Grass Valley telegraph., 1854-03-09

green, pretty-fgures went fitting by, and the
half smile upon giflish lips told the tale of a
bridal. Little children too, in their holyday
dresses passed under the rustic portico of the
dark old church, and were lost in the shadow
of its open doors. There were young, fresh
faces timid, earnest and gay, and there were
faces with sorrow and trial written on them
faces too, lighted up with the serene calm O f
christian hope, the spfing-like bloom of lifes
spring blended with the golden light of life's
radiant summer, and the faint silver beam of
life's winter And there they were, "gravitt
and gaiety," youth and age, grouped proinis-
cuously together under the sofABre walls Of
that weather-beaten house of God, all watt
ing with Unsurpassed impatience for the ap-
pearance of bridal party. At length the
hushed murmur of ''they are coming" came
from many an eager lip. The bells ring anew
their merriest peals, and proud looking man
walks, with stately step, up the sounding
aisle. By his side, with the dainty tips of her
white-gloved fingers resting upon his arm,
comes Ruth Reed, the proudest beauty of
Greenside. 1t is upon her that every eye is
resting, and half audible murmur of admi-
ration goes through the little assembly, but
she heeds it not. Her face is quite colorIess,
and there is a sad unquiet look within her
eyes, but she soon reils them with the long
jetty lashes, and there is no outward emotion
of pain and joy, through all the ceremony
that is linking indissolubly her destiny with
another. There is not the slightest tremor
IN the clear, calm voice that responded to the
solemn questioning of the man of God. With
the same unmoved bearing, with the same
calm face, saving bright flush burning upon
either cheek, as she turned from her hus bands
embrace, she prepares to leave the church re-
gardless of the congratulations poured upon
her from every side. But as Ruth passes down
the aisle, the hand that rests upon her hus-
bands arm trembles slightly, and the white
teeth are pressed tight down upon the beauti-
full under lip to still its convulsive quivering
until its delicate surface is stained with blood.
Ruth has noted vacant seat, and she thinks
of the one too dear that used to fill it, and
she knows he is lost to her forever now? o.
sadly had she Knocked the marriage vow when
she promised to love and obey through "all
veal, and all woe," she whose heart and love
was given to another Ruth, with her warm
pure heart and her young fresh hopes, was of
fered an unwilling sacrifice upon the shrine
of mammon. Wildly at first had she strug-
gled with her destiny, but when she looked
upon the silvered hair of her father. and up-
on her pale, fragile mother, so delicately nur
tured, and thought what a whitening blight
poverty would cast upon their hearts, the
hearts that so loved and cherished her. her
soul faltered and she turned dispairingly and
hopelessly away from the pure love-dream
that was shedding such a glorious sunlight
over her life, and bartered her hand for gold |!
Gold it might bring happiness and plenty to
those she loved, but what had she left to hope
for? Her vain dreams of happiness were all
ended now, and it was sunny little past that
she turned from with such wild prayer to
forget. Her life-star was dimmed, and the
future had nothing sadder or darker to bring.
And so it was that our beautiful Ruth, our
warm-souled. passionate-hearted Ruth had all
the sweet dreams of her young life sent rude
ly back to her heart unrealized. But she hid
the ruins of her blasted life under a proud
exterior, and the admiring world gazed upon
her with envious eyes as she fitted amid it's
pleasure-scenes decked in costly sables and
rare jewels, and they deemed it the dignity
of wealth that had tanned the eager step and
gay laugh of girlhoOd; but there were those
that knew nothing like the weary step be-
trays the weary heart"