Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1853-01-06
FAYETTEVILLE, TENN., THURSDAY, JANUARY 6, 1853

1 hd1 PiCfcCd W Odll HcI; JuSC DIS
e wer e standing on the I'll reshold {
life, and look king through tp the rose
col lored futur Re. still kept my pIae
| by the cofhI my eyes full of tears
, new er moved from that oily place
, ] fancied tBe features gteK dim;
} tho ught my sight failed, nIl l be h
clos ser b the corpse, | q 4w bacl X
wiped my ey fs looked agE lin, God 0
mercy, what thrill sent a sild shocl
trough my flF,l4e and fn6te m1
brain as with fr4l l reeled; I ! fel
owe ; almost upon the coffin; there
was mpistqfe upon the glass, mois
ture that cathe not off when | appli
ed my hand, moisture on III inside. :
My knees trembled, my heart beat
against my body, ] swayed like &
pen dulum; III my serenity was gone
the voice of the pastor W histled in
my ear; each moment was an hour;
and yet | knew not what td do. The
cont tlict cam lie a gain--it u as awful,
awful IF I kept my siIenc +, sbe wds
still hdIJrde of death, alH as much
mins aB n1 1oHRr's; if / spoke, she
was again the wife Of my rival I
dare not Think Of my emo dtions now
Il could not have been myself when
that horrible temptation beset me,
and whispered me to let the dark
grave have her, if might not. Oh!
that was the gre eat sin of my life; /
hope liam forgiven.
The perspiration swelled out from
every pore, bat the agony was pass.
ed; I could have throttled the pastor
that he did not cease yet / feared
for the life of the poor husband,
if he knew the truth too suddenly;
there was tingling from my head
tony fingers ends, I shook like an
aspen leaf.
Amenl Oh, how l thanked God
for that sou nd; still cluhg to the
coffin; was weak; weak as a child.
1t was the custom for the chief
moarners I'd be called first, that they
might be pared the shock of seek
ing the dear one borne cut before
thei ir eyes. Tha poor husb band tot
ter4 ID out, S uppdrted on eadh side; do
you not thi blk My feeling must have
been singular, rs he pass Jed me?--
next theI obbing mother. Now WAS
the tilneB friends, neighbors, gasp
ed, "cal4 the sexton, take of the
coffin lidB fjr Gods sake, delay not
a moment, She is not dead ! rath-
er shrieked than said the last words, 4
OH snch a. change that dame ov9rII
that assenl lbly! many sWPoned--
Gro wd came rushing up 70 he co0in;Il
/ pressed them back; the hand Of
the underthker tfembledt and as
scr ew after screw, fill rattli hg on the
floor, my heart I'D at quicker vith
hope.and feh hr
The lid Mas thro kn aside; in myH
arms was the fair creature borne toll
her couch; as |. ret lrned a moment, Il
/ saw her pnly sis Ter standing as iiII
riy eted to the floor, her cheeks gba$t-
ly, her eye es staring fiightfully. III
sci zed her by the arm, but she stirr4
ed not; shook her rudely, saying, e u
les IS you help me, Maria, she may 4
perhaps really die, quick; come and |
cut off her grave clothes; she must |
not see them must notknow of this.
With wild. unnatural burst ofH
laughter, The girl aroused herself
frdm her st ppor; then as suddenly 9
flood Of tear came to her relief; all vas
rig ght now, She followed me into The
next chamber, and united the white
satin ribbons IS from the delicate V rists,
unloosed the linen bands on the
breast, so BY the time the yonng
bride opend d her eyes, she was lying
as if she h hd sought her couch for
pleasant slJmber.
And now the most terrible excite
ment over, l breathed freely: and
yet another important task was to be
accomplished; BY my orders the poor
husba nd had be en- briefly informed
hat the ceremoHy would be detained
for a nome ent; he was so distracted
vi th his grief that all news was alike
to him-they led him where they
liked; he sat in little room. Just
across the entry. ] went in, closed
the door and stood behind him-he
glanced uponee, then buried his face
in his hands with a deep, unearthly /
groan, that went to my very SOUL
Oh! I felt for the first time such ex-
qpisite Joy in the performance Of a |
good deed III experience d new love \