The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-07-04

rest during the day without an opiate, as days
and weeks passed without her hearing from or
seeing Louis.
ole will not lose time in writing-he will come
at once, motherl he is so forgiving SO magnani-
nous - had been her first hopeful aud enthusi-
astic assertion. "Whst can be the reason he does
not write at least, If anything prevents him from
coming, mother7n was her despairing inquiry a
week later.
another, write again do write Tell him
that am dying-that shall never see Heaven
if pass hence without bis forgiveness and bless
ingi"
And Mrs Armstrong, to humor her, pretended
to write.
Another weary week Of mental torture passed,
and then Louise pleaded
"Write once more, mother! once morel Plead
with him! it is not for rs to be proud, if he is
here to bed of illnessl that cannot put nv foot
to the ground I! that cannot raise my hand to
my head that, for weakness, can scarcely make
my words audible even TO your listening ear
Tell him that may not live, and cannot die until
he blesses me-
So the heavy weeks passed in torturing sus-
pense or sorrowful pleadings So October passed.
Louise had told the truth. She could not die. A
strange vitality Of anxiety held her life, some
fainting Nay, more: with good medical attend
auce, with the bracing air of the fall, and the
gradual subsistence of suspense into certainty, she
recovered the tone of her nervous system snfii-
GENTLY to leave her bed. November passed De-
cember came and then her mother, after prepar-
ing her for il gradually informed her of the APP
plicaton of Louis for divorce. Louise received
il with resignation.
1t is Justice, it is Justice she said. 81 had
no right to hope for mercy
Upon the lst of January, Mrs Armstrong pla-
ced in her hands the copy Of the bill Of divorce
that had been forwarded to her
=" Ii rs opr," said Louise, using the very words
with which Louis had received his doom and at
the very tine that Louis lay at the point of death
with an Inflammation of the brain at the Isle of
hnga t"nise was again Frustrated by a low ner-
vous fever at Richmond.
"Welllo exclaimed Mrs. Armstrong, with q
sort of diabolcal patience, call this weeping and
wailing and crashing of teeth is terribly disa-
greeable; IL Is the dust and smoke and smell Of
birthstone, the blood and groans, remaining after
the hard-fought battle upon the field Of victory.
Patience we shall bury our dead, clear our field,
and then for the triumph then for the illunira-
ton! In other words, Louise will wear through
this misery and Illness and then soon, in another
country and under prouder circumstances, our
minister shall present new Peerless at the Court
of ST. James,
There was little danger that Mr.. Frobisher
should be prematurely informed Of the real state
of affairs with his betrothed Those were not the
days of steamships and telegraphs and little ind-
vidual villanies perpetrated in Richmond, Vir-
ginia, were not then, as now, common themes of
gossip 10 the lobbies Of the Houses of Parliament
in London. And for the rest Mrs Armstrong
was willing to dare his after knowledge Of her
antecedents, when her daughter was justly and
legally bound to Frobisher in marriage.
Letters from Mr.. Frobisher announced his
expected return to Washington in February.
Thither Mrs. Armstrong, accompanied by Lou
ise went. They arrived at Browns Hotel upon
the Sth Of February. There they found on the
list Of new arrivals the name and title of the
Right Honorable James Frobisher, Earl of Clon.
maohnois; and Mrs. Armstrong; heart bounded
with pride and Joy when she saw it. The young
E,rl met his betrothed, after an absence of eigh-
teen months, With renewed affection. He passed
the evening in her boudoir and pressed her TO
name an early day for their marriage. Mrs
Armstrong named that day three weeks.
"Mother! Oh, mother! that is the twenty SEQ.
ond Of February the third anniversary Of my
marriage!" ~s-~s'- ---4-' -
at is, certainly but never thought of Il
when naming the day What a singular coin
cidence!n
To BE cONTNuFp1