New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-05-11

house flow. rs which have arrived here for us
Come, Edward come and see Ihea too,
They were so accustomed to treat him Al one
Df themselves, and were SO used to his aptitude
10 many ways, that they often did mot appear
TO remember he was blind
The flowers were rare and beautiful, and yet
10 donors name accompanied the gift. Suddenly 4
one of the girls cried out Ianghingiy, '' have
guessed, i have guessed. IL Is Edward He
has heard us talking about this balls and must
have ordered them on purpose for MS. Kind,
good EdwardW " and thay we're loud in their ex-
pressions Of delight aaI sxcept Mary, who kept
silently a1oof. ~
3 ssMary does rot like flowers i" said Edward
inquiringly, turning in the direction where she
stood.
No. she replied sorrowfully, .tit is the ball
that do not like, nor your thinking about
decking Us oat foris.; As if cared to go''
$ Look at these lovely roses said the eldest
SISTER as they were selecting what each should
wear; would not Mary look well with
wreath Of these roses in her hair !"
ss Yes, yes, X exclaimed Edward eagerly, andg
let me weave it for her! You know, Mary, it is
one fmy accomplishments you were proud Of
my ygarlands when you wsre-a little girl. Will
You trust my fingers for the task J,
ssR you really wish it, If II does not seem too
'trifing, yes, said Mary gently, with troubled
expression upon her. brow usually 30 serene, as
she moved reluctantly away. ssBut it must
appear such mockery to you, poor sEdwardp'
and then, without waiting for reply, she hur-
ried to her room, and did moi. show herself again
until the family assembledRfor dinner while
Edward, seated between the sisters, who were
in great delight in their anticipation Of the
evenings amusements, silently betook himself
Early after dinner, the large oId-fashioned
dra ing room at Woodlands was deserted the
moDentous business Of the toilet had to be gone
through, and then drive Of five miles accom-
Pills he'd, before Mrs. Parker and her three fair
daughters could find themselves at the ball
Edward was the only occupant Of the room;
seated at the piano, on which his fingers idly
strayed, he now and then struck chords of deep
melancholy, or broke into passages Of pIaintive
sadness.
Alone, alone! How the silence Of this room
strikes upon my heart--how long this evening
Hill be without her voice, without her footstept
And yet this is what awaits me, what rs newt
ably drawing near Next week leave the roof
under which she dwells; l shall not hear her
singing as she runs down stairs in the morning;
shall not have her constantly at my side, ask
ing me, with her sweet childlike earnestness, to
teach her to repeat poetry, or to give expression
TO her music. The welcome rustic of her dress,
the melody Of her laugh, will soon become rares
sounds to me Within, around, beyond, all is
dark, hopeless, solitary Life stretches itself
Mother. mother, well might your sweet spirit
shrink when you contemplate this for your
miserable son! How strange those last words,
thought Of them to-day, while I made her
wreath of roses, and when her sisters told me of
the numbers who doek around her. Every flower
brought its warning and its sting p
.s Edward, have not made hastes I wished
to keep you company for little. while, before
we set out. You must be so sad Your play
ing told me you were sad, Edward"
She was standing by him in all the pride Of
her youth and loyeliness her Write dress fall
ing in a cloud-hke drapery around her graceful
form, her sunny hair sweeping her shoulders,
and the wreath surmounting brow on which
innocence and truth were impressed by Natures
hand ss
The sense of her beauty, of an exquisite har
mony about her, was clearly perceptible to the
blind man he reverently touched the flowing
| robe, and placed his hand upon The fowerY
wreath.
Will you think Of me, dearest, tonight
You will carry with You something to felnind
you ofme. When you are courted, worshipped,
| envied, and hear on every side praises of your
| beauty, give passing Thought to Edward who
| lent his help to its adornment'
| Edward, how you speak so mockingly
Yeu know that in saying this you render me
most miserable"
4 .,ss Miserablet With roses blooming on your
oioWs anu Aope cAtitibS ia yonr HeaTVt W1en
life smiles so brightly on you, and angels seem
| to hover round your pathF'
He spoke in q manner that was unusual to
him she leaned thoughtfully against the piano,
| and, as if unconscious of what she was doing,
| disengaged the garland from her hair
st These poor flowers have no bloom. and this
bright life of mine, as you think it, has no en-
| .joyment when think of you, sad, alone, un-
happy, returning to your desolate home, Ed
ward"
80 Dearest" he returned, inexpressibly moved,
do not grieve for me. Remember my mother
| left her blessing thereP
ssWas it only for you, Edward ?,
| There is q moments silence; he covers his
face with his hands, his lofty self denying spirit
wrestles with himself: when gently the wreath
| is laid upon his knee, her arm is placed around
his neck, her head with its glory ofgolden locks
| is bowed upon his breast.
! ss Oh, Edward, take the wreath, and with it
| take myself if deserve it! Tell me that you
| are not angry. that you do not despise me for
| this-I ha We been so unhappy, have so long
| wished to speak to you''-
ssMary, May, forbear You try me beyond
my strength b. loved of my soul, light of my
sightless eyes, dea rer TO me than language can
express, yon must not threw yourself away
: He would diseng age the arm that is elinging
to his neck, but she nestles closer still.
:" Mary p he cries wildly, s'rememheE Blind.
blind p .=..5@ 55o
q Not blind near me net blind for me-. Here,
Edward, here my resting place is found; mo-
thing but death shall sep, ,ssate me from you l
am yours, your friend, your eansoler, your wife.
Oh, tell me you are glad"
Glad His previous resolutions, bus determi-
nation to owe nothing to her pityiRa loye, all
faded in the nnequaled happiness of fhas hour,
nor ever returned to cloud the life which Ma y 5
devotion rendered henceforth blessed
This is no fiction, reader. no ex exaggerated mic.
ture; some, who pursue this, will testify ONT of
the depths of their hearts how, in respect and
admiration, they have watched Mary fulfflinr
the promise of her beautiful sympathy and love-
She has never wavereain the path she chose IN
tread; she has never cast one lingering look at
all she resigned in giving herself to him ,Iovons
tender, happy, devoted, she has seemed always
to regard her husband as the source of ali bsr
happiness; and, when the music of.ohildren,s
voices has been heard within their dwelling. nor
even her motherly love for those dear faces
whose sparkling eyes could meet and return her
gaze, has ever been known to defraud their
father of a thought, or a smile, OF the liottsst
portion OF her accustomed care
No, dear Mary Years have passed since she
laid her wreath on his knee; the roses, So cara
tully preserved, have long withered: but the
truth and love which accompanied the gift, are
fresh aud bright as then: rendering her, as
her proud husband says, almost equal even