The Columbia Democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1837-1850, 1837-11-11


member me, while away; it would be i'm
plying doubt that you would not--but for
me, | will think Of you day and night;
will hold this spot sacred; will hold COM
munion with none here, but Him who now
sees us, and who knows the truth of false
hood of our hearts. To Him will pray
for your happiness, whatever my fate may
be-" w
They parted, and oh! how the fond girl
cherished the memory of that parting scene
and the words he had uttered; for days af-
forwards she fancied that she could still hear
his voice floating round her-could still
feel the pressure of his hand as he passed
the ring upon her finger. She little
thought that they had parted for ever!--that
the voice and hand would henceforth be
dead to her; that she had wasted her young
warm hearts best and freshest feelings, on
one who would outrage them those feelings,
which the heart entertains but once; which
we would give empires-worlds, to enter
tain againl
He had promised to write to her, and
had broken that promise! Edith counted
the hours each day, until the post was de-
| livered, with wild and throbbing heart, but
each day proved him more forgelful. At
length, strange rumors reached her Of an
| approaching marriage, between Horace Sea-
ton and young lady in Paris, of great for
tune. They crushed and chilled her spirit
and the gay-the happy Edith, was no
more.
We will not-we cannot describe her
! feelings, when first she heard these tidings;
she treated them as base calumny! she
wrote to him; her letter was unanswered!
She accidently met an acquaintance, who
had just returned from France, and from him
she learnt that it was too true. He had
been for some weeks married! She heard
it with calm and composed countenance-
but withered, blighted, breaking heart.
|
The three years had elapsed, and Edith
Hesselden stood gazing from her easement
| upon the lake below, while the soft moon
shone in unclouded loveliness. The next
day was her marriage day. A gentleman,
named Fortescure, had seen and adm ir ID
her: love is too strong word. He admi-
red her beauty, was not repulsed by her
coldness, and, after few months acquain-
tance, obtained cool, careless consent from
her, TO become his wife. She was strange
ly altered; not the buoyant, enthusiastic
girl, with looks and thoughts equally fresh
and glowing; she had become the calm, un-
impassioned, digDiied woman. Tears
had washed every trace Of rose from her
cheek, and what with her paleness, and
the constant repression of every feeling on
her countenance, she had acquired the ap-
pearance ofone Of Conovay's statues; cold
yet wonderfully beautiful.
She stood sometime at her easement in
deep thought at length she murmured, II
must be!' and turning from the window
seated herself at desk, from whence she
removed small packet of letters. She
trembled violently as she rose and walkec
towards the fire at the end of the room
She held them over the fame for an instant
and in the next they were burning.
$50 perish all remembrance of him, -
she said.
Again she walked towards the window
and took from her bosom a miniature; sh,
! appeared collecting courage to destroy tha
also. A pang shot over her heart as sh,
gazed upon the picture. She pressed
convulslvely to her lips; and bitter tears, il
spite of her desperate effort to repl ess them
burst forth in torrents, as if from a source
long pent up; she passed her hand over he
brow as if to ease its burning pain. g
cannot, oh no, nol-I cannot destoy hi
picture" she sid again, and she looked ol
1t long and ixedly:-dreams of other day
fitted before her, and she sobbed as if he
heart would burst