Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1847-02-25

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so far Conquered her feelings Is 10 give
up hope. This step she knew would d..
eide her fate. rhefe would be no more
whitening hours Of suspense. no more snx
ious Searninks Of the soul alter thai hap.-
Il piness. vhich abe could never hope 10 en-.
Ijoy-the calmness Of despair would take
! The place Of heari-sickening unseffaints.
But then would come the thought Of what
she had lost-how blight. bow full Of Joy,
might have been her way through life
Here was The siirg this was the poison
TO The wound.
= Ia such q mood was Alice, On her
wedding night. To every eva iha,. sav
her, asbe appeared hsppy-no one would
have thought that the cheerful expression
tof that face was but an assumed mask TO-
hide despsiring heart. She was deter.
mined no one should know her secret,
and well dad she conceal ii. Feryeni
was the short. unconected prayer Tor sup
port that she breaihed 10 Heaven. As
George Melville led her through the now
hushed company. 10 the centre OF The
toom-her hear, sohk within her; she
felt that The hour OF trial had come-oue
struggle. and it would be over.
The ceremony commenced, bat she
knewit not. for her eye had met the gaze
Of one whose glance bad power 10 move
The irmost depths Of her soul-it was
Walter Clandon; be was standing wi hin
IA few fee: Of her; his, face was deslhly
pale, and there was . wild CLEAN in his
eye, but in that lip. irm as il cbiseled in
marble, and in that manly bearing, one
Night have read The high resolve which
enabled him 10 see happiness. his hearts
5esres, idol. with every fond hope lie bad
cherished, thus passing away from him.
Long, burning. was the gaze be Fixed up
on Alice. She tell its power. and yet
could not withdraw her eyes-they were
bound as II by spell-zthat look had
moved the hidden fountains Of her heart
Was it by that secret. spiritual commu.
| MON OF souls which I'VE so little under
stand, she read in :ha, sleadfasl look the
deep anguish of7concealed. hopeless love,
the misery Of which Der own heart had so
long knoyn, Was il by loves instinct
she felt she was the object Of iha, love
Bright was the ray which passed across
her soul. but dark. dark, black as midnight,
was the despair that followed. She was
losl-lost with happiness almost within
her grasp. Que moment, and she would
be snother's, with the almost certain
knowledge that Walter loved her-,hst
the pure fervent affection, which pride
babe her conceal. was reiurned. A week.
day, AN hour before. how happy would
she have been with this kno vile dge-butI
now it was loo lale! Her brain yreeled.
the lights. the persons who surrounded
her, and the room. dew around in one
wild whirl-her strength failed, and with
a smotbered scream she fell TO the floor.
II is the Students room agaioa He is
rapidly pacing the floor. as if be would fly
from the wretchedness w hich haunis him.
the misery that bows down bis very soul.
Without. every thing is gay and happy.
The sun is shining brightly. the birds are
CHIPPING almost 10 the windows III bis
room. and the balmy breath Of / spring
morning comes on every breeze. But
| what are these things tohims They only
remind him Of his joyous childhood, when
he was light and free, &heii sorrow was
unknown 10 him, and add psng 10 his
present feelings. His heart sinks within
him as be looks 10 the gloomy future,
where no bright ray appears to cheer him
onward. 10 an hour he is 10 !eayeghis
native village, TO commence the practice
| OF law in distant town. He has resolv
ed to leave the scenes which keep Alice
Alton continually before bis mind-to
forget her-io yield no longer 10 passion
which has well nigh untitled him ior the
course he is 10 pursue.
1 Since we last met him, on the night
/ that the marriage was % singularlvinter.
rupted, his mind has been chaos Of
doubts and hopes. At times be I'm agined~
that the evident abhorrence Alice had 10.
. union with Melville. must proceed from
concealed love for another; and bis heart
beat high with hope Is be thought be
might be the object Of that love. Her
agitation on that night. ,as she encounter
ed bis glance. and her SUBSEQUENT bebs-
vior. induced this belief; but then be
1 thought that bis own fond wishes inAu-
enced him, and that, even il il were so,
his situation 10 life would be q 6rm bar
between her and himself, sunk him TO
despair. Rumor had given q thousand
reasons for the occurrence. aud some Of
them were so plausible that he was dis
posed 10 believe them.
| The hour passes-ihe' stage coach is at
the door, and in few moments be is
I vhirled away ron. tie place where he
II as spent so many happy. 90 many miser
able hours Little does he dream be is
tleaving behind him a breaking heart !;
thai tue being be loves 80 detotedly, 60
hopelessly. is Weeping butnipg, scalding
tears, as she feels that inThim she loses all
ilihat binds her to liis-ihat without him
she is utterly slonely and forsaken.-
lSuch is life.
Il Years passed-lone. changing years,
Ilthat brigh,ened the smiles Of some, and
caused the tears Of others to How-thal
Hooked npon: the cradle. and the new
Imsde grave. the gay bridal party, and The
! Ifnneral irain. Years that few almost %.
beaded By some. and whose tedious round
! Others counted By days and nights Of sor
row. But they were gone. with tbei
smiles and their tears, their sunshine AMI
: their clouds.s
81 10 boudoir. tasteful lys cited M viii
I all those little niceties which belong /,
4 woman 10 her private life, iai Alice Al
1 ton. She vas Paler and more broke,