Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-09-07

"Lilly. dear, come to me again by and
by. but go up stairs to Margaret till din
ner."
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 grief and vain repiuing. when the
eldest and first born comes to you and
pleads for a portion of the love bestowed
upon the dead? We have both done
wrong in denying her the righlful tender
ness due her; but it is not too late to re-
pair the error. and we will take Lilly to
our bosoms. and Try by our affection to
forget the past"
The mother raised her head. and with
bitter smile answered.
Take Lilly for RoSabelle?-my little
fairy. my angel, my dove. the grand GEN.
tire around which have woven my hearts
best love. and my souls choicest treasure.
which the dark and gloomy grave claimed
for its own. and take in exchange an un-
loveable being, whose VOICE will be forev
er mute. and who has no warm affections.
nor seeks to love anything. No. no. |
shall never love Lilly. my heart will be
buried with my own darling" and burst
ing out afresh, she bowed her head on
the co fin.
This is unworthy of you. Marion; you
are unjust and unreasonable to reject her
little afflicted one. AMI make the very af-
Fiction one of the causes of your rejec-
ton. She has warm and pure atfec tions.
and has long been pining for our love. :
Let us take her beneath its shelter. and
guar her from the rude worlds scOrn.
AMI soften the pangS she must endure as
she grows older, nor thrust her from us
as valueless."
The mother would only say-"She can
never be like Ro>abelle - and he left her
pondering ON her strange and unnatural
conduct.
Marion Ellerton was one of the favored
children of fortune. Her every wish.
| IRON her earliest youth. had been gratif-
ed AMI thick crust OF selishneSs and
worl illness had grown over her better
nature. bat she sincerely loved her hus-
band. and sought every means in her
power to make him happy. The little
| Lilly had been very plain child. and
thou 5h she provided tor its comfort. and
everything that money could do had been
done to seek to restore the sense of
speech. yet she denied her the greatest
OF all earthly blessings, the love of u mo-
ther.
The most eminent physicians had said
she would never speak. an Marion. sa.
ti>tied that she had done her duty. left
the sensitive child to the care of nurses
| and attendants. and the young heart had
closed. aud all ils calls and yearnings for
affection were unansweredi SD that her
father. who WAS a generous. noble hearted
man, began to think with his wife. that
she was a very odd child" and did not
attempt 10 draw her ut from behind the
curtain of timidiLy and reserve that graGu-
| ally grew around her.
When the lovely Rosabelle came like a
snn beam to gladden. ahd bless them,
their affections twined around her. ami
the poor little dumb girls existence was
nearly forgotten. or it remembered, with
a sigh at the contrast.
But the beautiful and delicate bud
was never destined to blossom on earth.
and the first real grief that Marion ever
felt was when the frail and tender one
sickened. and in spite of earnest prayers
and tears. gold and loving hearts, the
gentle spirit left the exquisite cssket for a
filter and better cline.
MIR. Ellerton, seeing that his wife did
not recover her health and spirits, and
thinking that retirement might benefit her.
closed his city house and sought a sweet.
secluded spot. where nature spread her
thickest charms, and tried to divert her
mind from the grief that was preying up
on it.
4 One day they were sailing on beauti-
full lake in small boat. and Lilly desired
to reach some bright aquatic plants, Mr..
Elleruun leaned over the side TO get them
IOr ht r; and The frail bark was overturn-
ed and all three percIpi a ed into the wa
Ter. AS he fell. Lilly. who was nearest.
cIaspcd her arms around his neck, and
twinins enc arm round his terrified wife,
being good swimmer. he struck out for
the shore. Ere he had swan half the
distance he telt his strength failing him.
ana in agonized tones he erie i:
''On cannot save you both, we will
all die together,
Marion shrteked. and cl,nging close
exclaimed
'.On. save me. my husband. must
not. cannot die"
No sound was heard, but the little arms
round him unclaSped. and the little dumb
girl sank gcn,iy beneath the waves. and
Ellerton relieved Uf n part of his burden,
with difficulty gained the shore. He
sank on Eis knees and raising his stream
ing eyes to Heaven, breathrd short
prayer, and plunged into The water. and
swan towards the spot where Lilly had
sunk.
Marion called wildly for him to come
hack hut In. still L.nt On and diving
brought up the body. and slowly and
wearlly sought to return. His wlie's
cries mad at,racred several persons 10 the