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Show HHLsjsmJT7 ' W" " HH ' LLLLWLmmmmmmmmmmm 7SjBWSSSyaSSJHit.,.,w,i ,,, iipn.frg i n w th SSSwBWBSBSS-ftJaWBBSWSSSSSSaSSBwBi I THE LION'S WHELP I A Story of Cromwell' Time BY AMELIA E. BARR. Author of "Th How af Ornf ttlbborv." "I, Thou nd tho Oth.r Ono." "Tho M.ld ot Mtldon Lono." Etc. (Copjrlitii. iwt, bj ItoJJ, Mi-.J & Conuonr Alt rlibu i..n..U CHAPTER XIV. (Continued.) . "I haven't a doubt of It." said Doctor Doc-tor Verity. "Well. Ilobort, did they hnvo nothlrg to say to you?" ho oskod, turning to Admiral Wake. "They asked me to treat my men well, and I said, 'I'll trent them like myself. I'll glvo tbem plenty of meat and drink and plenty ot fighting and prlzo money,' and so to their good will wo passed all through tho city, and, as I live, 'twas the pleasantest 'progress' any mortal men could desire de-sire " Then Doctor Verity began to talk of tho American Colonics, nnd tholr wonderful growth. And ns Cromwell listened his race grew luminous; ho seemed to look through his oyoballs, rather than with them, nnd when Milton Mil-ton ceased thcro was silence, until ho spoko. "I see," he said, "a great people, a vnst empire, from tho loins of nil nations na-tions it shall spring. And thero shnll bo no king there. Uitt tho deslro of nil hearts shall bo toward Is, and It shall bo a covert for tho oppressed and bread nnd wlno nnd meat for thoso ready to perish." Then sighing, ho scorned to realize tho near and tho present, nnd bo added, "'Twns but josterday I wroto to Hint good man, the llev. John Cotton nf lloston. I havo told him thnt I nm truly ready to servo him and the rest of tho brethren breth-ren nnd tho churches with him." With theso words ho roso from tho tnble, and Mr. Milton, tho Ladles Mary and Frances Cromwell nnd Jano 8v off-ham off-ham went Into tho great hall, where there was an exceedingly flno organ In a short time Mr. Mtlton began tcr play and to sing, but tho girls walked up nnd down talking to Jano of their admirers, and their new gowns, and of lovo letters that had been sent them In baskets ot flowors When tho music ceased, tho evening even-ing was far spent, and Cromwell said as ho drew Frances and Jano within l his arms, "Firing mo tbo Illblo, Mary, I . . "Oliver, dear Oliver." Mr. Milton has been giving us English Eng-lish song, now wo will havo tho loftier music of King David." "And wo shnll get no grander music, air," said Doctor Owen, "than Is to be found In tho Dlblo. Sublimity Is Hebrew He-brew by birth. Wo must go to tho Holy Hook for words beyond our words. Is there n man living who could have written that glorious hymn. "'Iird, Thou hast boon our dwelling dwell-ing place In all generations; '"llofore tho mountains were brought forth, or over Thou hadst formed tho earth and the world; oven from everlasting to everlasting Tbou art Ood'7" Cromwell did not answer; ho waa turning tho leaves of tho dear, homely looking volume which his daughter had laid beforo him. Shu hung affectionately affec-tionately over his shoulder, and when ho had found what ho wanted, ho looked look-ed up at her and sho smiled nnd nodded nod-ded her approbation. Then ho said: "Truly, I think no mortal pen but Ht. John's could havo wrltton theso linos; and I give not St. John tho honor for the Holy Ono must havo put tbem Into his heart, and tho band ot his angel guided his pen." And ho began to rend, nnd tho words tell llko a splendid vision, and a great awo filled tho room as they dropped from Cromwell's lips. And when ho ceased thero was a sllcnco that could bo felt, a sllenco almost painful, oro Dr. Owen's silvery volco penetratod It with the words ot the Dcnedlctlon. Then tbo Protector and Mrs. Cromwell kissed tho girts and the clergymen blessed thero, and tbey wont to their rooms as from tho very prosenco nf God. Hut Mrs. Cromwell llnr. ,d a long tlmo. Sho could not re' ,1 sho had seen tbo silver and cta and lino damask put away In safe., and sho thought It no shamo to look as her Lord did after tho fragments of tho abundant dinner, "I will not have, them waited," sbo said to tho ateward, "nor given to those who need them not The Lady Elizabeth hath a Hat of poor families, and it la my will that they, and thoy only, are served," Then she went to her daughter Claypolo's apartments, and talked with her about her children and her health. When they parted It waa very late; tbo palace was dark and still and Mrs. Cromwell, with careful economies In her mind and a candle In her hand, went softly along tbo lonely, gloomy corridors. Her little grandson bad a slight fever; she was not satisfied with her daughter health, and the care of tho great household sho ruled was a burden she never wholly laid down. In this vast, melancholy pile of chambers, (be tboucht of her kits-pit kits-pit home In fit Ives with longti. and affection. Ilojal splendors had given her nothing sho cared for. and they had taken from her the constant help nnd companionship thnt In humbler circumstances her good, great husband hus-band had given her Sho paused a moment beforo tho door of his room. Sho wondered If ho was nsleep If so, sbo would on no account nwnl.en him, fur In theso days ho slept far (no little. Sho opened the door softly and saw him sitting motionless mo-tionless by tho fire, his eyes closed, his mnsslvo form upright nnd perfectly perfect-ly at rest. "Oliver," sho said, "dear Oliver, you ought to bo In bed nnd nsleep." Ills great darkling soul flashed Into his faco a look of tenderest lovo. "Elizabeth," ho nnswered, "I wish that I could sleep, I do Indeed. I need It. God knows I need It, but my heart wakes, and I do fear It will wako this