Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1855-11-08

the leaves Oh roses, ISChlcc6lf, tnOugnl
llessly, carelessly, never thinking ths
the flower would never bloom again
They who saw her said that she wa
very beautiful, very gentle. very lovea
Bile; that her cheeks were red, her lip
witching in their mould, her forehea
white and broad and heavy. her eey
deep soft blue, her hand and foot fair,
in their proportions.
When he came back he was changes
man. There was deep sorrow hang
ing over him of some kind, i could no
tell what, and fever attacked hin
which nigh took him away. In his de
lirium he told us all. Joe and l heart
it, and we excluded all others from tn
room, the doctor aiding us. and w
alone heard him recount all the love anc
wild grief of his village gem. HI
would call her to him in voice Of ago
ny that could not be described, and ther
would seem to be holding her in bi
arms, and pressing his lips to hers; ant
it was more than we could bear withou
tears in our eyes, to hear him reply t
her fancied pleading in words of i'm
passioned love. And one night, aftel
he had lain for four weeks in this con
dition, and when the doctor told us he
did not think it could last much longer
after be had lain long time stupid, hi'
eyes closed. his long black hair matted
on the pillow. his lips compressed, his
chest only giving evidence of life by it:
heavy respirations, he suddenly called
aloud--"Kate. Kate, darling Kate, why
don't you come to me?" and as he said
it, she entered the door. l sprang tc
keep out the supposed intruder; but be-
fore / was half way across the room,
she was by him, her arms around him,
his head buried IN her bosom by her
convulsive embrace.
For an instant he pushed her back
and looked at her. The light was dim,
but he needed no light TO know her. He
held her cheeks in his hands, one on
each cheek, and looked with his wild,
haggard eyes into her young blue eyes
and she looked back at him, steadily,
calmly, lovingly, and the evil spirit left
him, and he fell on her breast, and lay
there faint. we thought dead. She
would not move. She had not spoken
one word, nor uttered sound; but now
she assumed the position Of one entitled
to her place, and removed all question
of the propliety of the affair by simply
saying, "He is my husband.
All that long night, in doubt and fear,
we watched the ebbing and flowing of
the tide of life, and as day broke we be-
lieved his hour had come. He thought
SO as well, and though we had not over
heard a word of the low whispered con-
versation they constantly exchanged, we
could see that it was all pure love,
watching and waiting in agony for the
hour of separation. At daybreak he
begged me to send for DIR. --,
the venerable and well beloved profess
sor whom every student was driven to
consult in trouble.
The Doctor came. We heard nothing
of this conversation either; but in few
we were called TO the bedside
and then and there witnessed the mar
riage of Tom Atchison to the village
girl, who was fit wife for prince
The ceremony finished, our friend reviv
ed, and we left him for an hour to the
care and love of his wife.
Nothing was known of the affair in
College, and his removal was attributed
solely to his sickness. He received
his diploma with his class, though he
was too i'll to be present, and within a
year after he graduated he died. Her
fate l never knew, and if there be any
one who reads this letter that can tell
me of it, should be right glad to know
it.