New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-01-06

ssWhat are you about Anne y exclaimed he,
catching her roughly by the arm; g Girl! |
believe, you are beside yourself! Drenched and
dripping sight to behold and you were half
dead before! What in the name of the four ele-
ments, sent you out on such night p
81 came,' answered Ann, confusedly, and
rather incoherently, ssI came - the children
wanted some gingerbread, and -
"Nonsense y exclaimed her brother, tho
roughly provoked at her rashness and needless
ness. &c This is all of piece with your woman
caprices. Go home Immediately and tell mother
that l will carry you to the Insane Retreat, to
keep you out of your coffin, if she does not bolt
you into your room, out Of the reach of fire and
water! There, there. go! don't wait to catch
your death cold As if l could not bring that
foolish gingerbread! Childish there gor
How little we know ,chere our harsh words
are falling, when they drop bitterly from our
lips! All, there are words that cannot be healed
in time--nor yet i'll eternity!
Would he not speak one kind, brotherly word
to that anguished sister If he had looked into
her haggard, despairing face, perhaps he would
not have turned away so abruptly as he did after
this TRADE, and hidden himself again behind the
high front of his eounting-desk, assured by the
patter of the pony feet upon the pebbles, that
he had taken the humeward road.
Home the faithful pony went. after waiting
his time for his rider; but Ann did not 60 with
him. She only shrunk back into the shade. until
| all was still again. Then she glded, like gull
| ty thing, noiselessly through long. dark pas
| sage, to the door of the shop. She lifted it's
latch carefully, and went out into the gathering
night.
| Wild warfare was beneath her! Billows of
| mist rolled and swayed hither and thither in the
abyss, arld where they parted for a moment, the
| inky waters appeared, flashing the trembling
| rocks with mad turbulence.
There was no eye but the eye of Omnipresence,
to look upon the passion blinded girl, and to
that she looked not up. Where was her guar
diamangel, to whisper, SO Wait, wait! be patti
ent''' 1t was the hour of darkness, and of fierce
iiends, who famed the storm in her SOUL so faint
ly cmblemed by the elemental raging without.
That soul sent up its agonized cry for forgetful
ness for rest, for peace! 'sDeath is an eternal
| Sleep her mother had taught hex. Alas that
u mothers words should ever come bet,Teen the
young heart and Heaven
An hour went by Annes brother buttoned
his storm-proof overcoat around him, locked his
store, and leading his horse from near stable,
| took his way homeward. He was met at the
| door by his sister and mother, who faced the
storm blast with countenance of CONSERVATION.
| ss Anne where is Anne, Charles ," exclaimed
Mrs X.
| canine! foolish girl l sent her home an
| hour ago!"
'No! she is not here! Her pony came. Oh,
| my child where is Shea
''Why did you let the girl go out this terrible
day !" asked the alarmed brother.
$ ] never knew it! Charles, go, be quick !!
Oh, if her father was here!'
Charles K. seized lantern, and rushed out.
That night, over all the thunder of the storm,
arose the swell of human voices, the shouts of
| neighbors and friends, who went forth tearcssly
to seek the lost one,
Morning came. The wind had sobbed its
strength away, and crouched, moaning in the
| depths Of the wood, or sighed under the wizard
pines The clouds drifted slowly eastward
muff1ing up the sun, but all was still.
They had sought every where else; and at
| last, with strange, fearfully whispered misgiv
| ings, they searched among the rocks of the
swollen river. Up from that foam canopiel bed
| they lifted her, with the long, loosened locks
clinging about her pulseless heart, and the inky
plume weeping upon her shut eyes, But they
could not awaken her from that nights long
sleep!
They carried her--yet it was not her they
carried-to the home on which her eyes We're
never to open. There, in the stately, subdued
agony of prided affection crushed, the stricken
band of parents, brothers, and sisters, received
the burden. L have stood OH a rock in the
midst of that river, and looked down on the
couch where the despairing girl sought her
rest. 1t was q hard pillow for so fair head,
and so young heart--one, too, that had loved
50 much.
| looked up, and all was beautiful. !. The
water nymphs chased each other down the pre-
cpice, laughing unsteady as their white robes
melted into the blue pillows at my feet. Above
the sun lay cushioned on dreaming cloud
floating in the blue of a June heaven What
contrasts has earth upon the self-same spot!
The news Of the suicide flew, as i'll news al
ways flies, through the little hamlet. Confus-
ion and CONSERVATION seized every heart and
household, and a thousand vague surmises, half
frightened into realities, fitted from one to an
other. Only the old postmaster shook his head,
after the first petritying shock, with Il mystify-
ing air, and silently reseating himself on his
high stool, leaned his head upon his wrinkled
hand Even his good, garrulous wife could gain
no more from him.
81 thinks likely she said, after the group
of gossippers had dispersed, g she's been going
crazy this long while, 1t amt in natur for a
sensible body to ride so like wild-fre; and I've
always thought mighty queer of her coming
here 50, day upon day! Oh! don't tell me she
wasn't out of her head''
The postmaster turned his head nervously at
the sound Of horses hoofs. 1t was only the
post-boy, who had come over early with the
mail bag. The good man sighed, turned out
his packet of letters and slowly unbound it, 81
shall not have to say No to her again to-day
poor thing!" thought he
whats the matter, John 20 cried his wife,
minute after, as he dropped the bundle with
smothered cry, almost of horror Sc Mercy
on us, man! yere as white rs if yed seen a
ghost -
There!" he pointed to letter below him,
look there!"
'What is it ! don't see nothing I've lost
my Specs
cts her name!" answered the old man,
taking up the letter TREMENDOUSLY.
s. You don't say so, John!'' cried his wife,
lifting both hands above her head
It's ship-marked and iourney-worn, he
added, scrutinizing it as closely as the haze
over his old eyes would allow cts had long
way to come, and---too late too late :" he
exclaimed solemnly, laying it reyerently bv.
"Too late!' The burden of destiny had
been thrown wilfully off, and no joy on sorrow
of earth could sink into the cold heart of her
who had borne it, Oh if she had been patient
" little longer!
| That travel stained letter told its story only
to the unsympathizing hearts of the proud
household, and not a lip ever opened to reveal
it. 1t dropped into the great receptacle of fam
| lily reserve, and was lost to the worlds Curl
osity. 1t was as well; what mattered it to any
heart but hers, that it could not warm into
wild beating'
Her relatives rejected even the common kind
offices of country neighbors, seeming to scorn
all communion of sorrow, until the day of the
funeral