Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1853-01-06

she had talked Of Frederick; OIL foo
that / was, not to comprehend; sht
smiled upon me because ] was he
friend--because ! had ever som,
sweet recollection to tell, some come
| iy virtue tospraise, and blinded by my
own blindness, if | may SO speak,
fancied sheIloved me.
How didiI q onmand myself enough
still to stand motionless, even till
| learned the day and the hour that
the Wedding would take place, fol
every nerve in my body seemed
changed to an instrument of torture
Fortunately, they did not pass me,
but retraced their steps; and |, bend
ing low, with an almost breaking
heart, slowly left the pleasant grave
yard, and walked towards my home,
too wretched to think or tell the
crushing weight ofmy disappointment.
The next day, before sunrise, |
was on my way to neighboring city;
1 was in a strange tumult, that [
knew not but would prove fatal to
me; | was ready for almost any des-
perate deed, and had more than once
contemplated self-destruction; but |
called philosophy, nay, something.
higher, holier, to ny aid, religion; and
in time | beca me soothed, if not COM
forted- = that is, after ! knew May
was irrevocably married.
Two months passed, l deemed my
self fortified efficiently, with good
resolutions, to return home to my
chosen place Of residence. 1t was
noon, when drove up the main street,
a, carriage at that moment dashed by
me, light v ehicle; in another mo-
ment it had turned, and Frederick
yas abreast. l involuntarily drew
M reins--his face denoted some ag-
ltatlon.
"For Gods sake, DR.. Lane, my
early friend do not stop till you
reach Mrs. K endall's! My May lies
there! sick, dying!!" he gasped, turn
ing ashy pale. My face blanched; /
felt a kind of tremor, we dashed on,
speaking, and in fifteen min
ltes | stood BY the couch of the bride.
That was al awful hour, thus spent;
IT its close, ! pressed down its white
eyeiids over her duh, glazed eyes
heaven, thought l, how can such |
3eauty be dead? And still. for all,
there was a triumph at my heart
until ] beheld the awful grief of the
husband, and saw the big drops like
blood, bead his broad, white forehead;
and almost forced him from the inan-
mate body, that he would hold clasp
ID to his b osom, kissing the white I
ip, the whittier cheek, even the gol |
len locks that lay damp and anturl-
ID over her shoulders.
When left the house Of mourn
ng, was it net strange the calmness
felt, settling down over my spirit2
Gould this thought even in its faint
st traoery, swell through my mind T
It such a'time she is not mine, and T
,either is she his; l am glad that as
he could not be mine only, none but
leath can claim her now? fear,
hat had conscience applied her torch,
he would h ave read those scathing
words writer on the crimson portals
'f my heart; | must hasten.
The next day, went over to be
PRESENT at the funeral services; and
till felt tn at sorrowful happiness =
Poor Frederick was at times raying,
hen stupid with his great woe. The
nourners assembled; the beautiful
lead lay robed in satin, in her coffin;
nd already the large parlor was fill
d with weeping friends | took my
tation by the coffin; with unuttera-
lie tenderness did | gaze upon that I
leayenly countenance--it looked /
lot like stern death, but soft, srnil-
ng slumber.
There we're all her young COM
,anions around village maidens,
whose silvery voices joined in sol
mn burial song; but oh! how those
.oices wavered and trembled, until
ears and sobs choked down their
music, and one mournful heart-rend-
ng wall sounded through the roo m. (
The pastor arose and began bis
,rayer; never heard / more affe Ct +
ng petition; how gently he spoke OF
ler youth, her beauty and goodness:
he circumstances under which God