Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1854-02-09

heEt' nave Ueen bitterly mistaken IN
you"
How these harsh words s,ung me! but
they care from Robert, aud answered
gently
"No no, my love does no, fail. You,
indeed, are dearer to me than all the rest
OF the world. bu,if go away and leave
aun, Ethel, SO desola'e. and, it may be.
upon her dying bed. will be in the path
of daty! Oh, Robert. she is indeed stern
and cold. but to her owe very much
Had i. no. been for aun. Ethel, | would
have been beggar."
81 know all you would say. Agnes,
but | am not convinced. You have al
ready pledged yourself to become my
wife, then surely no ones claims can be
so sacred. so strong as,mine--bus viii
not urge YOU any longer, this evening;
tomorrow morning | will come TO learn
your decision-so, good bye" and Rob-
ert turned off half haugh,ily.
did not rise from my seat. l laid
M head upon The table, and the long
curls fell over my face. and hid it com.
ple:ely. Robert though. wept and
came instantly to my side.
Forgive my hasiiness, but the pros.
pect Of going away without you. half
maddened n e--but you will moi send me
from you lonely aud wre,ched! will
come to.mrrow, darling, then you will
tell me that you have consented" and
X. kissed me tendsrly. He went away
directly, and | was left alone. So s..
before the little table. motionless and sad;
the snnligh, had long cied away, and the
room was growing dark with night shad
ows, Wills, over my soul crept darker
shadows, sad forebodings of a fearful
desolaion.
And | went little while TO aunt Elhel's
room. She was sitting in her easy
chair, but she seemed sick and languid.
I..sa' the light upon the mante!, and then
| knelt down on the floor beside aunt T.
,hel, and told her all; kept back moth
iug. but looked in vain in her face for
sympathy. Aun, Ethel spoke at last.
Robert Trevors wishes YOU to mar
ry him. and go TO the South. this winter
do so if you please, it does not mat
ter much 10 me. Margaret and the rest
Of the servants can attend to me-" and
this was her answer.
Oh, how it chilled ms! II aunt Ethel
had only bid me stay, then duty would
have seemed easier. bu, she would not.
and her icy Indifference Gu, me to The
heart. left aunt Eihel's side. and sat
down far from her, and then there was
silence, deep silence in the room; but af-
ter time aunt Ethel murmured some
words. and her voice was broken with
sabs. and listened as one in a dream:
"Oh, Agnes, do not leave me! do no,
leave mel" and this as all that | heard
for stole from the room the next min
ue. knew aunt Ethel either spoke
these words when sleeping, or believed
herself alone, and shrunk from her,
knowing tina, overheard. But did aun,
Ethel really love me! Gloomy. cold
aun, Ethel had she indeed heart! and
wondered greatly.
In the solitude Of nv own chamber,
in the solemn night hour, began fear,
fui struggle. With conscience my heart
baliled sharply. and so equal was the
strife that knew not which would be
the victor. Hooked | back upon my des-
ola,e life, and wildly came before me
al aunt E,hel's gloo.ny, unchanging
4
She had never thrown one ray of sun
shine in my pathway. But, Robert,
dear Robert Trevors, in his wide and
generous love my soul had walked along
exul,ingly; he had led me from the des-
er,; his affection so true and earnest.
"had turned The bitter waters into sweet. :"
| was Robert Trevors' pigh,ed wife,
and now he called me TO redeem my
vows. and go with him upon his pilgrim
age. | loved Robert. pined TO be
with him. Nv heart besough. with ag.
onized pleadings to be always near him
But dared | irampie upon duty! Aunt
Ethel, cold. unsy mpa,hizing, though she
was, had been my first friend; was not
her claim upon me the earliest and the
strongest! could not leave aunt Ethel
to die amongst servants. | could no,
iorsake her. / mus, remain. Blu, my
heart cried on, agains, with such earnest.
ness, tha, knew not what to do.
opened GODS blessed book. and when |
had read some of lis lovely precep,s |
grew calmer, and knelt down %o pray
| knew The gracious God man. our
"own High Priest" "cou!d be touched
with the feeling of our iniirmilies." and
this knowledge made me linger with
hope at the "Mercy Seat"
And when rose from my knees my
chamber of weeping ard prayer had be.
come one Of vision. seemed to stand
beside my fathers coffin in far-of city
"a stately and beautiful woman ben, to
kiss his brow, and she wep, over him
then she took me by the hand, and wiped
away my tears. and her words were gen,
tie. And SO. step by step. | went over
my life with aunt Ethel. even from the
very beginning; and saw. that although
frigid and cold. yet she had shielded me
carefully from pover,y--she had me, me
for everv want.
Honor thy father and thy mother"