Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1844-05-17

melancholy expression Of the DARK eyes
and in HE subdued. cad tones Of ne sweet
| est voice that ever brea,hed on mortal ear
and in the weight Of thought that seemed
| 10 lie upon brow, white . the white
~ athing band that crossed IL.
Long ago, The actor and re nun had
been besro.hed lovers; but jpss % ,hei,
engagement was abou, 10 bel ratified BY
marriage. Camilla. had disappcared from
the scene Of their at,acbmca,--a village
not far from Milan; and after many futile
attempts TO discover the cause 81, her dis,
appear ance, i,had been concluded that she
had peri.hed mysserionsly. Frahseseo,
from that hour becoming unsettled an0 un-
steady, quilted al last. Ills former peace-
ful procession. and entered upon the un.
certain calling of an actor.
And how could you leave me Camlla!'
he continued. his voice Auuering As he
spoke So how could you leave NE? nigh,
we not hove been So happy! and what
are we now! why have you acted ,ta,.r
She was calm as statute; but his
words-his varying countenance. showed
how much he felt. Need l remind you.'
said she of the cause of all hist Were
you no! false TO me! Was not all other
,hcn!'
False Camilla! II might be so; bn,
we'll hast thou avenged that falsehood-
that momentary infa.uation that idle pas.
sion, born Of circumstances dying aln,cs,
in its birth. Was i. for ,ha. thou has,
sacrificed myself and ms-made me w,l:a,
am-condemned ,hyselfto this! True.
! sinned against thee; but, hads. thou no
iorgiveness-no mercy!'
Art thou moi happy. Francesca 7 ask.
ed the calm tones of The nun.
Happy! no; judge not by the painted
surface Of the life ! lead--,hose short lived
'riumphs-,l,ese sensual pleasures these
frivolous joys. / was not made for this
wandering, lonely-hearted existence, to
which thou hast doomed met
'And TO what hast thou 10, doomed NET
exclaimed The nun, bitterly to wha, hast
thou not doomed me! This lress-these
walls-,his life! was made far these 2
The actor sunk in chair. covering his
face with his hands. And for that one
transgression-.ha.l long repen.ed wrong
Camilla. how did you conirivo to vIuds all
pursuit! l sought you long and earnest.
ly.'
Camilla sat beside him, and told her
story.
francesca, Il loved you well, a my
past life, and this moment prove. Our
early fundamentals happy dawn g-
its sanctioned vows-i.s prosperous pro-
erosion -of these l need no. speak you
cannot have forgotten them. But your
love wandered. watched the fading en-
bers. with an agony Of heart beyond the
power of words. Watched the Aamesiuk,
then rise. then sink again the alterations
of hope and fear are hard TO bear. With
my proud, warm nature. think how much
| have suffered! l myself am not one TO
change, and could not brook change in
-.,...--i" you icasy OF sii. Beneath sh4,
pain Of your Gckleness, my very life seem.
ed wi,hering.-As for the object Of your
new passion. she was poor Offering
,hing-dazzling for the moment. 1 could
not feel Jealousy Of her. And Tie nnn,
with conscious pride, turned full Upon the
eyes of her lover the wonderful and ye!
undiminished beauty OF her face.
'Bnt l, while despising her. felt ye.
more bitterly the hu,n;lia'ions Of your neg
lect. Well; but one changed hope and
fear into despair that could take no COM
fort save in revenge. Chance made me
the specta,or-msde me the auditor ofyour
avowal Of love to her. Did / no. hear ii
all Those expressions passionate. wor
shipping 1.-The same words you had so Of
Ten poured forth into mine own ear! But
| had strength to listen and 10 look in 81.
lence. | betrayed not my misery 10 your
compassion. Turning from that scene. !
took my resolution. and kept it. Since
tina. hour. a. we'll you know, we have new
er met.
You ask how contrived to elude dis
covery. fed at once to Milan; ! chang
ed my name entreated adn,i,,ance into
the convent, telling story but not true
one. obtained permission TO take al
once the final vows. l became a nun
But when those bright tresscs were sever
ed from my head-.he tresses whose beau.
~ you had so often praised-l saved the
golden treasures, that, when we met again.
and parted once again and Tor ever. nigh.
render them to you as token Of remem.
berance.
The actor started TO his feet. But We
part no more, Camilla no: have suf-
lered enough. Let US be happy =
Francesca, am a vowed num-