The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-03-21

geous glory would have caught the breath from
any other beholder There she sat, watching the
SUMS splendid descent, impatient for its setting,
which would bring Louis and Louise home, and
hasten the hour Of her departure with her daugh-
ter-the hour of her vengeance. There she sat,
resolved, though knowing how much Louise loved
Louis-aye, and Rating her for thus loving him
knowing how this separation would torture Louise,
and taking a secret and dabolical pleasure in the
idea of the torture-smiling grimly to herself at
the thought Of this separation smiling grimly at
the thought that Louise should suffer for having
thus transferred her sffections-that Louis should
be agonized for having won from herself this
love-that General Stuart Gordon should be hu-
inflated for having douhy mortified her, in the
disappointment OF her ambitious projects both for
herself and her daughter. This Ssnxi scp.ara1ion
and its cause would lay his pride in the dust |!
For herself she was too really and essentially
proud to care what construction might be put
upon her actions She sat there, stern, erect res
ola.e, desSruiasd bnt calm, except when. acca-
sionally that diabocsl grin distorted her features,
going on with her knotiing without droppinAene
Stitch or missing one mesh.
At last, when the sun had sunk behind the
mountain, and when the slantipg shadows had
stretched quite across the river, darkening the
whole scene rap was heard Mt her door, and
soon after Kate Jumper entered
"Mrs Stuart-Gordon has just returned, madam,
and is coming up to her room to change her dress
for dinner Let me have the keys0
GDid you deliver my message 10 herf
eyes madam but she prefers to dress first"
"Louise pays very little regard to my wishes
since her MARRIAGE thought the mother, bitterly,
then she said, Go and tell Mrs. Stuart G ordon
that | am waiting for her heren
The woman had scarcely left the room before
the light step and clear voice Of Louise was heard
tripping and singing up the stairs, merry, thrill
ling quadrille air The dancing and the singing
abruptly ceased as she reached the door Of her
mosSer's apartment, 2StA raped before venturing
to enter.
"Come in, my daughtcry' sala the voice of the
lady, in kinder tones than those she usually en-
ployed in speaking to her child or to any one else
in fact.
Louise opened the door softly, and entered the
"You have very unladylike manner of enter
ing house and ascending fight of stairs, my
daughter am pleased, however, that your bois-
terousness moderated little as you neared my
door,
"Dear mother, Louis loves to see me merry
encourages me to be wild-and indeed lately
have tendency that way, so that sometimes
forget you"-
doh, have no doubt in the world that you
forget me. was not that, however, Of which
wished to speak to you. Come and sit by my
side, Louise
The girl took the indicated seat, the footstool
at her mothers feet, and, laying her arms over
her mothers lap, looked up into her face, to see
what she was about to say
"Do you love me, Louise ~ asked the lady, in
serious tone.
aMy dear mother would You only let me love
you ~
"Yet for month past you have neglected and
forgotten me for comparative stranger"
This was partly true, as under all the circum-
stances it was pery natural This was true and
Louise could not deny it. She WAS conscience
stricken and pricked to the heart. She was
silent.
"Yes! my child has ceased to love me-my
child has forsaken her mother for comparative
strangerw
Louise hung down her fair head, and the tears
began to gather in her eyes and roll down her
cheeks
any child, that bore aud narsed--that
brought up and educated--that never would send
from me, even to sleep-my only child, has ceased
to love me.
The tears of the daughter were falling fast
She was subdued by the thought that her mo.
ther--her proud, lofty mother-should bend thus
a suppcant for share in her child's heart
eyes, she had ceased to love her mother: her
mother, whose whole and sole thought has been
for her welfare alone"
Louise, filled with remorse had no power Of re-
plying.
eyes. she has ceased to love me me, who re-
manned through all the best years of my life nn.
married for her sake; she has ceased to love me
and am desolatc-a widow childless, and DESC
lateD
Here, with her deep knowledge Of human na-
ture, she purposely touched chord at which the
bride's and the ddueMer's heart vibrated to the
quick. With the one idea of the young wife, the
one idea of welded love, filling her mind, she sud-
denly recollected that her mother was-a midow,
and her whole soul filled with an overpowering
tenderness of love and pity, and casting her arms
around her mother, she exclaimed
"A niaomy Oh, my dear, dear mother, forgive
me that never thought of that before mdor :
Oh, my mother, | never knew how much sorrow
was in that word before. A mmoD, Oh, my
poor mother, how much indeed, you must have
suffered. mH0m! Oh may the Lord in mercy
preserve me from ever becoming mdom!'
And sbudder ran through all her frame.
"Ob, my dear mother, do love you, will love
you oil that you will let me- 1t is s'rea to be
permitted TO love you so, mother"
Mrs Armstrong soothed and caressed her child
Had this tenderness in the mother been Gus
tomary thing, il would not then have possessed
such all.sub4uing power over Louise. IL was the
long desired, unhoped 6ve, that, suddenly mani
Testing itself completely subjected the will of the
daughter.
And Mrs. Armstrong pressed her to her bosom,
smoothed back her golden hair, and kissed her
snowy brow. while Louise would murmur softly
ooh, it is so sweet to have you love me so,
mo,ter-m0ther ~ lingering over the last word,
mOihSn slowly, with ineffable tenderness.
Suddenly, Mrs. Armstrong said to her, very
gravely-
snow, my daughter, have something very Sc
rious to say to your
"Say it, my dear mother
aLouise. have been insulted outraged
"Insulted outraged" repeated Louise, looking
up in astonishment
"Yes, my daughter
"Insultedl yor ~ she exclaimed, raising her
self up in sitting posture, and gazing at her
mother in amazement; mother, yoa' Who has
dared ~
General Stuart ordon no less person.
General Stuart Gordon ~ reiterated Louise,
in stupefed wonder.
General Stuart Gordon
Gle! Mother, am thunderstruck Mother,
am | awake7 Shake me, motherp
"You are awake, Louise
"And sane 2-am | sane, mother!"
"Aud sane, Louise
at seems TO me that have the nightmare! !
wish could rouse myself General Stuart y
"My dear child, listen; | will tell you all about
it, General Stuart ordon informed me yester-
day that he was about to be married -
ITO be married.
any dear child, pray cease these vexatious
explanatory repetitions, and listen 70 me. Yes
he informed me he was about to be married to
Britannia O'Riley -
"Britannia ORiley! what Brightly coming
here? Oh -
"Once more, Mrs. Stuart G ordon-I mean my
dear Louise must enireat you TO cease repeat
ing my words; IL impedcs and embsrrasses me
Well, General Stuart Gordon informed me, as
said of his approachinp marriage with Miss