New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1853-05-04
THE UNLovED ONE.


- From the Olive Branch.
THE UNLovED ONE.
m BY MINNIE
my pride, my joy, my blessing, my sweet lit |
tie Rosabelle; your dear lips are sealed forever,
and will never murmur mama again. Shall /
never feel the clasp of your soft arms, or hear |
the patter Of your tiny feet :" and bending for
ward, Marion Ellerton, in paroxysm Of the |
widest grief, repeatedly kissed the icy brow of |
her idol, her youngest and fairest.
The little rosewood coffin rested on q rich |
marble table, and valuable articles of rertu
were scattered carelessly around but the luxu-
rious apartment, the costly furniture, magnif-
cent pictures, OF the perfumed atmosphere, had
no charms for the stricken mother. They had
arrayed her in the deepest mourning, and her
sable velvet dress and rich drapery were unno- |
ticed by her, for it mattered not whether she
were robed in satns or the coarsest serge, for
she only saw the lifeless form of her darling.
Well might she mourn for the child. For
earth had not fairer flower than Rosabelle, |
who lay like blighted hly-bud in her shroud-
ed loveliaess.
The wftching blue eyes had lost their mirth-
full sparkle, the soft, glossy curls were lying so
still on the marble temple and dimpled cheeks,
and the little wan hands nestled in the snowy
folds of her winding sheet. The magnificent
black tresses of the mother swept round the
corpse like pail, and the dreamy stiffness was
unbroken, save by her smothered sobs and bit
ter wailing. She did not hear the door softly
open, nor see little pale face look wistfully in,
nor hear the gentle footsteps of child that
stole timidly towards her, and with fearful eyes
gazed at her but small, soft hand glided
softly into hers, and turning, she exclaimed
half angriy, tu
"well, Lucy. what do you want You trou-
BILE me, childr'
The tears that had been standing in the large
brown eyes overfowed, throwing her arms
around her mothers neck, she sobbed unre-
STRANGELY. The mother pushed her rudely
| away, and with cold, surprised air, repeated
her question. g
The thin fingers worked, and by signs she
| tried to express her meaning; but she was too
much agitated, and stretching out her arms
and turning her eyes in the direction of the cof-
fin, with cry peculiar to the dumb, said as
plainly she could, by the expression of the
eager, fearful face" Love me, mama land
nestled her head in her mothers lap, as if to
try to unseal the fountain that had ever been
i closed to her.
The dark eyes of Marion flashed impatiently,
and saying, in a querulous tone, $50 away,
Lily. you can never be like Rosabele,' p motionad
her to go away.
An expression of intense pain passed over the
features Of the rejected one, and with droop-
ing head, and long, long look of reproach at
| her mother, with hopeless air turned to leave
the room; but seeing tall, manly form stand
ing in the doorway, gazing mournfully, yet
| tenderly, at her, she felt half frightened, and
looked around for some other means to escape.
The father, for it was him, opened his arms, and
with faltering voice, said:
'Come to me, my poor child, and will ever
love you. May God forgive me for never think
ing of you before,'' and as she hesitated, trem-
bling with joy, and half fearful, he added: 4" Dc
not be afraid of your father, Lily!"
She sprang to his arms, and clung to his neck
| as if she was not sure that at last one of the
parents she had pined to have love her, had in
deed taken her to his heart, and the little DESC
late creature could hardly believe in true, but
kept putting up her face to have him kiss her
again, while the father, with swelling heart
clasped her closer, and kept murmuring ten.
derby, to re-assure her. After awhile he put
her down and said:
Lily dear, come to me again by and-by, but
60 up stairs to Margaret till dinner"
As soon as the echo of her light tread had died
in the distance, Edward Ellerton turned sternly
to his wife.
"Marion, why will you indulge in this selfish
griet, and vain repining, when the eldest, and
!. our first-born, comes to you and pleads for Q
portion of the love bestowed on the dead. W,
have both done wrong in denying her the right
full tenderness due her but it is not too late t,
repair the error, and we will take Lily to oul
bosoms and try by our affection to have her for
get the past"
The mother raised her head, and with bite
smile answered.
"Take Lily for Rosabelle ? my little fairy
my angel, my dove, the grand centre aroun
which l have woven my hearts best love, an
my souls choicest treasure, which the dark ant
gloomy grave has claimed for its own, and TAX
in exchange an unlovable being, whose voic
| ha forav and xvho hoS mn arm
affections, or seeks to love anything. No, no,
shall never love Lily, my heart will be burie'
with my own darlng"-and bursting out afresh
she bowed her head on the coffin.
.'This is unworthy Of you, Marion, you ar
unjust and unreasonable to reject the littl
afflicted one, and make the very afflicton one
the causes of your rejection. She has war;
y and pure affections, and has long been pinin
for our love. Let us take her beneath its shel
ter and guard her from the rude worlds scorn
and soften the pangs she must endure when sh
is older, nor thrust her from us as yalueless."
The mother would only say, "She can neye
be like Rosabelle;' and he left her, ponderin!
on her strange and unnatural conduct.
| Marion Ellerton was one of the favored chill
: dren of fortune. Her every wish, from earles
youth, had been gratiied, and thick crust
selfshness and worldiness had grown over he
better nature; but she sincerely loved her hu.
band, and sought by every means in her powe
to make him happy. The little Lily had bee
a very plain child, and though she provided ft
: its comfort, and every thing that money coul
procure had been done to seek to restore IL
sense of speech, yet she denied her the greatest
earthly blessings, the love of a mother,
The most eminent physicians had said th'
she would never speak, and Marion, Statistic
that she had done her duty, left the sensti'
child to the care of nurses and attendants, an
the young heart had closed, and all its calls ar
yearnings for affection were unanswered;
that her father, who was a noble, generou
e, hearted man, began to think with his wife th'
she was " very odd child" and did not a
tempt to draw her out from behind the curta
of timidity and reserve that gradually gre
around her. rr.
When the lovely Rosabelle came like su
beam to gladden. and bless them, their atfectio
twined around her, and the psor little dur
girls existence was nearly forgotten, or if !
= membered, with o sigh at the contrast,
L d. H. f,,l auI ali to kx.1 xvaa