Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1852-04-28

and gracea 10 your person, i recalled
continually the kind tone OF your voice,
although heard but for an instant, You
had never looked In my face, and yet l
was near sacrificing this dream of the inn
agination, nay good fortune and your otOa,
but had taken too severe q lesson in the
miseriOs of life of poverty and suffering
to allow these romantic feelings to over
power my better iudgment--your image
was reluctantly thrust aside by the poor
sewing girl, and ! became Lady Melville.
1t was indeed, my dear Frederick, q
fairy tale, that I, apoor, destitute, friend
less orphan, girl, should become the wife
of one of the richest of England's Peers ;
that Ia modern Cinderella in my magnif.
tcGnt equipage with servants in heraldic
lirsrieS. should drive through the streets.
in which, but few short months before,
l had walked ShiVsrin9 jCggar that 4,
clothed in the richest silks and radiant
with jewels. should look from my htgA es-
tate. upon the very spot whore had stood
extending my trembling hand for charity.
1t Was a turn of fortunes wheel, too in
credible for belief in truth, q fairy tale (;
but the fairies Of this world of ours, my
dear Frederick, are tbs passions Of man
kind"
"lIappy Lord Melville" cried Froder.
lex, abe could enrich you p
"He was. indeed, happy" said Madam
de la Tour; "for the event proved that
this marriage. which the world looked
upon as an old mans folly, l caused to be
regarded by this same world as the most
sensible thing he could have done, He
was rich, not only beyond his wants, but
beyond even his wishes He could new
er manage to expend his entire income,
and his fortune was therefore continually
increasing. He believed from the first
hour of our union, that he might trust in
the attachment of wife who owed every
thing to his bounty, and never did he, for
one moment, repent his marriage with a
French woman. reposcd on my part per-
feet and entire confidence in Lord Melville,
as to any provision in the disposition of
his fortune, and with sincerity and ten
derness watched over his declining years.
He died, leaving me the whole Of his i'm
mense riches, and then inwardly vowed
to marry to no other than the man who
had relieved me in my greatest need. But
how silent you are said Madam de la
Tour, pressing the hand of the husband
she had enriched and loved with such de-
votion--" and you never visited in the gay
world nor went to the theatre, nor to con-
certs-ah i'll had but known your name
While she thus playfully reproached her
Rstonishcd husband, she took from around
her mock, a chain Of rubies, to which was
suspended diminutive silk purse. from
the latter she drew out a fire tranc france,
set in little frame Of gold.
1t Is the same one" said she put
ting 1t into Fredericks's hand for mo-
ment, and then taking it back again.
g The sight of this cherished piece Of sill
yer gave me supper and roof to shell,
tor me until the next day, when, at my
earnest request it was SO arranged that l
could redeem and keep your fortune gift.
1t has never for q moment left me. All 4
how happy was when l first saw you in
the sIreet-with what joy ordered
the coachman to stop-I was nearly fran
tic with agitation and delight, and at once
adoped the only pretext 1 could so sud-
denly think of, to get you into the carri-
ago, had but one fear--yoU might be mar
rieI, had that been the case, you would nev.
er have heard this story. Lady Melville
would have been your good genius she
would secretly have enriched you beyond
the dreams of avarice, but the unhappy
woman would have sought out home in
another land, far from the man whose
hand and heart could never be hers"
Frederick dc la Tour dropped the hand
of his wife, he let fall the embroidered
robe, and with both hands graspng firm
ly the piece Of silver, he raised it to his
lips, with an almost reverential solemnity
"YOu see" said Madam de la Tour,
"that am no fairy, but that on the con-
trary, from you came the fairy's gift, and
it has indeed proved wondrous TAILS
MAN"