The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1855-02-10
ing the ,ioOr after him with all his might.
NIv.

NV.
Who can tell whereof a woman's heart is
made I? who can fathom the depths of its
owe, the endurance of its patience, the nigh
y energy of its action who can tell what
here is in it, which ever buovs it up upon
ifc's stormy waters, when others cling TO it
or life; which sinks it out of sight when it
nas a woe which is its own alone
Buy and sell, We children of the world, but
rafiic not in woman's heart, no more than We
would in her flesh and blood.
That which is beyond all price is beyond
all bartcr-vc may deal in ausht save this.
rs to her whom we have known hitherto
as !'.tic Alice. she has made her choice f.
ven though she had lost The twenty thousand
pounds, she would be lIcrbcrt's wife: he was
worth tcnfold that to her and the town coun-
cilor said that it should hc so, and sent for
his LAWYER, who altered his will so that if
this marriage were to take place after his
death. Alice was to lose her portion OF his
wealth
Time wore on--iiic's battle is often to bc
fought with timc-with time when we are in
pain. with time when we are in expectation.
with time when we are in want: Alice strnc-
scd on: and when she was twcn:v-onc. she
was married to Herbert Cou,tenav-marr;e,l
with grand wedding. because the town coun-
cillor hcc,lcd wha. the world would saw. but
she went from his house, and from between 4
double row Of servants, who lined the hall
pcnnilcss and portion,css with nothing of
what her father could have given her, will
that which he could never have endowed hcl
"A not!c,a pricclcs<.a perfect woman'S heart
Herbert Courtcnav knew her worth, anI be
licvcd that now at last he had found wealth.
And who can chronicle the b!c>selncsS of
the home where intellect ana holiness an,
love united all their powers to confer harp;
ness an! Joy? Day /. day ,did'icrbcrt work
and not only day lv day. hut also night b.
night. On him depended A,ice's support;
few hours mcrcto:l wcnl'! ever procure he,
something ~h ich her fond husband though
she ought to have, and though his fingers Of
ten x:fFcned around his per, on on he wrouc!l
f.,. his fair Alicc's sake
Love swcctcns labor: love steals from il
halfits primal curse: love cnoblcs it with a
inspiration love uses it as a true. a worth
expression Of itself the hand that works. III
brain that tolls. discourse far more of low
than the tongue tha: speaks.
Thus wrought Herbert Courtcnay for III
three years OF his married life, during whic
time many changes had taken place in l.l
dwelling.
IIcrbcr:'s mother had gone to kcr rest: >'
had not. as we say dirl. but r.thcr passed a
way she had lived 20 s"c her son in prosper
i.v. and on the road % fame she had Sccl
lis child. was il not Ter child: she ha
blessed it, she had a.cd for it. and lad le
parted in peace.
There was now q second Alice in the houS
VINO used 10 cover lIcrbcrt's face with he
rich clustering cllrls: and as She srrcad thc,
over his eyes. to blin! him, hc though: him
self more swcctly woocd than the one to whor
her lover came in shower Of gold.
Edith, the fair Eli:h. !rom whom the iii
gel had been drawn. wa< in far distant Ian
married to one who loved her As IicrbcI
loved Alicc. and looking forward 10 the tim
when she should return 4 live near the brett
cr who had been more than brother to her
Little clouds had come and gone, even a
they DO i'll the summer sky. but Alice WI
Herbert. fame wa$ before him. and of ,hr<
clouds he made small account. Bat at las
from a cloud no lar.cr than mans han'
rose the storm that settled down over al
Herbert Courtcnav'S after life.
\ headache i. little thing, and lIcrhc,
felt, from time to time. tichtncS> around Ii
head, as though it had been cncirclcd by
cord, and this increased so much that he W.
: strictly charged to write no more for vca
at least.
l To mind like his, this way was hard il
. decd. but, for the sake of his own Alice, al
his little Alice,h he consented that it should b
, so.
: Eut had this been all lie. bert mi ght liav'
Which he now asi,irci. In the battle, how
ever, in which he was to ii.ht, there arc SUI,
den, there are overwhelming charges of til
foe. and one swept down on him, and left hi
once more as he had been, when he LEFT I'll
: manor, without house and home. Now al
: 50 lc had two other, depending upon HIM
the mother and si>,cl had given place to
/ wife and child
\ year before this, Herbert Cou.tcnav LA
lent his name as security for friend, las
mere matter of form = he was solcmnly a
surcd that it was nothing more; and, now
when his brain needed most rest, when all h
had to depend upon was the money he ha
laid BY, all he had was taken from him, an
if his wife and little daughter were to hav
bread, he must work a.ai;:.
Herbert gave up everything; he kept noti
back, not even the chair in which hi, moth
er had sat ly his lircsi'!c, not even the watc
he had given Alice when >!c was married
not even the coral which he hal given hi
little ,laughtcr.and which she had often shak
en- with such triumph when he hung ii roun
her neck. Ii is true that there were hol