Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1843-09-28

reasoning over loves lights and sbad-
ows. knew the feel OF every one Of
those exquisite fingers-those roiled-up.
rose leaves, withnails like pieces cut.
from the lip of "a she'll Oh, the promi-
ses had kissed into oaths on that little
chef d'euvre Of natures tinted alabaster!!
the psalms and sermons had sat ont
holding it, in her fathers pew!-the
moons had tired outof tile sky, making
of it bridge for our hearts passing
backward and forward. And how could
that little wretch @of hand. that knew
me better than its own other hand, Qor
We bad been more together lie there,
$50 unconsclous Of my presence! How
could she--Kate Crediford -sit nextme,
as shewas doing, with only a stated
partition between us. and her head lean
ing on one side ofa plaster, and mine on
the other, and never start, nor recognize.
nor be at ali aware Of my neighborhood.
/ She was not playing a part, it was ca
sy to'see. Oh, knew those little relay
ed fingers too we'll. Sadness, INDECENT
I and luxurious sadness, was expressed in
her countenance. and her abstraction was
| uEielgned and scontelnplat]Ve. Could
she have so utterly forgotten me-mag-
netlcally, that's to say. Could the at
mosphere about her, that would once
have trembled betrayipgly at my ap-
proach, like the flaming of anangel's in
ylsable wing, have lost the sense of my
presence.
tried to magnetic her hand. I Sxed
my eyes on that little open palm. and
| with all the intensity | could summon.
kissed it mentally in its rosy centre. i
|reprcached the ungrateful thing for its
dizziness and forgettulness, and brought
to bear on it focus of old memories Of
kpTessures and caresses, to which stone
would scarce have the heart to be insen.
/ sible.
f Butt belle myself, in writing this viii
i a smile. / watched those unmoying fiji
gers with heartache. | could not SCI
the face, no: read the thought, of the wo
man who had once loved me, and whs
4 sat. near me, now. so uncons ciausly: but
flt a memory had stirred, ia pulse hat
: quick its beat, those fnely-st.uns
fingers, ! well knew, would have trem
bled responsibility. Had she roreottei
me altogether Is that possible? Can
, woman close the leaves of her heart Q
yer once-loved and deeply-wfittel
, name, like the waves over a vessel
| track-like the air over the Divisional
birds flight?
| had intended to speak presently Il
Miss Cfediford 7; but every moment tn
: restraint became greater. felt no NOR
privileges to speak to her than the stran
: ger who had left the seat occupied.
t drew back. for the fear of encroachin
on her room. or disturbing the fold 9
: her shawl. dared not speak to her,
!, And while / was arguing the matter t
: myself, the party who were with her, az
parently tired of the play, arose and lei
| the theatre-kate following last, but an
spoken to, and unconscious altogether {
: having been near any one whom sh
e knew.
e l Wen. home, and wrote to her a
night, for there was no sleeping till
f had given vent to this new fever at m
f heart. And in the morning took til
d leading thoughts from my heap Of inct
I. herent scribblings, and embodied the,
Y more coolly liz letter.
/ You VIII think, when You look at til
o signature, that this is to be the old stor,
n And you will be as much mistaken a
you are in believing that I was your loy
e er until few hours ago. have declai
k ed love to you. it is true. / have bee
!! been happy with you, and wretohe
: without you; | have thought of you
t dreamed of you, haunted you, sworn t
| you, and devoted to you all and NOR
than you exactel of time and outwar
v service and alteration but I now }oy
yon for the first time in my life. Shall
be SO happy as to make you comprehen
this startling contradiction
There. are many chambers in tn
2 heart, Kate; and the spirits of some q
r us dwell, most fondly and secretly. i
I the chamber of tears. ayowedIv in the on
ter and ever open chamber Of mirth.-
+ Over the sacred threshold. guarded b
sadness, much that we select and smil
e upon, and follow with adulation tn
commonswalks Of life, never passes. w
admire the gay. They make our melan
e .choly sweeter by contrast, when we re
tire within ourselves. We pursue them
!, we take them to ourshearts--to the out
er yestibule of our hearts-and il the.
are gay only, they are content with tn
unconsecrated tribute we pay them there
J But the chamber within is, meantime
lonely. 1t aches with its desolation.-
The echo Of the mirthful. admiration
without, jars upon IFS mournful silence
1t longs for love, but love toned with it
own sadness-loye that can .penehat,
deeper than love ever come--love that
having once entered, can be locked il
5 with It's keyof melancholy, and broodet
{ over with the long dream Of long life
time But that deep hidden and uhseet
f chamber of the heart may be long unten
anted, And, meantime, the spirit be
! comes weary of mirth. and tlnatientl
ii Qup inches the lire pvau epao,, n