Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1855-01-26

fluciua,ious OF her complexion, and
the agitation Of her manner whenever
he addressed her. lie had always
treated her with the kindness Of a
brother-ihat kindness now made
me unhappy. | was becoming
suspicious, Jealous, and self disirust-
full, with a settled conviction that
some strange barrier existed to my
union with Ronald that such
union was too bright aud too beauti-
ful to be realized in this world Of
dreams and shadows.
My mother was firm in the be-
lief of the guilt Of Alice, who had
never been a favorite of hers. Per-
haps ] layished upon her TOO many
indulgences, which dIspleased my
mothers more sober judgment. She
forbade all intercourse with her, all
menuon of her name, but she was
ever present to my Imagination
sometimes the shameless migrate and
accomplished deceiver, at others the
eloquent pleader of her outraged
innocence. One day Byzantine came
to me, and laid her hand on mine,
with look Of unspeakable dismay.
Il have heard said she, that
Alice is dying. Let us 90 to her,
Laura, and save her, if i, be not too
late
What | felt at hearing these
words, never can tell-they pres
sed upon ne with such a weight Of
grief-her innocence seemed as
clear TO me as noonday-my own
unkindness as cruel MS the grave
Quickly as possible we sought the
cottage where her mother dwclt, and
a pileous spectacle met our eyes,
There lay Alice on little bed, pale,
emaclated, and almost unconscious
her once bright hair dim and mat
ted her sweet blue eyes sunk and
half closed; her arms laid lsilessy
by her side, the breath coming faint
aud tulierngly from her parted lips.
: On another bed lay her poor, heart
broken mother unable to relieve the
suhcrngs of her she would gladly
have died to save. Frantic with
g'icf, threw myself by the side Of
Alice, and disturbed the solemn
stiffness Of the death hour with my
incohercnt rawlings | declared her
innoceut; called upon ncr to live
to live far my sake and throwing
my arms wildly around her wasted
form, struggled to hold her back
from the grave yawnlng beneath
her. Ii was in vain 10 cope with
Omnpotcnce. Alice died, even in
The midst of my agonies, and ii was
long before was able to listen TO
The story Of her illness. MS related by
her dlscousolate mother. She had
, returned home sick and feverish, and
= sick aud frvcrish she evidently was
, on her first awakening; and tina,
wounded spirit, which none can
} bear, acting on a diseased iramc
accelerated the progress of her fever
! tIll it settled on her brain, producing
: delrum, and ultimately death. Du-
ring ali her deirium she was plead
ing her cause with an angels clo-
quencc, declaring her innocence,
and blessing me as her benelaclress
+ and friend
Here my grandmother paused,
, and covered her eyes with her
handkerchief. | laid my head upon
her lap, and the ringlets of hllle
Mltty's hair were wet with my
tears. felt quite hearted,
+ aud ready 10 murmur at Providence
for placing me IN a world so full Of
; error and woes.
Did you ever feel happy again,
dear grandmother asked |, when
veniured to break the silence-fof
my curiosity was completely merged
in sympathy.
Yes, Nina she said, Il have
had hours of happiness, such as sell
dom tall 10 the lot of woman but
, those bright hours were like the
shining of The gold that comes forth
purified from the furnace of fire
; The mother OF Alice soon followed
her Ia the grave, and there they
sleep, side by side, in the lonely
churchyard. Byzantine soolhed and
comlorled me, and underworld to
silfle the seli-upraidiags that ever
sounded doleiully to my heart
Alice had been the victim of inexpl-
cable circumstances, and so far from
having been cruel, | had been kind
and iorboaring, considering the
weight OF evidence against herr but
all my hopes of Joy seemed bligh,ed,
for how could mingle the wreath
of love with the cypress boughs that
, now darkened my path ? Ronald
Pressed an immediate union, but |
shrunk with superstitious dread, and
refused the ring, with which ne now
sought TO bind my faith. No, no,
| cried, the pledges of love are not
for mel will never accept another.
My mother grew angry al my
fatalIsm You are nursing phan-
tastes, said she, that are destroying
the brightness of your youth. You
are actually making yourself old, ere
, yet in your bloom. See, ii there are
not actually streaks ofgray threading
, your jetty halrP
rose and stood before a mirror,
and shaking my hair loose from The