Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-12-11
No. 30.

= we uTIuegTOOm looked 6tOnshed at her bea
r ing; It had no trace Of womauy emotion: i
t c6Iei characteristic was an air, not Of compc
+ sure, but Of firm resolution. The newly mar
RED pair set Out at once for London, aud fe,
weeks after sailed for India. She had mad
" Inc chlet condition OF their marriage, tina
Capt. Maitland should take her thither. Sure
" he must have loved her passionately, or h.
would not heve exchanged his bright HON
prospects for uncertain ones in India. But the,
went, and though an occasional letter reaches
us from Agatha, containing few brief lines
many years passed before we heard ANYTHING
definite resHecinr her. Long, long years
and yet nothing had occurred to unravcl the
mystery on which we had scarcely dared to
question her, The general impression at the
lime was, that jealousy had caused The sapara-
tlon between Agatha and Lorimer, and ths t
Howard Maitland had been favored rival. We
who knew her intimately, felt tina, it was not
so but we were as far as a stranger could be
from solving the riddle
Long years my. parents both slurnbered in
the dust, and myself had known the pang Of
early love cruelty disappointed. Ny first, my
only ove-ihe only one beloved with deep az.
lection that springs from the heart not the
fancy, had been taken from me BY lingering
decline. My mental suffsrings on that occa-
sion had injured my health, and prevented me
from pursuing my profession as usual, and
had retired to Selworth to gather if possible.
strength for my mind aud body, before return
ing TO my ordinary pursuits It was there ]
received letter from my cousin Agatha. and
70 my great surprise, dated from London. -
one had come thther in order to place her
Two children at school, and she wished me to
! N rO Inflrr
bed herself as wre,chedly out Of health, and
hef whole letter bespoke deep dependency.
wrote Immediately in reply, begging her to
come at once, and to make my house her home
as long as it should suit her to do so.
Agatha had been fearfuly changed before
she left England by her sudden and crushing
sorrow; but there was now hardly a trace OF
her former self remaining Her whole form
seemed shrunkcn and wi,hered; her delicate
complexion utterly destroyed; her ewes s,,nkcn.
md the r. aundant ,resses which used to wave
50 gracefully about her head, were repl aced by
false braids and cap. She was no longer
beautiful, and seemed already an old woman
| The past appsa red all dream there was no
Identity between this faded feeble woman, and
the bright happy girl who used TO shed around
her perpetual sunshine. There was a Ian
guild trettulness about her manner that Jared
| strangely on my feelings, and saw with sor-
row, that the sweetness and huoyancy of her
temper, were totally gone. She was the frs,
to speak of the past. had never alluded 20
IIt-hut she spoke Of it freely and fully.
" You have not, perhaps, heard that Captain
Lorlmer is dead" she observed, and started
to hear his name from her lips in Il tone OF
such composure. SIT it had been otherwise.
you would not have seen me in England; for
from the moment | left it | vowed never 10 st
loot IN the country whose air he breathed.
DOUBT not, Edmund, that you have often won
ueFed why was silent as 10 the cause of our
separation. but at the time il took place il |
seemed to me zoo dreadful. too utterly horrible |
TO be spoken OF. Ejmund, at the very time |
LnrLner was pouring his vows into my delight. |
ed ear, al the yeTv time he was using every |
art to win my atiecton-,he first affection Of |
an innocent unSuspectlng gjrl--a; that very |
time he was the husband OF another There
II have spoken il at lsst--he was the hus>
band Of another. Let me breathe--let me |
breathe freely, and will tell you the par,rcu,
lars of the affair, as far as | know them.
From the time our acquaintance commen-
ced, he seemed 10 be inspired with a passion |
Tor me, but there was something gloomy and |
strange about him at times--a sha low crossinr
MS brow in the very midst Of gaiety, for which
was al loss 10 account knew at once he
loved me, and | returned his love with my
whole heart. You know how free from all dis
g"iSe used to be, and you will easily suppose
that Lorlmer must soon have been aware that,
our affection was mutual.
" Yet it was long before he spoke Of love -
II least to me, whose whole heart was his be-
ore he asked tit seemed that his DELAY was
nermlnable. He frequently left town for
hree or four days, and at every parting nv
7eart throbhed with hope, that the expected
tvowal would come; but still the opportunity
passed, and though his looks were eloquent. his
los were silent. But he returned from ore of
heSe excursions all altered man. His face was {
10 longer gloomy, his manner no more resery-
'd--the seal was removed from his heart and
IS feelings gushed forth 10 words. Nv faiher
approved OF our engagement; for Lorimer was q
II noble family. and had excellent prospec,,. 4
Jh, Edmund, those were happy days! q
There was still one strange circumstance o
bout his conduct. Nothing could Induce hin! 81
o agree 10 remain in England His present h
ortune and future prospects at home rendered b
quite necessary for him to seek his fortune
broad, but he seemed 10 have an uncanouer-
bic desire to vis, India aud 60 he would.
ly father did not offer any opposition 10 the
lam for it was natural that he should wish n
, have his only child as near him as he could. 81
nd as to me, If | were only with Lorimer. cC
ID not care in what country in the vide world ii
~ lot might be cast. OF
"Oh, that love was the summer Of nv life "
nd tie memory OF is hight and beauty launls to
e, as the summer his own land must come bl
ick upon the memory Of him who wanders IA fe
le regions OF eternal sorrows! MY winter 20