Eastern times., 1855-10-18
BATH, THURSDAY MORNING, OCTOBER Is, 1855
1t shall be as you wish, | do and will love


With rapturous joy pressed her to my
heart, and the cloud which had so suddenly
obscured loves golden sky, as suddenly dis
appeared, leaving no traces of its former ex-
istence except the tears which were yet upon
our cheeks. | did not know until now the
full strength of my love, but what had passed
caused me keenly to realize it.
8 If you continue to love me as you now do ;
said to. her, mot friends or enemies, or all
the world, shall cool my love or drive ME from
your side,-will you say the same to me.
will she murmured, and again her sweet
lips impressed warm kiss upon my brow.
We parted as usual with mutual express
sions of love and esteem; but, gentle reader,
we never met again.
My next visit found Clara not at home, but
she had left a note for me which read as fol-
lows:
1t is as | feared it would be (; do not feel
towards you as ought, and think shall not :;
fore you must excuse me from anything farther
As [ said before, l think that as my feelings
are towards you, this is the best course for me
to pursue, and shall therefore pursue it. If
my feelings always change SO shall never
marry, but presume that time will increase
my firmness, at least hope that this may be
the case'
will not attempt 10 describe my feelings
after reading the note, for l could not make
them Ineligible to any but those who have
been in similar circumstances, and such will
readily understand without any description.
| will only say, that had no unkind feelings
towards Clara, for believed that she had act
ed conscientiously. She was young and mex
perenced in the ways Of the world and was
a poor stranger, and looked upon by her friends
from some cause not fully known TO me, in an
unfavorable light There are but few young
ladies', thought /, who would not be influenced
by the above facts, more or less. Only once,
at subsequent period, did the thought arise
that perhaps she was after all coquette that
she had told me of the influence of her friends
over her, merely as an excuse for her incon-
stancy. But the idea made me SO completely
miserable, it was banished at once and forever
from my mind Whether her friends had
been talking TO her again, or whether the love
for her cousin had returned, know not but
the fact that her friends had, in the first in
stance, influenced her against me, and the sus-
picion that they had done the same in the last,
filled me with almost uncomfortable feelings
of hatred and revenge towards them. | shud-
der even now TO think Of the black and hellish
thoughts that then rushed through my mind.
But thanks be 10 God, my better nature soon
triumphed, else / know not what | should have
been left to do. For weeks and even months
afterwards, could do nothing, or think Of
nothing, but the loss | had sustained 1t
seemed as if every person whom met, knew,
and Knocked at my sorrow, and 1 therefore
Stunned society much as possible.
Blu: you have not told me-, said the doctor,
as paused, how you came by this meaning
the miniature which he still held in his hand
have mentioned, replied l, that possessed
some skill in the art OF house painting, but
my true profession was that of a portrait and
miniature painter. One day, while Clara was
at Mr.. W-'s, the thought occurred to me
that she would be beautiful subject for pic
ture, and wondered that had not thought of
it before. | easily gained her consent to sit
for miniature. Love seemed to impart an
unusual skill to my fingers, for never in my
life possessed such power to delineate with
truth and vividness the features of the human
countenance, as at that time. In truth, was
surprised at the beauty of that which my own
hands had wrought; and on showing the pic
ture to Clara, after it was finished, she ex-
claimed, while modest blush overspread her
countenance, You have used fattery, why
did you not paint nearer to the truthP But
all who saw the miniature, thought that no
fatiery had been used that it was Clara TO
the life.
also painted another, equally as good,
which gave to Clara; and this have kept
as the only relic Of the happiest period of my
life; not that my life has been an unhappy
one-far otherwise but in those happy days,
felt fulness of joy, a completeness of hap
piness, which have never since experienced.
As the doctor rose to depart, he invited me
to call at his house, as soon as felt able to
walk so fart being about two miles-saying
with mysterious look, that if he rightly un-
derstood my character, he would then tell me
something which would, at least, not diminish
my happiness.
Having, as may well be supposed, great
curiosity TO know what that something was,
it was not long before found my way 10 his
house.
A young lady obeyed my summons at the
door, at whose appearance l was so struck.
that nearly tainted. Could it be that my
long lost Clara stood before me that she had
preserved her youth and beauty until now !!
or was dreaming! There was the same
graceful form, the same sweet countenance,
the same blue eyes and auburn hair, that once
were hers. With trembling steps, followed
her through the passage to the room which
was occupied by the doctor as an office. He
was IN the room, and Immediately introduced
I L Il