Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1844-11-02
VOL. II.

and oh so very, very sweet.
But when this enterprise, so costly
to her, but so pregnant with golden
promise, fell to tae ground with ru-
Iinous crash, through misconduct and
recklessness, unexcused now BY the plea
of inexper!ence and youth, the discov-
cry of a new hope and safer course,
became painfully difficult. Her own
small gains-even if she reserves none
of them--would be but the mockery OF
a supply for one of his cxtravigant hab-
Its and how speak to him imploringly
Iof pinching economy, without seem
ling to rcproach him in the hour OF his
bitterness =!
Self, however, will sometimes start
plan, where even sympathy like hers,
is ineffective. The brother of Lydde
Erie. was conscious of one thing, which
Lyddia Eeie could never have thought
Iof-the priceless value of such sister.
Some months before, a sentiment stole
into her mind, favoring the advances OF
a youth Of manifest deserts, whose pas
sion spoke more in his silence than In
his speech, and he was unequvocai.--
In her inoccnt nature, " this little bud
Of love- was silently opening to the
sunshine, when her brother at once
crushed it. The object of it was too
noble for him to hold communion with
and besides, he could not afford to
give away such sister, to any lover:
MISREPRESENTATION, found assurance. and
chiefly lies foul with detraction, enabled
him to sti1e the growing preposscsslon.
Now, however, his view OF marriage
changed. A friend of his own, bold,
absolute, and hard-minded, but rich at
present, came a sutton to the blushing
| Lydde--whos hrunk back terror strick-
| en- at the bare thought. She would
have leaped into her brothers heart,
had it been open to shelter her; but 1t
rcpulscd her, tenderly at first, then
sternely, even fcrcely, in anger and
establishment at her resistance. But
resist, with all her gentle and unpollu-
ted blood, she must-she must. His
arguments, his passions, could not here
overwhelmingly they shocked and
wounded her. He spoke of bis own
ruined state-his starved and hopeless
condition Lyddie tremblcd he spoke
of the secret uses to which he could
turn the rich connection formed by
the marriagc-of the bright fortune,
which, by certain contrivances.it would
bring him--and Lyddie shuddered.
Not that even for the being most
beloved by her under heaven for him
compared with whom herself was no.
thing, dust. To give what was yet
left Of her store, to engage with heart,
head and hands, to raise what might
be necessary for replacing him in the
world, was casy,it was happiness; and
to take it, together with the passionate
assurance of the wonders her affection
was yet to work in his behalf, was to
him not difficult, and anything but mis-
cry.
People blamed the extravaganza, the
audacious swagger Of the brother, yet
cxtolcd him as noble-hearted but they
blamed more the presumption of poor
Lyddie, her want of affection for her
relative, herinsensibility to his interests
in refusing such a match. There
were faults they said, son both sides"
Trials were at hand that wrung from
her eyes tears of blood. Not the silent
sufferings hourly undergone in sights,
injuries, insults incurred by the anx-
ious INDECENT teacher-in bitter Pri-
vations, endured rather than spend the
produce of the music lesson-of ia
tigue and misery, only not overwhelm-
ing and intolerable, because sustained
for his sake--no, these were light tri-
ais, compared with the heavy, awful,
and life-darkening secret, which had
fallen like a huge block of ice upon
her soul, and seemed, so chilling, and
crushing was its influence, to bury her
alive.
Lyddie Erie had--had she seen by
horrible accident had she heard by
undersigned or voluntary confession
She had at least, by some means, of
which she was mistress by dire mis-
chance, become aware. that the beloved
Of her soul. herid ol-brother,t to preserve
whom spotlcss. it is weak word to
say she would have died-she would
have lived in tortures to do twas
even now, past recall. a robber in act,
and an assassin in thought.
The rich rous, on a marriage con-