New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-09-07

thought, sister-I hoped-that you woul
take my darling home, and then / could hay
gone away and died. But, God bless you-Go
bless you for the greater thing that you hay
done, my kind sister Bertha Yes-kiss me
sister dear; it is so sweet / never thought 4
feel a sisters kiss again"
Then kneeling down by Gabrielle's side, witt
low voice Bertha said:
g have thought Of many things to-day Be
fore you cam5, Gabrielle, my heart was yer,
full; for in the still evening, as sat alone, tn
memories Of many years came back to me a
they have not done for very long. 1 thought 0
my two sisters; how the one had ever been s.
good, and loving, and true hearted the othel
though she was just or believed herself to b,
500 hard, and stern, and harsh-as, God for
give me, Gabrielle, / too have been | though
of this, and understood it clearly, as / hat
never done before: and then my thoughts wen
back, and rested on my mother-on our ole
homc-on all the things that had loved so we'll
long ago, and that for years had been crushed
down in my heart and smothered there Oh
Gabrielle, such things rushed back upon me
such thoughts of her whom we have scorned fol
SO many years; such dreams of by-goue days
such passionate regrets; such hope, awakening
from Its long, long sleep-no. sister, let mf
"eep--do not wipe the tears away: let me tel
You of my penitence and grief-it does me good
my heart is so full-so full that must speak
row, or it would burst"
=" Then you shall speak to me, and tell me
ali, dear sister. All we have both suffered
we viii weep together. Lie down beside me
see, there is room here for both. Yes lay your
head upon me; rest it on my shoulder. Give
me your hand now; ah how thin it is-almost
as thin as mine. Poor sister Bertha! Poor,
kind sister ~
So gently Gabrielle soothed her, forgetting
her own grief and weariness in Bertha's more
bitter suffering and remorse 1t was very beau
tlfui to see how tenderly and patiently she did
it, and how her gentle words calmed down the
others passionate SORROW So different from
one another their grief was. Gabrielle's was
slow. weary pain, which, day by day, had
gradually withered her, eating its way into he,
heart; then resting there, fixing itself there for
ever Bertha's was like the quick, suddeI
piercing of a knife-a violent sorrow, that die
its work in hours instead of years, convulsins
body and soul for little while, purifying then
as with sharp fire, then passing away anc
leaving no aching pain behind, but new
cleansed spirit.
In lifelong summer twilight-the beautiful
summer twilight that never sinks into perfect
night-these two women lay side by side to.
gether; she that was Oldest in suffering still
comforting the other, until Bertha's tears were
dried, and exhausted with the grief that was SC
new to her, she lay silent in Gabrielle's arms
both silent, looking into the summer night, and
thinking of the days that were forever past
And sleeping at their feet lay Gabrielle's child
not forgotten by her watchful love, though ths
night had deepened so that she could not sex
him where he lay.
CHAPTER ". st-
eve will not stay here, sister," Bertha hat
said. "This gloomy house will always max,
US sad. 1t is SO dark and cold here, and WI
lie, more than any of us, needs the sunlight t,
strengthen and cheer him, poor boy
And l too shall be glad to leave it, Ga
brielle answered.
So they went They did not leave the vii
lage; it was pretty quiet place, and was full
of old recollections to them-more bitter thai
sweet, perhaps, most Of them-but still such Al
it would have been pain to separate themselve
from entirely, as, indeed, it is always sad t,
part from things and places which years, eithel
OF JOY or sorrow, have made us used to- So they
did not leave it, but chose little cottage, !;
mile or so from their former house, pleasan
little cottage in a dell, looking to the sou h
with honey suckle and ivy twining togethe,
over it, up to the thatched roof 4 Cheerful
| little nook it was, not over bright or gay, bu
shaded with large trees all round it, throup
ened and mellowed, into the quiet rooms A
old garden, too, there was, closed in all roun
with elm trees-a peaceful, quiet place, wher
one would love to wander, OR to lie for hou1
upon the grass, looking through the green leave
upward to the calm blue sky.
10 Gabrielle, wearied with her sorrow; thi
place was like an oasis in the desert. It was s
new thing to her to find rest any where Il
find one little spot where she could lay he
~ tpp1J in no : T
exhausted with long watching, she seemed now
for time to fall asleep.
The summer faded into autumn; the autumn
into winter. A long, cold winter it was, thu
snow lying for weeks together on the frozel
ground; the bitter, whitening, east wind moan
ing day and night, through the great branche
Of the rare old elms, swaying them to and fro
and strewing the snowy earth with broker
boughs; cold and bitter winter, whitening no
only trees and shrubs, but sapping out the lifi
from human hearts
He was Il little delicate boy, that child of G a.
briele's. To look at him, it seemed wonde,
how he ever could have lived through all theil
poverty and daily struggles to get bread hoy
that little feeble body had not sunk into Id
grave long ago. In the bright summers days
ray Of sunlight had seemed to pierce to th,
little frozen heart, and warming the chilled
blood once more, had sent it flowing through hi
veins, tinging the pale cheek with rose but tn,
rose faded as the summer passed away, and th
little marble face was pale as ever when th
winter snow began to fall; the large dark eye
which had reflected the sunbeams for few shor
months, were heavy and dim again. And the
presently there came another change A spe
OF crimson--a deep red rose-not pale and deli
cate like the last, glowed often on each hollo
cheek; brilliant light burned in the feveris
restless eye; hollow, painful cough shook til
little emaciated frame. So thin he was, SO fe,
BILE, so soon wearied. Day by day the sma
thin hand grew thinner and more Transparent
the gentle voice and childish laugh lower an
| fecbler; the sweet smile sweeter, and fainte
and sadder.
And Gabrielle saw it all, and bowing to IL
earth in bitter mourning, prepared herself ft
this last great sorrow.
The spring came slowly on-slowly, yer
slowly. The green leaves opened themselve.
struggling in their birth with the cold wind. ]
was very clear and bright, the sun shone a.
day long; but for many weeks there had bee
no rain, and the ground was quite parched uI
"No, Willie, DEAR" Gabrielle said, "yo
mustn't go out to-day. 1t is too cold for yo
yet, dear boy"
:" But, indeed, it isn't cold, mother Feel here
where the sun is falling, how warm it is pu
your hand upon it. Oh. mother, let me go out,
poor Willie said, imploringly. 81 am so wear,
me go and lie in the sunlight"
"Not to-day, my darling, wait another day
perhaps the warm winds will come. Willie
dear child, it would make you ill, you must no
60"
Z" You say so every day, mother,'' Willie said
sadly, "and my head is aching so with stayin
in the house."