The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1822-08-16
ELIND ALLAN

The parish, and.ihey We're both beloved ~
their own trioads and reEtions. He WA,
sober, honest, az tive and uldustrions-ey
empiary IN the common duties of private
lhe-pnssessed q she hlnlhle virtues be-
coming his humh. condition, and 1nstain-
ed by any of those gross vices that some
times dciorm the character of the poor
She was modest, good tempered, contenteh
and rellgi0us--and much is contained in
these four words. Beauty size was moi
though; 10 possess nor did she attract al
tentian but whatever charm resides in pure
health, innocence of heart, and simplicity
of manners, that belonged to Fanny Rae
burn; while there was nothing either about
| hfr face or figure 10 prevent her seeming
even beautiful in the eyes of lover.
These two humble and happy persons
were betrothed in marriage. Their alice
ton had inssnslhly grown without ans
coartship, for they had lived daily in each
others sight, and undiatlrbcd By iealoNsy
or rivalry, By aEitating hopes vi depressing
fears, their hearts had been tendcrly united
long before their troth was solemuly plcdg-
ed; and they now looked forward with a
Ga I'm and rational satisfaction to the happy
years, which they humbly hoped might be
stored up for them by a bountifnl Proyi-
dence.-Their love was without romance,
bat it was WARM, tender and true, they were
| prepared by It's strength To make any sa-
crliiee for each others sakes and, had
death taken away either of them before
the wedding day, the survivor might not
perhaps have been clamorOus in grief, or
visited the grave of the departed with night
~ lamentations, but not the less would that
grief have been sincere, and not the less
faithful would memory have been TO oil the
images of the past,
The marriage day was fxcd-and Allan
Bruce had rrnte.. Il small cottage, with a
garden slipping down TO the stream that
cheered his naive village Thither, in a
bout two months, he was to take bis sweet
and afiectionate Fauny---she was to work
with her needle as beforehand ne in the
delds. No charge was to take place in
their lives, but change isom contentment
70 happiu9ss ami if God prolonged to them
the oasefslon Of health, ard blessed them
with CHILDREN, they lCare4 not TO bring them
deeeniiy up, and to afford sunshine and
shelter 10 the living flowers that might come
20 glad3n .hei? house. Such thoughts vi
sipd It's sc,ls OF the lovers, and they were
becoming dearer and dearer to one another
every hour that brought them closer to
Their marriage day.
At this tune Allan BEGAN to feel a slight
dimness id his sight, of which he did not
take much notice, attIibuting il to some in
disposition brought onby the severity of bis
winters work. For he had tgiled late and
early during all IEeathcrs and every kind OF
Labor, to gain sum sufficient to furnish re-
specially his loWly dwelling, and also To
array his sweet bride in wedding clothes OF
which she should not need to be ashamed.
The dimncss, however, each succeeding
day, darkcned and deepened, till even his
Fanny's face was indstinctIy discerned by
hlai, and he lost altogether the smile which
meyer fat to brighten 1t whenever she APP
peased. Then he became sad and dispirIt-
ed, for the fear OF blindness fell on him,
aud he thought OF his steps being led IN his
bel plessnrsa by the hand Of child. lie
prayed to God 10 avert this calamity from
him but itnot, to bestow upon him the
virtue OF resignation, lie thought of the
different blind men whom he had known,
and as far as he knew they all seemed hap
rs. That belief pacifed his sod, wbrh 1t
was aboat TO give way 10 passionate des-
pair; and every morning at sunrise, when
the fast advancing verduIc of spring seem
cd more dim and ghmmcrlnS before his
eyes, he felt his soul more and more Reign
ed to that final extinction Of the days
blessed light. which he knew must he his
doom before the earth was covered with
the flowers and fragrance Of June.
Il was as hehad !aarod and Allan Bruce
was now stone bliud. Fanny's yoiec had
always been sweet 10 his ear, aad now ii
was swcfter still VIXEN heard in the darl.-
rcss.-Sweet had been the kisses which
hreathcd from Fanny's lips, while his eyes
delighted in their rosy freshness. But
iweetcr were they now when they touched
his eye-!ids, and he hitup0n his cheeks her
fast trirking tears. She visited him in his
fither's house, and led him with her gently
stding hands into the adjacent fields, and
down along the stream which he said he
liked n Aoar mnrmurina hy and then they
Laeiaed ingulher about Themselves, and on
then knees prayed to God to counsel them
What to 90 in their distress.
These meetings were always happy
.:.eetngs 10 then 10th, notwithstanding the
ul.,ay mournil thoughts with which they
we necessarily at.eaded; but TO Allan
Bruce they yielded support that did not
ior:a5e him in his hours ofunaceompanied
darkness lis love, which had formerly
been Joyful IN the warmth ofyonth, and IN
the near prospect Of enjoyment was now
chastisad BIZ taa cad survey Of his nniortn-
nate condition, and rendered thereby deep
and deyout emotion which had its comfort
in its own unwtnessed privacy and impe-
rishahle truth. The tones Of Fanny voice
were with him on bis midnight bed, when
his affection was Ike to overcome his lor-
,itude and to know that he was still ten
derry beloved BY that gentle and innocent