The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1856-09-17
EDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER Il, 1856.
Annie Lee, or the Bridal Song.

!, Annie Lee, or the Bridal Song.
Annie Lee was a poetess Nature made he
one, and she sung as the bird sings, and tn
flower sends out fragrance She lived with he
parents in the beautiful country.
Annie had many admirers. The old love
y her for her sweetness and simplicity She ha
lovers, too, men of refinement and culture, VIII
looked down into her young heart, and saw tn
treasure that lay at the bottom. But as We
Annie loved no one more than her parents, sh
sung her songs from out gushing, happy soul
and rejoiced the hearts and made beautiful tn
lives of all who came near to her.
One summer day as Annie sat sewing an,
chatting with her mother, they saw from th
window a stranger guest approaching the cot
tage. 1t was Earnest May, an old friend VIII,
had been absent ten years from his native coun
try. He had returned with mind richly stor
ed with experience and knowledge gained from
abroad. Ten years before, he had taken An
ME Lee in his arms and petted her as pretty
and gifted child, as she really was He wa:
then young man of twenty, Annie child O
seven years.
Annie looked into the face of their guest, and
wondered how she could have forgotten her old
friend. Earnest looked into the beautiful no.
etc eyes of the lovely girl, and thought he had
never seen, even under Italy, fair skies, more
attractive face. The visit was brief and soon
came to an end. Earnest May went to his life
ofstudy and thought. Annie, still cottage GIRL,
went more often into the deep, wild woods, to
weave into graceful songs the fancies that crowd
ed her brain. A new inspiration had come to
the young girl with the presence of the stranger.
A chord hitherto untouched now thrilled in
strange melody, and Annie's song was now more
complete and harmonious.
Earnest May was not a declared lover. He
was ever calm and digniGed in his affections for
Annie. He may have loved the beautiful child,
but how we'll no one could tell; perhaps he
thought only of her as gifted child of song,
and SO fingered In her presence, chained by sym
pathy of mind over mind
Annie did not ask herself if Earnest loved
her. She on y felt his kindness, and was bless
ed in her own absorbing passion.
One summer day Annie was SURPRISED bv the
arrival of Earnest. She had not been warned
Of his approach, and she sprang over the door
sill with a light, almost wild step to welcome
him.
you did not tell me you were coming Ear
nest, and now | am more glad that you did not,
for the surprise is very sweet.
have come sooner than | thought to, for |
have something to say to you, Annie I love
most tenderly, even passionately, lovely girl.
DO not turn your eyes from me, | am sure YOU
are my good friend
Is she very beautiful, Earnest?' said Annie,
trembling.
'Oyes, Annie, more beautiful than even your
own widest fancy ever wove into song. Will
you, dear child, when you are in the GLOW of
your highest imagination write bridal song?
And let 1t be more rich in beauty than the SKY
is at midnight with stars Oh, Annie she is
divinely beautiful, for gifted soul looks out of
the soft features and tinges the smile and lights
the eye with more than a human beauty. Will
you not rejoice with me, that at last | can see
with lovers vision, that the scales have all
fallen from dead eyes, and now every where
see newness of life
Annie was silent; she did not say that she
rejoiced in her friends happiness.
Forgive me, Annie, for Withholding this Sc
cret from you SO long 1t was sweet to keep
it in my own soul, and gloat over it, and look
att with miser'seye. You forgive me, Annie?'
Yes, yes, | forgive
Earnest and Annie did not meet again till the
family circle was gathered for the evening"
Earnest sat apart from Annie, and engaged the
Did people in pleasant conversation. Annie lis
ened, but looked out into the night on the soft
Moonlight and the green s]oping bank, while
she was exerting more than physical power
over her thoughts, and striving TO beat back the
oW rumbllng of the tumult that deep down in
Ter young ardent nature was bursting into new
ebeIlion
The effort was too great. A dizziness stole
nto Annle's oyer-taxed brain. She saw the
rees dancing, the brook waving backward and
onward, and the moonlight shadow swan be-
ore hereyes. She uttered a faint cry, and would
'ave fallen from hey seat, had not Earnest, who
lad been watching her intently, sprang for
yard and caught her in bis arms
They took Annie to her bed,
The powerful excitement of the day, with her
fort to conquer it, mad created fever in her
ems and her brain. For a week Annie lay in
reat danger.
In her unconscious state, Annie talked con- I
tantly of Earnest, of his beautiful BRIDE and
her own grief. Sometimes she would fancy
be was preparing the bridal wreath, and would {
all for fresh flowers from the brook Again
ne would repeat the words of Earnest E
AN, Annie, she is more beautiful than your G
lldest fancy ever wove into song a
Then she would mprovise rhyme saying, I
his shall be thy bridal song. will not be t.
le naughty child ofmy dear friend. Twill write f
I'M bridal song, and sing ttoo at his wedding I
Earnest, at such times, would listen with the fl
7epest feeling to allthosc revelations of her C
oet soul. lie wrote in his tablets each line of tt
e sweet verse she had named the bridal song "
e was never absent from her side, and the b
st OBJECT that Annie saw on the return of con- Il
lousness was Earnest May, She held out
II thin white hand to him, and tried to speak
y thanks for his presence. 81
Many weeks Of WEAKNESS and languor came
the poor sick girl ere she could leave her bed.
acre seemed to be something holding her back al
'm her health. Her mind was not quiet and
rest:
Earnest read the soul of the young girl, and al
each day felt more than ever ike guilty So
etch, who had crushed in his rude hand
autltu and fragile flower. Well as he had 81
aglned he had understood her, he found he fir
q no convention of tho eytrop,a Jol,o,or o,J