Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1849-05-03
THE GREEN MOUNTAIN

her loss, and how little her capabllty OF
sustaining it. When he was gone ! Where
WAS her world now? She had battered 1t
for an empty vision, and now that the gilt
Ter was passing, she could only creep into
some corner and die. Oh! how the heart
aches when il is first startled from its glo'
rious dreams of seeming love, and finds that
love idolatry! How it longs for, yet breads
to meet a return of the deep floods OF feel
ing which is wearing away the qulverIng
chords of life. The power of intellect may
control any outward manifestation of feel
ling, but when alone, with the memory OF
the loved one lingering like sunshine a.
round her heart, if there is moment OF
entire happiness this side of the grave, it is
then, when soul and spirit and intellect are
melting away into a beautiful dream OF
love. Lolah was the first to break the sill
ence, for woman's heart is not governed by
the strong will and power thai character
ICES the sterner sex, but her voice was agl-
tated with emotion as she replied in ans
wer to his question, "When once Mexi-
can woman has learned to love she never
forgets."
They were married, and at the same mo.
ment which saw her a wife, the trumpet
blast was heard to summon her husband to
his duty as an American soldier, and her
fathers enemy. They had appointed a
place of meeting with as much security as
could be obtained in such perilous times,
and night after night the graceful form Of
the Mexican girl was seen gliding like
spirit through the pale MOONLIGHT that lay
like misty veil over the battle ground
Heaps of dead bodies barred up her path to
the chapparal, and more than once the gilt
tering knife of the ranchero flashed in the
distance. Horrible sights encompossed her
on every way she turned, but what sacri.
flee was too great to purchase the dear de-
light of sitting by his side, with her head
resting upon his bosom, and nothing but
the bright stars to witness their devotion
What to them was the slow tread of distant
soldiery-what to them was the howl of the
iackall, that seeming the warm blood, crept
from his ambush to secure his meal. The
loved in each others society-the world had
no other power to disturb their happiness.
One night, it was the second week of loves
strange betrothal, she had bent her steps as
usual to the chapparal, but not with her ac-
customed speed, for fearful forebodings
were weighing like lead upon her heart
The moon was struggling throgh the dull
clouds, looking lovely and weary an I'M
usual mist hung over the chapparal, and
around the hills as if to hide the fearful
sun of Gods life, that had that day been
been wasted. " If any thing has happened
to him." said Lolah, giving utterance to the
vague fears that possessed her. At that
moment low moan attracted her attention,
and almost flying to the spot whence it
came, she discovered her husband lying in
the agonies Of death. He had batlled with
the bullets and bombsheIs all the day to
meet his death by the chance shot OF ram
chero. With a quietude almost startling,
she bent over him and drew his form to her
heart, breathing sweet words of tenderness
brow but no Ss's symPtd hfF P+g grief Nls s
her lips. Her eyes kindled up with fear
full briliancy, but no tear diinmcd their
dropping lids. Their pure source had been
suddenly dried. and the glorious sun Of in
tellect into a midnight of hopeless insanity.
And all night long she sat under the dark
shadows of the chapparal, with the ifeless
form of her husband Graded in her arms
and frightening by her holy presence the
creatures of prey that were all too anxious
to secure the prize; and when the morning
came, and the mist drew itself up from the
mountains to let in the sunlight, her weary
lids closed over the bright glaring eyes, ant
pillowing her head upon the soldiers pulse
less heart, she slept few hours Of qaie
undisturbed sleep. Aud thus, they wer,
found the living and the dead, clasped il
each others arms, with the long rich hal
of the sleeping girl, rising and falling wit
the breeze, and winding around her has
band like dark pail over the tomb of love
They stroye to separate them without wax
ing her, but they need not have taken tn
precaution, for she had lost all knowledg
of the past. The father who had been wo
by the affection of his only child, to aifos
protection and shelter to the wounded A
mericau, now looked with grief upon tn
wreck Of that child folded her in his arm
and wept as if his heart was broken. The
took her home to the lonely cottage by tt
hill side, where she was kept in close col
fnement, for with a phantasy peculiar
the insane she bewailed her fathers cruelt
in preventing her meeting her HUSBAND
whom she supposed was waiting for her
the side of the chapparal but one sad ev
ming, GLIDING pursuit, she stole out and fle
to the scene of death-no trace was left
the horrors Of that night, but she SCENE
to feel a strange weight upon her heal
as it something had occurred Of which 81
retained some faint memory. Sudden
, pressing her hands to her temples, she ga
one wild look of anguish, aad fell dead u
: on the spot where she had last seen her hi
, band. Consciousness had returned for
moment with its awful sense ofbercaveme
r and in that moment her loving heart h
broken; she had joined her husband
| heaven.
Il II
, Little was ever heard of her history, c
! cept that beautiful Mexican girl was fou
- dead near the chappara i'll the vicinity
t the American camp, but few ever guess
h the cause of her death.
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!; Educ9ti0n Of the Affect ans