American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1822-07-30

from God hand intimaies that such union woule
/ lead to sorrow and distress. The same thought:
had taken possession of Alan's own soui-ane
loving Fanny Raeburn with perfect affection, why
should he wish her in the bright and sunny days
her youthful prime, to become chained to Blint
Mans steps, kept in constant poverty and drudgery
for his sake, and imprisoned in lonesome hut
during the freedom of her age, and the joyfulnes'
of nature ringing over the earth? 1T has pleased
Cod said the Blind Man to himself that ouI
marriage should not be. Let Fanny, If she chooses
some time or other, marry another and be. happy
And as the thought arose. he felt the bitterness o.
the cup and wished that he might soon be IN hi:
grave
Fanny Raeburn had always been dutiful child
and she listened TO the arguments OF her parents
with heavy but composed heart. She was willing
to obey them in all things in which it was her duty
to obey-but here she knew not what was hei duty
: To give up Allan Bruce thought far wors,
to her than TO give up life. 1t was to suffer he
! heart strings to be hourly torn up by the cots. l
the two were willing to be married, why should an,
one else interfere ?-lf God had stricken Altar
with blindness after their marriage, would any on,
have counselled her to leave him Or pitied bel
because she had to live with her own blind husband
Or would the fear OF poverty have benumbed he
.eeIngsi Or rather, would it not have given new
aacriiy to her hands, and new courage TO her heart
So she resolved meekly and calmly to tell Allat
that she would be his wife, and that she believed
that such was, in spite OF his affection, the will o
God.
Allan Bruce did not absent himself in his blind
ness, from the House of God One Sabbath after
divine service Fanny went up to him in the church
yard and putting her arm in his they walked away
together, seemingly as cheerful as the rest of the
congregation, only with somewhat slow or more
cautious steps-1hey proceeded along the quiet
meadow fields by the banks Of the stream, and then
across the smooth green braes, till they gently de-
seconded into holm, and sat down together in a
little green bower, which lew hazels, mingling
with one tall weeping birch, had of themselves
iramed-a place where they had often met before
Allan was blind, and where they had FIRST spoken
of welded life. Fanny could almost have wept
to see the earh ard the sky, and the whole day, so
beautiful, now that Allans eyes were dark but be
whispered to her, that the smell Of the budding
trees, and OF the prmroses that he knew were near
his fee was pleasant indeed, and that the singing
OF the little birds made his heart dance within him
80 Fanny sat beside her blind lover in serene
happiness, and felt strengthened in her conviction
that II was her duty to become his wife.
"ATan-l love you so entireiy-that to see you
happy is all that desire on EARTH Till God made
you blind-Allan Il knew not how my soul could
be knit unto yours. ] knew not the love that was
lead you out thus on pleasant Sabba,hs--to take
care that you do not stumbe-and that nothing shall
ever offer violence to your iace-to suffer no soi-
tude to surround you--but that you may know in
your darkness, that mine eyes, which God still per
mts to see, are always upon you-for these ends
Allan, will marry thee, my beloved--thou must
not say nsy--for God would not forgive me if +
became not thy wife" And Fanny fell upon his
neck and wept.
There was something in the quiet tone OF her
voice-something in the meek fold of her embrace
something in the long weeping kiss that she kept
breathing tenderly over his brow and eyes-that
justified to the Blind Man, his marriage with such
a woman "Le us be married, Fanny, on the day
Fixed before lost my sight. Till now I knew no,
lully either your heart or my own--now fear
nothing. Would-my best friend-I could but see
Thy sweet face for one single moment now-but
that can never be "All things are possible to
God--and although to human skill your case is
hopeess-it is not utterly SO to my heart--yet i'll
ever It becomes So Allan, then will love thee
better even than do now, if indeed my heart can
contain more affection than that with which il now
oyerflows"
Allan Bruce and Fanny Raeburn were married.
And although there was felt, by the most careless
heart to be something sad and solemn in such nup
tlas' yet Allan made his marriage day one Of sober
cheertulness in his native village. FANNY wore
her white ribbons in the way that used to be
pleasant to Allan's eyes; and blind as he now was.
these eyes kndled with a joyful smile, when he
turned the clear sightless orbs towards his brde he
saw her within his soul, arrayed in the simple white
dress which he heard all about him saying so we'll
became her sweet look. Her relations and his own
partook of the marriage-feast in their cottage
there was the sound OF music and dancing feet on
me little green plat at the foo, OF the garden, by
the rivers side-the brides yollnpest catap vhol
was henceforth to be an inmate IN the house. re-
NAMED when the party went away in the quiet oil
the esenlng-and peace, contentment, and love,
folded their wings together over that humble dwell.
ling
FROM that day Allan and his wife were perfectly
napPy-and they could not help wondering at their
former fears. There was, al once a General 49,.