The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1838-11-27


fire or the more slinted light of the tWo-Wicked
Candle furnished blythe sad ECONOMY OF the lar
mers wife.
lie was on visit at Mr.. EIlison's when the
arrival in the village Of celebrated ocuhst was
announced; and Mr.. Ellison, without warning
brought him home TO examine Deiano's eyes;
! Mary Ellison was reading aloud, when her
| father entered and Introduced the surgeon. she
| did not leave the room, nor move rom ier seat
but took up her stitching from the iiltie work
box that stood on the sofa beside her, ana :ivteu
her eyes upon it. The action would not have
betrayed her feelings TO careless observer, hut
Deano knowing how instructive her kind sym
pathies were, and how ready she was ito mani
fest them if one OF the children but got silver
in his finger made his own secret differences
and while his eyes hastily glanced over her pale
face, his color changed. Mr. Ellison marked
this, and said, "You would like to have Dr.
examine your eyes?-woud you not, Hayward"
"Certainly, Sir"
81 thought SO. And you wish him to give
his opinion frankly, and without any reservation
do you not?'
eyes, sir. There is no use in shrinking from
an evil, however terrible, that our cowardlce will
not lessen, and only units us to bear"
"You are right, my son, very right" said Mr..
Ellison. Tho "my son" accidental, but
there IRE moments when word, lightly uttered,
fa $ upon the ear with mighty force, and as
Haywar Nturned to expose his eye to the f'lI'
light, his agitation was manifest. The doctor
asked many questions and examined long and
accurately. He then walked up and down the
room, ,ohistLing. Those who knew him would
have hoded no good from this for ii, was his hab
it when he found disease beyond the reach OF
his art 1t seemed an involuntary effort TO hide
his benevolent compassion. He stopped min
ute before Mary, and her face arrested his
thoughts "You pale young Indy he said,
"you do no credit 10 your mountain air; and
then, as ifhe had uttered the words unconcious-
w. he turned upon his heel and said, in low
voice to Mr.. Ellison, "You are sure should he
perfectly frank with your young lrend!'
ayes, | will answer for his fortude.'
HAYWARD hogan now 10 bode the worst, and
when the Doctor said, "You wish the truth, he
replied in IL tremulous voice, ayes, sir, without
further suspense
"You have no near fiend!present TO be shock
ed? the doctor glanced his eye at Mary. 81
hare no near friend, sir in the common accep-
aton of the term Hayward, as he spoke, in
voluntarily turned his eye to Mary; she raised
hers and glance flashed from them that spoke
volumes. He would have usked the doctor to
defer his opinion hut it was To late. He was
proceeding with professional GOODNESS to state,
that the nature Of the disease precluded hope
that there would be a decay ofthe sight, it might
he slow, but must inevitably end in blindness
Hayward heard him without one word of reply,
and the DOCTOR shrinking from Witnessing the
pain he was compelled to iniict, snd could not
alleviate, hastily left the house, followed 10y Mr..
Ellison.
Deano covered his face with his hands. Not
Il breath was heard in the apartment, Till low
but emphatic murnur rose from his heart, and
that thrice blessed sentence that has so often eX-
pressed the obedience of the Christian spirit fell
from. his lips, Goods viii he donep
Courage and strength, ms it always does, fol-
lowed this religious acIuicscence. lie looked
up, his eyes turned to Mary. She sat perfectly
still. He pronounced her name. She did not
answer He approached her, AT first irresoiltely,
and then with II spring, was a; her side. She
hud E,inted. He chilled no aSsstnnce-he made
no effort to recover her, but rested her head up
on his bosom and lost every other feeling in one
blissful certainty The lover, at the moment OF
recovering his beloved from the tomb, forgot the
poison he had himself swallowed. Hayward
forgot the blindness that awaited him, he lost
all sense of pas, and future, aud felt his whole
being diiatcd and exalted with The present.
When Mary recovered her consciousness, there
was no possibility, if either had wished it OF
concealing the state of their affections. Hay
ward told her how long and how ardently he
had loved her; how he had mt first looked upon
her as unnttainablc; how when the hope that he
was beloved had flashed upon him he had repell-
ed it--now rs u preSumptuous Illusion, ana now
as an unavailable truth.
The first moments Of n confessed mutual love,
have bssful independence of all extraneous
circumstances. Nothing is asked that the world
can give, nothing dreaded of its powers to take
away. But this is trance that cannot last; and
when our lovers awakened to realities, Hayward
saw the abyss that must separate him from Ma
~, and felt the insulation TO which his calamity
must condemn him, aggravated thousand told
by his glimpse Of possible happiness. He said
nothing; but his countenance as suddenly chan
ged as the face of Nature, when flood OF sun
beams are intercepted by the stormy cloud; his
whole figure seemed to stiffen with the mortal
col,Iness that struck upon his heart. 1t was,
long or rather it seemed to poor Mary very long,
before he replied to her tremulous importantly.
81 must live and die in darkness, and-----
alone!'
"Aoner echoed Mary, smiling through her
tears relieved from The dread OF an unknown
eyil,-"Your mstrust would almost mnke me
fear you do not love me, Hayward. Did ever
calamity divorce hearts that truly loved? On!
no--no-t is the fire from heaven that consumes
all the littleness of earth, the petty yanties ana
ambition that debase and imperfect love. Hay
ward, you may think the confession a strange