Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-05-04

naPPy -, .rtsI..e, Ias4kr,r,f sr5-s. 7.s.4s..ls
door. and i heard his unsteady footsteps
die away in the distance. =
.' Poor wretch murmured Edward,
as he kindly took my hand, .he is to be
pitied !! But You are agitated. hope"
he added. in an anxious tone, "you have
nothing to blame yourself for in this mat
ter. - c aI 81 as9s5H $50 'ssis
-" 1 wish had not.' exclaimed fer
vently, " But, oh, Edward, l feel that 1
have indeed acted wrong-although hea-
ven knows, never intended he should
love me.'' f-oo . f~t gfs--o4s- . s'll.-' 90
"a. Well. do not reproach yourself too
severely" :" he replied in mournful voice.
''Let us go back to the parlor and forget
what has taken place." --7 - ,ets =
We returned together, and Edwards
presence alone sustained me for the rest
of the evening. Fear, pity, and remorse
made my heart faint. and my cheek pale,
and was wretched.'' 81
ss think understand your feeling"
said Isabel, who had listened with deep
interest. "I know how should have felt
under a conviction that any thoughtless-
ness of mine had ruined fellow beings
happiness-perhaps had shattered his
intellect. But you heard from Gilborne
again ?'' 10 7...
:" Listen. He disappeared. For more
than year he was absent, and nobody
knew what had become of him. '4
A thin, haggard youth, who wandered
about the country, begging his bread
from door to door. giving IN return for
charity the touching songs which he sang
in soft. melancholy voice, and the musi-
cal tones of an ACCORDION he carried with
him, on which he played with peculiar
feeling and skill. Everybody treated him
kindly, for although he was evidently of
an insane mind, there was mildness-a
melancholy enthusiasm about him which
won all hearts. ta-a '-
Search was made for him. His
friends were not mistaken in their suspi-
cions. He was the wandering Gilborne!"
--s' oh, Aunt" exclaimed Isabel, tears
| filling her eyes. = -- >--
"They carried him back to c.. For
several weeks he seemed contented to re-
main at home. but at length his disposi-
ton to wander returned, and he disap-
peared again
One chilly. rainy day. I was sitting
alone in my room. amusing myself with
my first child-then about six months old
when there was ring at the door
Our domestic had gone. out, and there be-
ing nobody in the house but me, 1 left
little Ella playing on the floor. and went
to open the door. -" .'-" -'i9 f-.i.
/ started back with an exclamation Of
alarm. Gilborne, drenched with the cold
rain. was standing on the steps. --
My first impulse was of fear. and /
would have shut the door in his face, had
he not looked up and said in melan-
choly voice game
" 1t rains. May come in 90
was touched. | held the door open
while he entered. There was fire in
the sitting room. and made him sit down
before it to dry his clothes. For ten mi
nutes not a word was spoken by either of
us but his wild eyes followed me about
the room wherever | went. / trembled
with an unde6nable dread. and oh how
ardently longed to hear the footsteps OF
Edward in the hall. tried to speak to
the wretched man, but for some reason l
could not and his eyes still followed nue.
in silence. -...... Ed. .a- "a.
AT length. to my dismay, heard Ella
crying in the next room. Gilborne start
ed
Z" Is that your child 90 he asked.
L trembled as replied that it was
Turning deadly pale. he started from his
seat, and approached the room whence
the cry proceeded. Much as 1 feared
him. caught his arm. The thought
that in moment of phrenzy he might do
violence to my child made me desperate.
K" You must not go there" said L. L
I r I
Der that his eyes glared upon me with a
momentary blaze of maniac passion-that
he pushed me from him-that a dizzy
sickness came over me, and fell upon the
floor. t.rr-..r ..s s....,. p.
When I recovered my senses. saw
him bending over my darling Ella. as she
lay on the rug gazing up with baby won
der in his face. With a cry of terror l
sprang forward. He raised his hand
There was no frenzy in his eyes, but tears
gushed from them, aud rolling down his
sallow cheeks, fell like rain upon the face
of my child. . gs s,".--.-. .---..-
He kissed her, and rising from his
knees. begged my pardon in a soft and
melancholy voice, and in words SO deli
cate and touching that 1 burst into tears.
Before could speak he was gone.
How SINGULAR exclaimed Isabel.
From that day Gilborne's insanity dis
appeared. He is now minister at c.
'.t Is that the man, the pious benevo-
lent, mild preacher, whom everybody
loves so well?''. -, -, -
.. The same. He turned to heaven the
affections which were thrown away upon
my unworthy self l believe he is happy,
but even now. when l hear Of thoughtless
fiirtatiOns. am panied by the reflections
they call up" 5-a.s.l -, ~ ~ fst-,