Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-02-14
MONTPELIER, VERMONT, THURSDAY,

ness, sad andinexpressible, softened all thought.
| yearned over all whom could call my own
yearned for the home which lay so far away,
yet felt no impulse to fight towards its refuge.
Churchyards and graves and quiet death came
like veiled procession through my heart-and
| could say nothing of my mood but that was
sad, very sad.
| Iacquiesced in my fate-l acquiesced in Gre
ta's-I did not feel with Jealous bitterness that
nothing inferior to myself had been preferred to
me. The veil of bright delusion had fallen
from my eyes, and felt that Greta's heart had
not chosen wrong-that nature, fitness, gracious
fortune, pointed to him and not to me. Greta,
sweet heart? though the little golden ring of
betrothal bound her to him now-though she
was marked and separated from all her girl at
tendents, with the shadow of wifehood like q
veil over her brow-yet neither frenzy, nor
shrinking sense of fdesecrstion, came tonne. For
Greta knew no guiie--ii,sd donen no wfong-a..nd
l could pray out of my solitudes for joy and
benison upon her life, wherever its course might
be.
This passed, and so did Greta's marriage
shortly after. 1t satisfied and eased me that the
interval should be brief, for Greta's own wistful
solicitude about me was the least easily borne
of all. saw she could not Danish the thought
of my sadness from her gentle mind, but saw
that she was most eager to obliterate the slight
eat suspicion of it from the minds of others for
Greta saw no honor in my humiliation, and
and could not bear to drag me a captive at her
chariot wheels She must have felt me in her
own pure heart something like q brother; for
saw that quite ntolerable to her was the slight
est allusion to su fering on my part. She could
not bear the" poor Monsieur William " which
kind Madame Kleine bestowed upon me under
her breath. | even saw Greta s little foot stamp
in unconscious impatient irreverence, as she
held up her finger to stay her mothers voice
My disappointment was sacred to herself-a
thing to be moruned over, and wept gentle tears
Tor in her solitude; but thing that would bear
the Indifferent glance of no other eye.
bought her a little present the day before
her marriage. I myself, with my personal sim
plicity of taste, was almost rich in this simple,
Inexpensive Germ an town. My present was a
little slender ring, with star of pearls; SC
much humber than the jewels her bridegroom
dedicated to her, as was inferior to himself ir
all the charm and flush of youthful life.
scarcely expected to sec her when went tc
leave my offering; but Greta's sweet heart
simple and pure, knew there could be no harm
in our farewell. When she heard had come
she left her mother--and into the silent sale
then lying in the deep cold shadow of a late
autumn day, she came to me with her shy step
her head half downcast, her consciousness sub
dued, and almost sad.
Il will wear it next to the ring my mother
gives me her mother gave it her, said my swee
Greta; but Ineed no pearls to make me think o
you. Friend, you are not angry! You will
remember Greta sometimes with kindness an
peaces
Il am not angry I took the little ham
which wavered with faint trembling, int
mine. 'Inever have been angry, Greta No
I am only sad, and lonely, and very desolate
but you have not wounded me, sweet heart;
am only as was before knew you, Greta-
alone
'Ah, no said Greta quickly, mot alone
friend. They all love you yonder in your HON
You have told me 50.
And as she lifted her dropping head with ca
gerness to comfort me, the tear that had beel
quivering on Greta's eyelash, fell upon her hand
l put my lip to it hastily, and then said
, Farewell, and went away.