Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-02-23

1 "Sbe clung around my neck, she wept ID
my face, she called me all the old pet names
the names Of endearment that we used in Tor
mer days. We forgot the nurse, the crawl
ing worm at our feet-every thing but our
wild, our overlooking joy.
! "Philip, eternity can not contain more Joy
than was compressed in that one long eu-
| brace.
"But she was dying. The silver cord was
oosencd, and fast falling away. l carried
her home in my arms, as ! once afore carried
her. She lay there now clasping me close in
her embrace, choking me with tight fold,
but smiling ever, smiling like an angel that
she was, and silent, but happy beyond all
words.
"That night she told me all : how for a
year her heart was estranged from me, and
the tempter whispered her on to destruction.
How she resisted, day by day, yet yielded in
sensibly, but never dreaming of sin, and firm
ly resolved never to betray me. How all the
power Of that young girlish love had returned
to beguile her. and she had been taught to
| look on me as the stupid scholar who thought
more of his books than of her. and whose
words of love were but studied phrases, learn
eG in volumes of other mems passions. Yes
she confessed all. humbly, but loveingly, and
then told me of that last day.
.She had dressed that night for the party,
with the same thoughts and feelings she had
INDUCED for months. But my kiss in the en-
try, and the look Of my face and eyes, she
said, changed all the current of her mind
she drove to the assembly her love for me be-
gan to revive, and she thought of turning
back to tell me all. But was TO be away.
as she knew. and so she went on. But she
made the night shorter than usual, and left
early. AS always before, Gray was at her
side, but he was not to her what he was
day before. The whole evening through her
mind was revolving all the events Of the year,
and she was overwhelmed with repentance
and love.
80 she determined to hasten home to me.
and in her haste she did not observe that her
carriage took another direction. until Gray
who was at her side, renewed his offers Of
love in q holder tone than ever before. She
told him that he insnlted her. and he laughed
and threw bis arms around her. The scene
that ensued | shall not pause to relate. The
tempter was foiled by her newborn resolu-
ton, and by my sudden meeting them. The
rest you know.
1T was all over now. One week of heaven
on earth, and she was gong from me to tread
the path that lies in darkness, and alone.
could not think Of it. | could not think of
that beloved child walking the cold and star
less road Of death in solitude. Where would
she be when my arms ceased to enfold her
What company in the silent land would fol-
low on her footsteps? Who would look into
her eye--into her heart? Who would guard
her. care for her, protect her? She never
walked alone here could she there ? She
never, never but once, was out alone in night,
or gloom, or storm. and that once-how it
| haunted me that memory Of her sitting ST.
lent in the darkness and the tempest!
ut came at last There was the same old
smile, the same life-giving smile on her fea
lures, lighting them as with CLEAN Of glory.
She clasped me close, close in her arms. She
kissed my cheeks, my lips, my forehead. my
neck, my hands lay by her, with my head
! on her pillow; and now we wept, and now
we smiled, now prayed now lay still, silent,
calm, but in the stiffness of unutternble an
guish. She was radiantly beautiful! An
gels in heaven are not so gloriously beautiful!
| And she-Philip. dare not say again she
was an angel, or fit companion for them-but
look at that portrait again, look into that
countenance, and tell me, tell me- did God
make that-all that--for dust and woe? Oh,
He must have saved her He must have
heard that sobbing prayer-'Christ have
mercy mercy ? with which her soul went out
into the unknown!
eyes, she died. Still clinging TO me-still
clasTing her white round arms around my
neck-still pressing her lips, cold as they
grew, yet madly pressed to mine-still, with
the last strength of love and life, kissing my
eyelids and my forehead with soft, quick,
loving, despairing kisses--tll sharp, swift
pang passed over her countenance, her grasp
fell off, and her head dropped heavily on the
! pillow and my wife was gone-gone-gone
"'Where is she 2 you asked men, Philip.
God knows where.
| WAS she not beautiful 2"
He sat looking at the miniature; and as
he looked at it, ! could have believed it
smiled on him more lovingly than on me.