The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1843-10-03

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! leviate IT,"
Sophia listened with tears TO this recital
aud made the required promise. The Low
efs for while talked OF the sufferer and
then gradually passed 10 p'easanter themes.
In the indulgence If these we leave them.
The next morning the storm ragged fer
| Ger Than ever. The wind howled aloug
The street, the easement shook, and the
snow spun and Kissed in the tempest. So
pha had not forgotten her promise. but
looking at her watch after breakfast aud
finding the hour early, she concluded to
wait awhile for the subsistence of the storm.
Sitting down IN her boudolr she too Up "a
new novel, aud was soon immersed IN lis
pages. Hour after hour passed away, and
though she ofen thought of her promise,
aud locked TO the window 10 see If The gale
aba,ed, yet the tempest ragged so VIOLENTLY
the book was so iacina,lng, aud she though,
the probability Of any harm ensuing from
her delay so small, that, With her usual ca
sy procrasiination, enc concluded to wait a
little while longer. and so continued reading.
A last two o'clock came, and the storm
abated. The novel. too was finished. -
Sophia ordered the carriage, and with some
misgiyings set forth. She had 10 dilicu!
,y in finding the miserable howell 10 which
her lover bad directed her.
As she asceuded the steps she thought
she heard volcef, and sudden fear came
nvc, ha, H. ,le,r mas sor,..v anI nd, 4, o.,
ton in The speakers. among them she lao
cied she recognised her lover. PILED wrih
remorse she lo,ierod up TO the door, aud,
pushing 1t open, saw q scene that she nev
er forgot
On the humble pallet lay pale and beau
ulOl face, whnsc icy look Of reposo too
plainly evinced that the couu'epance was
that Of corpse. BY the bedside stood an
nged physician, sorrow aud indignation o..
tcrpatng IN his lsnce as be gaz d on the
dead. Near him was q woman, mcanly IA,
,Ifed, With her aoron up to her oyos, and
weeping freely. The other member Of The
group was Sophia's lover, standing wrh
fold arms and stern brow, silently &c
eqrding the corpse.
"And you cay" said the physician, turn
ing slightly 10 Conrad, JUS, at the instant
when Sophia reached the door, " tha. she
promised to come here early aud procure
the medicines and appliances ordered last
night. This poor woman tells me she has
not been here God help Us, had she come,
The sufferers life nigh, have been saved.
Yes, your honor" sobhcd the female
" watched for her, hour after hour. but !
dared no, leave the bedside, and oil ii J
could, and had had the money, or even
knew wha, you ordered, Id have cote on
ny knees and begged II, tho poor girl suf
eted so. But 10 one came until my ltttlt
boy returned from school, ahen | sent him
TO find this gentlemen, who, by good luck
sas at home. But when you arrived she
was dead"
81 this instant Conrad looked Up ard
caught sight Of Sophia, who stood iransfs
ed with horror a, the consequences Of her
misconduct. lis exclamation attracted
every eye 10 the same direction. A, It
moved BY some uncomfortable impulse, he
started forward, aud serving Sophia's arn,
dragged her sternly to the bed side.
"Womaa, looked a, your work, he said
\" gu have murdered her by being Zoo late. F"
Sophia Shudderlng al the pale and seem
ing reproachlul face Of the corpse turned
away, but not daring TO look into her on
gry lovers face, sought consolation IN those
OF his CO npaniou's. But each regarded her
With tho same averted lock, The scene
was too much for her. She (sinted.
When she rect rered she was living IN
her own chamber, with her parents sadly
watching over her. Their looks seemed
to imply that they had heard all, US indeed
thew bad
For several DAYS Sophia hoped That her
lover would releut from his determination
expressed 10 note to her parents, never to
visit her agaln. Bu. she hoped IN vuln.--
lie adhered 10 the language Of that terri
bic letter. lie could not, no said, unite his
fate to one who had tri1cd with human
life By a criminal proctas;inaiion. Her
fault he now knew 10 DO ncurable, though
he had long hoped Otherwise.
And fearful os this lesson wac, Conrad
was right. Habits, when once thoy have
become o second nature, can rarely, il ev,
or, DO cradicatcd and Sophia continued to
her dying day to procrasluale until 1t was
TOO LATE.