Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-04-25

light of the cleaning, seem to Undue my spirit
with purer and better influence, which endures
on amid the garish light and hustle OF the broad
day-a halluwing influence which opens my heart
to all the sweeter sensblities of love, kindness,
charity, forgiveness; and if yonT own gentle heart
could ever require any such adven,itious influence
may well hope it is now affected by It,. In that
hope, Miss Anna, | feel that you will pardon me
for giving utterance in words to feeling which
have long striven in vain 10 repress-a ieeing OF
the most intense and devoted interest in your fate,
awakened BY all hatloveliness ofmind and char
acter which so erninently marks you. may ex-
press it now, because this is the last time may.
ever see you face u face" ,Zea'2liA r d's'
'"'But why say, Mr.. Wentworth" interrupted
AIMS, ,"that this is the last time We shall meet e,
81 say it-in trankness which should become
the ocssson, and both our characters hope be-
cause this is the last time in which can endure
TO see you, and indulge such sentiments as now
really thrill in my heart sentiments all the bet
ter because they are unselhsh, for Know well
that under the wise ordinances Of society, i can
only see you hereafter in that relation In which
is not proper to indulge such feelings for You,
much less to utter them; more unselfsh because
nON can never dSh dIiy SUM
another will have the sole rght'Lsa 70 1eu
80 it is generally understood, L believe, MIR.
Wentworth y b3e ly, & iei7iFg lapiof 30
"And now, Miss Anna, as bid you final fare
we'll, let me only say to you nithe spirit Of for
giyeness Induced by this hour that hencelortn the
| memory of yourself shall be only pleasant, and
vet So faithful and constant, rs was that bitter
memory of the neglect and. unkindness with
which you once treated my rash and presumptous
! betrayal of my lere-a love of which youare the
only objeot-a memory which has haunted me
amid all-the classic shades of foreign lands. and
which now strangely subsidies in your presence. m
even in your frank admission that your own love
is forever pledged, and wofthily iknow to an
other. So 90 eurquf 7'-up! sin O.. .e1| 9i '1
"Why. Mr. Wentworth, there must be some
strange mistakes and mysteries between us N
Frankly, have not Admitted, for such is not
the fact, that my love is pledged to any one; |
only meant to say that your love is generally
understood to be pledged to another, as Thought
you ,xere then informing me. And more, too, |
ne 4 3keated with neglect any betrayal OF your
love- to me; you allude no doubt to ) our parting
note, which have been ever since ashamed TO
see, because of a consciousness of having answer
! ed it perhaps too kindly: my answer to 1t you
treated with such neglect and unkindness'
| Our good readers need not be oldfarther what
their own imiaginations can so well supply how
Annals note, not reaching its destination, was
the source of all their woe; how explanation fol-
lowed explanation, till all was clear-and how
Ernest braathed of love that was all the stronger
that it had 50 long burned like hidden fire, till
it breaks forth in free and full air and how the
gentle Annals true womanly heart, gushing with
the fond remembrance ofa former love, yielded
to the influence of that holy hour and the new
Iy risen evening star beamed softed pighting
of as pure and perfect love, as ever blessed this
mortal earth.
.sThe future, that sweet world which is hope's own
! Lay fair before them" fY r,o .'a
- "By the strong spirits discipline, .sl
| By the sad wrong forgiven,
/ raTt BY all that wrings the heart of man,
Is woman won to Heaven" oe-1 g-C -
Having con6denlially admitted our readers, at
the close of the last chapter, to scene which is
ever regarded as begianing full fruition of mum
dane bliss, no less than of ending all love stories,
we will not now mar their kindly sympahies
with our hero and heroine, by any rehearsal of
mere ordinary details Our narrative, therefore,
closes wiSi brief recital of few leading facts.
| i nc NuDtldl lcSlNdl WdSuuly CciouIebcu IN
ness of time at the house of Mrs. Howard in Phil
adelphia, On the kind and pressing invitation Of
her whom Anna had long regarded as second
mothor. AT the simple and appropriate ceremony,
| Nanny Bland and Walter Howard 0fficiated as
principal attendants. And we will add here,
what our shrewd readers may have sooner sus-
pected, that Walter and Nanny, so congenIal by
na,ure, shortly afterwards fulfilled their ''mani-
| r.. - h,,a arip prinpinal
together in a similar ceremony In the hospilable
Virginia home of Mr.. Bland.
Having selected location in Virginia, Ernest
and Walter formed a partnership in the practice
of law, with avery prospect of success and emf
nence in their profession. Anna5 shortly after
wards received q letter from her aunt containing
the information that large debt due Mr.. East
lands estate, as also one due Mrs. Howard, from
the same source, aad hitherto deemed irrecovera-
BILE. could doubtless be collected-the debtor hav-
ing lately come into possession of quite princely
fortune. i3a erv at1t
At Mrs. Howard's suggestion, Ernest went i'm
medately to Philadelphia and after the lapse Of
few days, returned home entirely successful
The timely aid thus received, with the proceeds
of very lucrative practice, soon placed our friends
far beyond the fear of penury, and in prospect of
wealth that would afford the Opportunity 10 crafty
their refined and cultivated tastes. 1oa
One evening Ernest told his wife that he should
be compelled to leave home on important busl-
ness, which would possibly detain him several
iays but this was all the information he coud at
present give upon the subject. 1t was so unusual
ior him to leave without fully explaining the
cause, that she was not little perplexed to know
what it all meant Her various conjectures were
still unsatisfied, when he returned and explained
his absence by the information that he had been
to purchase farm on james river, and that
heneeforth their home would be at Clifton.
Thi. was indeed joyful surprse-one that
was only supposedly the delight in which our
heroine soon after found herself comfortably in
stalled in her childhood's home, surrounded by
familiar scenes. which awakened fond and hal
lowed memories of other days 1t only remained
for Ersest to fill the measure Of her happiness,
when he soon afterwards resolved 10 embrace that
faith whose pure and gentle influences had long
been SO beautifully exempfed in her own walk
and conversation. Anna felt that now her cup of
Joy was trimming with bliss, for hers was home
in which dwelt not only mutual lovs, and mutual
happiness, but the beauty of holiness too was
there-and well might the angel of Peacs hover
over it.
But it was still an earthly home, and s'into
each life some rain must fall" so even was a
shade Of sadness cast upon those loving hearts by
the reception of tho following letter, evidently
penned by the feeble hand of the dying thus
it.ran-- fteaAis1.i t w ~
"My dear cousin ;-if indeed one whom have,
so deeply wronged, will allow me SO to address
her. Yes, Anna, have wrunged you more than
your gentle. unsuspecling nature has ever imag
iued and now in my dying hour remorse OF coll-
science, whose WARNINGS have been hitherto un-
regarded, impels me to admit all, and impore that
forgiveness which, alas! so i'll deserve; but
which your lovely Christian character is, / feel
assured, 50 ready to bestow. &c u'.E -u'F
"a short confession will tell but too much It
| nI l,rr,