night If so, thero Is no sleep for mo. You see, dearest, ho-v God mingles our cup. When I whs Mr. Cromwell. I could sleep from night till morning. When I was Gen. Cromwell, my labors gavo mo rest. Now that I am I-ord Protector of threo Kingdoms, sleep, alasl Is gono far from me. In my mind I run to and fro through all tho land I havo a thousand plans nnd anxieties, Elizabeth, my dearest; great place Is not worth looking after. It Is not" "What troubles you In particular, Oliver?" I "One of tho things that troubled my Great Master, when ho wept and prayed pray-ed and fainted In Gethsemano. Ho , knew that those whom he loved nnd who ought to strengthen and comfort ' him, would soon fnrsnko and floe from him. I think of tho men who havo trusted mo to lead them In every bat-Jo; bat-Jo; who never found mo wanting; tho .nen with whom I havo taken counsel, lth whom I hnvo prajed, tho men who were to mo ns Jonathan to David, nnd when I think of them my heart Is Itlo to burst In twain They aro bo- ginning to forsake me, and their cold looks and formal words hurt mo llko a sword thrust; they do, Elizabeth, thoy do Indeed." "If you bad mado yourself Kln, at you might havo done, as you ought to havo done, you would havo had less opposition. Johu Verity said so to me. Ho said Englishmen were used to a king, but they did not know what to mnko of a protector." "King! King! I am king In very truth, call mo what they like. And for thnt matter, why should I not be king? Doctor Owen tolls mo tho word king comes from Kontg and means 'the man that can.' I am that man. Everything In Europo comqa from somo battlefield, that was their first title to kingship. How many battles havo I fought and won? I nover lost a slnglo field how could I, tho Ixjrd of Hosts being with me? As a beru of battle, there Is no man to stand before be-fore mo. Why should I not be king over tho threo countries I havo conquered? con-quered? John Verity Is right. Englishmen Eng-lishmen think a protector Is a ruler for emorgency. They feci temporary and uncertain with a protector, A kingship Is a settled office." "Tako tho crown, Oliver. Why not?" "I havo no orders to tako It. My angol told me when I was a boy, that I should bocomo tho greatest man In England, hut he said not that I should bo king. And I know also from Ono who nover lied lo mo, that this nation will yearn after Its old monarchy. I am hero to do a work, to sow seeds that will take generations to ripen, but my reign Is only an Interregnum. I shall found no dynasty." Then taking his wlfo's band tenderly tender-ly between his own, ho said with Intense In-tense forvor, "Thcro Is not a man living liv-ing can say I sought this place not a man or woman living on English ground, I can say In tho presence of God, I would havb been glad to have lived with then under my woodslde all tho days or my life, and to have kept my sheep and plowed my land rather than bear the burden of tills government." "Do you think the Puritan government govern-ment will dlo with you, Oliver?" "I tnlnk It will, but tho Puritan principles will never dlo Thu kin. t of the earth banded togethor cannot destroy them Thoy will spring up and flourish like 'tho grass that tar-rloth tar-rloth not for man' spring where nono has sowed or planted them spring In tho wilderness and In tho city, until thoy pos'ess tho wholo earth, This I know, and am sure of. Aftor all, Elizabeth, Eliza-beth, thero U nothing got by this world's love, and nothing lost by Us bate. This .s the root of tho matter; my position as Protector la elthor ot Cod, or ot man. If I did not firmly believe be-lieve It was ot Ood, I would have run away from It many years ago. U U bo of God, ho wilt bear me np whl H I am In it. If it bo of man It will H sbako and tumblo. What are all oar H histories but Ood manifesting that H bo has shaken and trampled upon H everything ho has not planted?" H "My dearest you are now In a good H mind. Lie down and sleep In his ctis. H for ho does caro for you." And .she iM put her arms around his neck and H kissed him, and ho answered: "Thou art my comfort, and I thank God for thect When ho laid out my H life's work ho thought of thee to M sweeten H Sho left him then, hoping that ha "'H would shelter his weariness In dark- H ness nnd in sleep Hut ho did not Tbo H words he had spoken, though to full H of hope nnd courage, wanted that au- H thentlcatlon from leynnd, without H which they wcro as tinkling brass to H Oliver. Ho locked his chamber door, H retired his soul from all vlalbles, and iH stood solemnly before God, waiting In iol hear what he would say to him. And -, 'WU In a moment nil tho trouble of outward) Assssssssssssl things grew at peaco with that within, 'JH for ho stood motionless on that daz- H zllng lino where mortal and Immortal iWM vergo that lino whoro all Is lost In latssfl lovo for God. nnd tho beggar Belt for- H gets to ask for anything. Tho austere iH sweetness nt sacrifice filled his soul. 1 Tuo divine Hymn of Renunciation waa 'aaaaaaal on his lips. 'sVsaaal "Do ns thou wilt with mo," he cried, ' aaasssssi "but, oh, that I knew where to find ""flH theol Oh, that I might como Into Asssssl thy presence! " 3ssi Then thcro was suddenly grantcM to lfl his longing that open vision, open HhI only to tho spirit, that wondrous evl- tI denco that very near about us Ilea iB tho realm of splrltunl mysteries, and H the strong man bowed and wopt great H tears ot joy nnd sorrow. And after H thnt Peaco peaco unspeakable and B full nf gladness, and ho slept like B sinless child while his angel came In a HBb dream and comforted htm. For so HJ God glvetb to his beloved while they BBa (To bo continued.) HBb |