Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1828-04-09

m months, that his letters we're neither
so long nor frequent as they had been,
and she could not disguise from her.
self, that if his letters expressed his
feeling, it was cold compared with
her own.
At length his letters ceased to ar
rive but deeply as she felt the ne
giect, she never had been in the hab-
it of communicating her feelings, and
as she kept on in her usual cares, no
one perceived how sadly she laid it to
heart. The family were pleased with
her apparent firmness, and began to
be convinced that if the absence could
be prolonged, he would be entirely
forgotten. They saw that she grew
pale, aud wasted; but AS she made
no complaint. they attributed il to
severe excrlion, and male arrange
mcnts to relieve her from the labor.
Even this was inulicions kindness ,
for her mind thus left to itself, could
not lift up that over. whclning thought
which pressed upon i like the mon'-
mcnt above the dead. As the auinmi
came. they began to make '''c;r pre-
parations to return to the town. I'i'
hiIl-sides. after wearing for time i.,c
gay livery of autumn. had put on "
dark russct hue. and the mi h;y wl.Ii'
gathering from the north. and rus a.,
through the passes Of the moinl"i',
began to sweep away the fur"s lca> :
by millions every thins WAS prop.es
ic Of the corning hesolation.
With strange confidence in the
success of their plans. the family hav'
ing determined to leave man, with
his wife, to take charge Of the ho"se.
during the winter, proposed to the
poor girl TO remain with them, tclliag
her how much more security they
should feel, at leaving the charge OF
their property in her hands. She
heard the proposal with astonishing
frmncss, and said not a word in re
sistance to the plan. The truth was.
she had suffered long in silence, and
was now growing Indifferent TO every
thing she had lost the best attrac-
ton Of life. and why should she wish
to return to the place, where her pe''-
jured lover was perhaps tritl'ng with
the affections Of some other innocent
heart? When the preparations for
the journey were made, and the fam
lily were taking leave, they were a
little surprised at the coldness with
which she saw them go; but their
thoughts were too much set on their
house to think much Of her hidden
feelings. 1t was not till she heard
the wheels rat,ling away from the
door, that she felt her utter dcsola
ton, and wept with the convu!sive
sobs Of childhood, as if, in the beau
tiful language of the volume she daily
read, she would "pour out her soul"
in tears of agony and disappointed
love.
One morning in winter, when the
mountains and the roads were cover
ed, though not deep. with snow, she
saw a traveller driving his loaded
to the door. With an impulse that
she could not resist, she ran out and
asked if he had brought any letters for
her. She was alarmed at the look Of
compassion with which the man re-
garded her, while he searched for the
letter which he gave her; then de-
clining to enter the house, he told her
that in two days he should be there
again on his return, and drove away.
No one witnessed this meeting. and
she instantly retired, pale and breath
less, to her chamber, where she tore
open the letter. II was from her
lover, who acknowledged his unwor.
thiness and his in6delity to her aflcc-
tion-but he said that misery. crime
had brought him to his death he'd
Tic had made arrangements with the
bearer Of the letter to return with
her, if she could consent TO see and
forgive him before he died.
Her feelings rose almost to f"cnzy.
as she read his ,nournful and pcnl,eni
words. How could she wat two da,..
when days seemed ages! She leaned
upon the table in thought for i'w
moments, then folding the letter ia
her bosom. she called the little do
that attended her IN her walks, and
went forth on her hop".ass j j'n,nny
unseen by any eye Of na Tnr *.
was cloudy. and of uniIsnti hi,, knr.-
lLa mind ..,n, I...., L..t M.