, 1842-05-14

-
merchant. But the romance of his
early days had long since passed a.
way. The imaginative student was
concealed or rather lost in the man
of the world. Thrown upon his own
resources, in a foreign land, and sur
rounded by strangers he had learned
10 think and act for himself. He had
acquired the worldly wisdom which
enabled him TO study his own inter
ests, and it is not strange that selfish
ness should have mingled its alloy
with his naturally amiable character.
During his long %sojouln abroad no
claims had been made upon his afiec-
tons, he hal lived unloving and uE-
loved, and the warm current Of his
feelings seemed gradually to have be-
come chilled. When seen through
the mist of absence, or viewed through
the long vista Of time, the familiar
faces of his distant home, faded into
vague and indistinct images. He re-
turned TO the scenes Of his youth with
a feeling Of strangeness and the re-
membranes at every step OF his ap-
proacll were rattle, mournful than
pleasant TO his soul.
Edward Ellis had been several DAYS
at home, he had fully answered all
the claims Of flial and fraternal duty.
and received the congratulations of
the friends who are always found
reody TO note ones good fortune, ere
he bent his steps towards the dwelling
Of Edith Pemberton. His feelings in
this as ia most other things were ma
terially altered. His early passion,
like his aspirations, after fame, had be-
come but as n dream of the past, 4
shadow Of SOME unattainble felicity.
The hope which once made his love
a source of anticipated happiness, had
long since faded from his sight, and as
time passed on, 4 tender and melan-
cholly interest, such as one feels when
regarding the youthful dead, was the
only emotion which the recollection
of Edith could inspire. He had out
the affection which he had de-
signed to be the measure Of their ex-
istence. The flower had been blight
ed by the cold breath of worldiness,
and so many sordid interests had oc-
his heart since, that every
trace of its beauty was lost forever.
Not with a wish to revive old feel
but from a morbid restless un-
satisfied yearning towards the past,
Ellis betook himself to the abode of
once loved Edith.
As he entered the hall. and ere the
servant could announce his name. Il
young lady emerged from the draw
and met him face to face.
He started in unfeigned surprise, as
he exclaimed
"Miss Observation-Disclosures it
be possibIe"
The lady looked a little alarmed,
and opening the door through which
had just passed said
"My name is Margaret, sir; did
you wish to see sister Edith"
He answered in the affirmative,
and as he took his seat while the sylph-
ike figure of the beautiful girl disap-
peared, he could not help glancing at
The mirror, where Il moments refiec-
ton soon convinced him that the years
had so changed him could
scarcely have left Edith untouched.
The thought that Margaret whom he
mad left almost an infant should have
thus expanded into the lovely image
her sister, prepared him in some
measure for other changes.
Edith had expected his visit with a
Of spirits most unusual and
She was concious that
he would find her sadly altered in
person. and she had been trying to
school herself for the interview (which
she well knew must be fraught with
pain even if il brought happiness
But when her young sister came TO
hcl with 4 ludicrous account of the
strange gentleman's droll mistake, her
prophetic soul, which had acquired
The gift of prescience from sorrow,
saw but too plainly the cloud upon
ler future. She descended TO the
lrawing-room with a determination
control her emotions, and, TO one
30 accustomed to self command, the
task though difficult was not impossi-
Die.
The meeting between the long
parted lovers was painful and fell of
,onstraint. In the emaciated figure
md hollow cheek other who had long
passed the spring Of lite, Ellis saw lit
10 to awaken the associations of ear
Y affection, for the being who now
before him scarcely retain