Litchfield enquirer., 1837-04-06

you SD unhappy ? ] inquired; 'yuu have no doub. thai your S I.usband will come and rIaim von!' aOhy no! The certificate is in my fathers hands; and if it were not, d sense ot' honor would lead him here. But oh io liatc him come coldIy and reluc- tan'ly my hcart will break my heart will break y said shc, pressing her hand hard against her forehead, and weeping bil- .cr'y. How coaId forget that they who listen to passion, rather than 10 teason, must always have precarious influence on each o'hcrv l tried to console Icr--sI,c said nothing, but took package oi letters from her desk and handcd them to me- he'r contents proved the mournful p,e- diction "f her fears too true. At first, George Macdonoueh wrote with impatient ard"r; then his letters were filled with amusing accounts of the parties given ,o l'a Belle Suisse, whose father had come to reside In Inc neighborhooti then le filled his pages with excellent reasons for not visiting her as snOn as lie intcndrd and, finally, when Harriet bowed down her pride, and entreatcd him, if lle valued her reputation, to come soon, he sent a cold, 'aconic answer, merely stating the time q, whlch he might be expected. Poor Har- ''c'! tt was too evident she had thrown away "'l thai made existence joyful. How- ever, tried tO soo,hc her by the idea that gen.Iencss, patience. aud untiring love, might regain tho affection. on which he, happiness must now depend. Sue loved to listen 10 such words--,hey were balm to her heart.
 Mr. Macdonough came at the time hc had appointed, and publicly announced his marriage. did not see their meeting; but during the few months l,c remained at her fathers, 1 observed his manner was uni- iorn'ly kind, though frequently absent and constrained. An infant daughter formed a. new bond of union, and seemed to be the herald of happier days. The young man watched over the little object with the most intense delight, and Harrics's half-subdued character seemed entirely softencd, in the dOa,ing fondncss of a mother, and the meek resignation of wife, loved, 'bnt not en- ough bcloved;' none would have rccog- nizcd the proud, ambitious, aud sarcastic Harriet Bruce.
 1 mus, not dwell minu,ely on particulars, which | observed closely at the lime, and which afterwards sunk deep into my mcm- ory. Young Macdnnough departed once more to take possession of his estate, and prepare it for tho reception of his wife and child. His farewell was alirctiona,c. and his frequent letters seemed to restore my imprudent friend to something of her for- mer buoyancy of soul. The idea of scpa- ration from her father was her principal source of unharpiness bat tho uial was spared her; the imbecii'y of'hc affection ate old man daily increased, and, few days before his daughters departure, death relieved him from the expected loneliness.
 The young husband came, aS he had promised; bu, his manner was colder and his looks more stern than formerly. lhough none could say he failed in the eperiormance of his duty. Harriet never spoke ofany change her manner toward him was obe- dient and allcclionatc, hut never tnnd.- Her romantic visions of human perfection, her proud confidence in hcr own strength, were gone, and nc doubt sue wcpt bitterly otpr their mutual rasliness. Knowing, as she did, that she was burthcn, taken up merely from sense of honor, il is not won dcr(ul her very smile had look of hun'i!i- " and resignation. Their regrets were, however, kept carefully concealed what ever might have been their feelings, both seemed resolved "n a system ofsilcnl cndu- rance. There was something in this course a thousand times more affecting than ,he most pathetic complaints. I shall ncves forget the anguish fel, when l saw Ilar- rict bid farewell to the home of her chlld- hoOd-that home where she had over been an idol and an oracle. Thc lingering prep. ara,ion of dcpar,urc-thc heart broken ex- (pression--ihe reluctant step--ihc dropping hcad-anl inc desperate resolution with | which she at last seized the arm of q us- band wl,o loved her not, and who was about
 to convey her among strangers-thcy are
 all present to me now! Ilarriei's letter soon spoke oi declining
 health! and before three years had elaps- ed, she impIored me to come to her, iG l
 ever wished ,o look upon her again in this
 world of shadows.
 ! immediately obeyed tho summons.---
 Things were worse than expected. She was evidently very weak and though she had every thing VI l,clI wealth could supply, or politeness dictate. ,he balm uf kindness never refreshed Ter weary, sinking spirit. Mr. Nlacjonugh never spoke I'arshly- indeed he scIdom spoke at all but the at- tentinns he paid were so obviously fron' sense of duty, that ,lscy fell like ice-dfops on the heart of suffering wife. beard no rcproacl,es on either side; but day seldom passed without some occurrence more or less painful to my friend. Once, when little Lucy jumped into her fathers arms, as he entered, and eagerly exclain,-