soul, and leaves a harvest of blessedness
behind. And when the first shock was over, Elizabeth could almost
rejoice for the dead; for Antony's life had been set to extremes--great
ambitions and great failures--and few, indeed, are the spirits so
finely touched as to walk with even balance between them. Therefore
for the mercy that had released him from the trials and temptations
of life, there was gratitude to be given, for it was due.
That night, when Martha brought in Elizabeth's candle, she said:
"Martha, my brother is dead. Master Harry is now the young squire.
You will see that this is understood by every one."
"God love him! And may t' light o' _his_ countenance be forever
on him!"
"And if any ask about Mr. Antony, you may say that he died in Texas."
"That is where Mrs. Millard lives?"
"Yes, Mrs. Millard lives in Texas. Mr. Antony died of consumption.
O, Martha! sit down, I must tell you all about him;" and Elizabeth
went over the pitiful story, and talked about it, until both women
were weary with weeping. The next morning they hung Antony's picture
between that of his father and mother. It had been taken just after
his return from college, in the very first glory of his youthful
manhood, and Elizabeth looked fondly at it, and linked it only with
memories of their happy innocent childhood, and with the grand
self-abnegation of "the dead man's journey."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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