BEAUTIFUL END
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
CRUMP FOLK GOING HOME
THE LONELY PLOUGH
THE OLD ROAD FROM SPAIN
“The yew’s tall finger pointing to the sky”
“Nobody’s shadow could tread on your heels”
BEAUTIFUL END
BY
CONSTANCE HOLME
“Houses not made with hands”
MILLS & BOON, LIMITED
49 RUPERT STREET
LONDON, W. 1
Published 1918
“THE PLACE FOR WHICH I CRY”
AUTHOR’S NOTE
The author wishes to state that nocharacter in this book is drawn from anyliving person.
[Pg 1]
BEAUTIFUL END
I
She put her hand to the curtain for the lasttime and drew back. Very reluctantly sheadmitted to herself that now there was nothingleft to do. Here was the room really finished atlast, and none of her wistful glances from side toside could find her a fresh task. She hadlingered over it as long as she possibly could,but now the pleasant work had really come to anend. Everything had to come to an end so thatother things might begin, but the hours of toilhad been so sweet that she hated to let them go.The room seemed full of the tunes she had sungas she painted and scrubbed, full of plans andpleased thoughts and thrills of housewifelypride. It stood, of course, for so very muchmore than just a simply-furnished chamber ina simple house. It stood, for instance, for theend of a self-reproach marring a happinessotherwise complete. It meant the comforting[Pg 2]of a hurt which still troubled her kind soul,however unwillingly it had been wrought. Itmeant return and renewal on better lines,the rebuilding of ancient things with betterhands....
In the upstairs room of the marsh farmhousethere was a great pleasantness and peace. Theearly evening sun drove straight towards itfrom the west, and through its deep-set eyessent shining ladders all across the floor. Only thecorners of the room stayed dim and aloof.
Now that all was done, and so thoroughly