The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1854-11-02

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teach me, for love is quick to apprehend the
| wishes Of the loved
You do not need my instruction" he SAIL:
You are all l would have YOU be-"
| here was no enthusiasm in his words and
| answered:
| Il shall never be loved as lo,e-perhaps Il
Is not IN mans nature to love as women do"
| 4 love more than Won can do" he sail.
land l cannot imagine u greater sorrow than
the separation from you would be. Indeed
| can see no happiness except in the thought Of
the protection of your dear arms"
And do YOU apprehend an estrangemenl on
| my part? gu DO not know nv nature Every
| fibre OF my heart is entwined with Your exit
ence, and to be separated from Won would be 10
die; but. my best dearest, sweetest friend lover.
husband, there is no fortune in the world cruel
enough to separate us. We are one, and can
not be divided. Is it not SOP Why do Won not
speak, sweetest, and why do YOU look sad p"
No, he said, eve must not be divided:
and II You love me as YOU say. you viii not for.
| sake me-
"Forsake you! What do you mean? An
| not to be your true and honorable wife: ami
are we not to live here and tu be. oh. SD han.
| py? ] wish tomorrow were gone-it has lus.
| all charm. | have looked forward 10 1t sa l..r.-
! time Of triumph turning point in o.,
! destiny; but now my triumph has come, al,d
my happiness is Perfect
- Put your hand in NINE said nv compan-
| ion, and tell me, in the presence of God ami
the witness of his angels, that YOU love me-.
| Il DO"
And arc willing, if need be, to make any
and all sacrifices for me ,"
YES"
THAT You will never leave nor forsake me.
though my fortune should prove darker than
you can now conceive of?r
| q will not leave YOU.
You see" | said, that / trust to as well a.,
love you, for l have made all these promises
without eliciting any.
Il understand" he answered. pattinc NV
cheek playtully, and drawing me close To his
bosom. ell, repeat and say amen to all
| YOU have said"
disengaged the arms that were about me-.
and sat erect was not perfectly satisfied
PoutlnS already, my fve-miuutcs' vif,?
| Come back and let US make friends again"
Name, first, our marriage dav Why SHOULD
| II be vagary any longer-when shall we b,,
| in truth, husband and wife,"
We are so now, dear Mary
i don't understand YOU"
Come back, and let me feel the heating Of
| your heart, that | may be treasured. for begiu
| to think that Mary does not love me- after all
j sat on cushioned footstool, and. leanin..
my head ON his knee, waited in childlikc conf
denCe.
With many soothing carcsses and many fond
assurances, he prefaced what he knew, what lie
must have known, was the sentence of exile
We were married, he said. BIZ all the sacred
| est ties of lovely the solemn avowal in Gods
| presence to live for the future as one-to MAKE,
all sacrifices. each for the other, even the har,I.
| est ono of all-man's recognition of our nuj-
| tials.
1t seemed to me that some poisoned knit,
| stabbed slowly through and through nv heart,
| and that, with the slow oozing of the blood that
| must at last bring death, numbness crcpt into
my frame, and my head dropped with a miscr-
able sickness.
did not start uttered no reproach but /
| heard the groan of despair that came asking
for mercy; and Pitied my heart, as though il
| were not mine.
did not lift myself up. I had no power To do
| so; and when felt on my damp lips the warm
| kiss, turned slowly and looked into the eyes of
| my demon master, TO sec whether he had taken
n fend's form. But no; there was depth ut
tenderness in his face, hut his eyes turned
away from the steady gazing of mine.
| Softly he smoothcd my hair, softly hc la'l
his hand against my heart rs it, fiteous Of tho
| stab, he would still the trembling or stauch
| the blood.
"Why do YOU not speak ?" he asked. at
length, and call Inc the villain which you Dee
! live me to be? Why do YOU not heap curses
| upon me? would rather even that than this
silence. ] could arm myself for defence If Won
would accuse me-"
IL have no accusation, | said "you have
| but to do with God and your own Conscience
| "All that | can DO, will " NE said ; all :h,
| atoncmcnt | can make. | will make" (a, IL
anything could make atoncmcnt To mel and
| when that another is called my wife. If 1t must
| be 50. YOU shall be to me all YOU are now. and
| ] shall have 1t in my power To give you such
| elcgances and rclincments your genius de-
| serves"
made no reply: and, gathering courage
from my silence, he proceeded to say that hr
| had not oycr-cStimated nv lofty and generous
| nature, and that / was proving myself not ONLY
| a woman but angel
"Now, listen very calmlv." he continued:
disgrace, ruin. the prison, threaten me. ny
| continuance and evasion have hitherto warIrt
| of the peril that at some time or other must
ovcrtake me; for. like Antonio. made bargains
and contracts while my fortune was in surpo-
sition : but Won know there be land rats and
there be water rats But no matter: | stand ON
a precipice; and If, under these circumstance,
any lady Of fortune would consent 10 retrieve.
me, for the sake of protector. and the honor
of matrony position, You, | ain sure, nay
true. sweet wife, would not place an obstacle
in my way"
Calmly | answered, No"
And you will STAY here and he my conf
dent, my pet, my best counsellor and friend;
or, if We go abroad yOu shall 60 with us-all
your wants cared for, all your wishes antici-
pated."
- Have YOU done?1 asked, " have you said
all? Have the fends exhausted their curiou,
fortunes, and am | now broken enough ami
humbled enough and deceived enough. 10 De,
turned loose to the winds? Wei, farewell
turned TO leave him. but with gentle force
he detained me, and. placing me by his side.
kept me there, rs much by the look which for.
badc me to go as by physical detention.
The energy which | by mighty effort hal
summoned. and which had enabled me 10 speak
and to walk, Withdrew itself from me: the moon
light grew dim, as if it fed away: an indistirrt.
ness came over all / felt n hand brush the
damp dew from my forehead; | felt my lips
tremblo-death was come, ] thought: and stru.s-
Cling for utterance, ] said, Kiss me once
more-say now you love me, and God In Lis
mercy -
a moment moro of vain strife with darkness
and senselessness, and n blessed wave of ui.-
consciousness came over me. When I-awokp,
was pillowed on the bosom of-what shall
call him-friend or foe? man or devil?
Perhaps in pity, for / lay wrilhng as one
that had been troddcn on and bruised. perhaps
in anxiety to sooth me at all hazards. and per
haps for the moment penitcnt, and resolved To
brave the worst, Mr. Richards said he had prac-
ticed too cruel Jest; could forgive him, it
should never he repeated. | was his darling love.
and he would not part from me for the world.
He had no intended wife anywhere. nor WAS II
nrob, hle that If he desired it, which he d;J NJ,