The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1855-03-14

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spare her, and once was nearly fainting in
his arms from excessive emotion, yet he
would not-heaping up her pile Of woes high
aud still higher, and telling her, throughout
all, that she did not love him now.
After fearful scene the girl tore herself
away, rushed as il for refuge from tempt
ing angel, and from herself, into her moth
er's room, busying herself about that sick
bed with even greater care and tenderness
than usual.
"You have been long time away, Isabel, -
Mrs. Gray said, petulantly.
ayes, | am very sorry, dearest mamma
| have been detained" Isabel kissed her
withered hand
"Detained--you don't deny it, Isabel"
81 am very sorry"
Tears trembled in her mothers eyes as
she murmured, "Sorry! Don't stay with me,
child, il you wish to 60. I am accustomed
to be Alone"
81 entreat you not to think that wish to
leave you for moment" ....
so, yes, you do, Isabel! dare say Charles
is below stairs-he seems to be always here
since have been i'll. You have great
deal to say to him, am sure"
81 have said all have to say" answered
Isabel, quietly.
She was sitting in the shadow of the win
dow curtains and, as she spoke, she bent
her head lower over her work. Her mother
did not see the tears which poured down fast
from her eyes.
go, then it was Charles who kept you! |
can easily understand, my love, the burden
must be to you. l am sure you are very
good not to wish me dead-perha aps you do
wish me dead-I am in your way, Isabel
If / had died you would have been happily
married by this time; for you would not have
worn mourning very long, perhaps. Why
have been left SO long to be burden to
my family!"
"All this, broken up by the terrible cough
and by sobs and tears, Isabel had to bear
and to soothe away, when she herself was
tortured with grief.
Charles departed for Jamaica. The thick
shadow of absence fell between their two
hearts. Henceforth she must live on duty
and forget love-now almost hopeless. A
stern decree this, for girl of nineteen!
For the youth himself, the excitement Of
the voyage and the distractions of bus mess
were all so manyhealing elemantswhch soon
restored peace to his distracted heart. No,
that he was disloyal, or forgetful of his love
but he was annoyed and angry. He though,
that Isabel might have easily left hei
mother to go with him, and that she was
very wrong not to have done SO. Between
the excitement of new scenes and new a
musements, and the excitement of anger ant
disappointment, Charles Houghton recover
ed his serenity, and fourished nightly on
Jamaica hospitality.
By the end of the year the invalid grew
daily weaker and weaker. She could no
! leave her bed now; and then she could no
sit up even; and soon she lay without mo
) ton or color--and then, on the first day o
, spring, she died. She died on the very sam,
day that Charles Houghton entered the hous,
of the rich French planter Girard, and wa
presented to the heiress, Pauline.
{ Pauline Girard small, dark, cleaning
; gem--a fitting humming- -bird--a floating
, flower-a FREELY through the night--a rain
bow through the storm--all that exists il
} nature most aerial, bright and beautiful
t these Charles compared her to, and grea
r deal more, that is--when they first met
4 Charles, with his great Saxon heart, fell i
: love with her at first sight 1t was not Low
such as he had felt for Isabel. 1t struc
!, him like a swift disease. 1t was not tn
quiet, settled, brother-like affection whic
: had left him nothing to regret, and little
desire; but it was wild, fierce fever ths
n prayed on his heart and consumed his life
y He would fiy-he would escape; he was er
: gagged to Isabel. 1t must be that she di
not love him, else she never could have sui
# fered him to leave her; yet he was bound
her. Honor was not to be lightly sacrificed
% Would Pauline, with her large, passionat
: eyes, have given up her lover so coldly?-
Still he was engaged, .and it was sin an
}, q crime to think of another. He would fl
from the danger while he could /; he woul
d fight the battle while he had strength. H
I. was resolved--adamant. One more inte
view with Pauline, and--but Pauline presel
u ted herself accidentally in the midst of thei
n indomitable projects. One glance from HI
deep sapphire eyes put all his resolutions
l Aight--duty, like pale ghost, passing SLOW
ly by in the shade. When fully awake
k the truth of his position. Houghton wro
it to Isabel. He wrote to her ike mad MAJ
l. imploring her to come out to him immediate
e ly--to lay aside all foolish scruples, to thin
,r of him only as her husband, to trust him in
plicity, and to save him from destruction
a He wrote to her with fierce emphasis
d despair and entreaty that burned. like fire
F. his words.
,r This letter found Isabel enfeebled by loI
p attendance on her mother, unable to max
,r much exertion of mind or body, and requi
rs ing entire repose. That she should be r
m stored to her lover--that che should be hal
II py as his wife, was, for moment, like q ne
| A. Il. L., g. Arao eh a r