Butte record., 1856-01-19
earth were manifestly almost num-


earth were manifestly almost mum
bered.
And now came a fierce struggle i'll
his mind as to what was the course Of
duty under these circums tances. She
was beautiful and very lovely, bnt did
he love her? No, he did not. Could
he love her? Doubtless yes. 1t would
be vain to try not to love one SO very
gentle, trusting, and dependent. Her
father had evidently seen all, and was
willing that it should be so. Her brief
life might have this one bright day Of
sunshine, this one hour of gladncss, and
then all would be over. He would give
all he had to buy her life; but since
that could not be, he would buy her
happiness while she lived at any price.
And the young Clergyman saw all this
and then came acress his memory the
splendid beauty of Mary Pierson, the
the magnificent dream of his youger
days, and it fought with hi L but he
conquered it.
None but he who has once expert
enced it knows the tremendous power
Of memory. 1t takes entire possession
of the soul Ike a storm, sweeping over
all that has grown up in might and
strength, all the webs of fancy that
hang here and there covered with dew
drops.
Deep peace was in the house and
heart Of the clergyman after he had
married his young wife, and peace
lil-e river flowed through her soul.
She was fainting, falling ont Of
beautiful world, in which she had
found nothing but JOY till now. All
her life long she had been the child Of
case, pleasure and luxury. No wish
had been denied. All that she wanted
she had, and when it became evident
to her own unwilling reason that the
end was come, it was hard, very hard.
But love was now made perfect in en-
joyment, and she lay calmly on her
husbands breast for the few weeks
that were to il teryene between the
blessed moment when She called him
her own, and that moment when she
must give away everything, even his
hand, his arm, his love; no, not his
love, she would take that to heaven
with her, to make it even more glad
and hopeful there.
And he was happy, perfectly happy.
There was no shadow ON his heart
More and more each day he grew to
/ her, and as he SO increased in bis love
for her, there did begin to come over
him dark cloud. He looked to her
death with more and more fear, and
sorrow, and apprehension.
A year after P lip Winslow stood
by the bedside Of his dying wife. Her
black eyes, ovelaowing with love of
him and hope of heaven, were fixed
with unuttcrable Joy on his calm coun-
tenance. Her white hand, white and
thin as the hand that the phantom Of
dream waves at US, lay in his calmly,
conGdingly.
"Philip, my husband, say once more
that we shall meet again.
'We shall, dear wife, we shall.-
Thank God that he has promised us
that"
"oh, Philip! will wait for you in
the happiezt valley Of that happy coun-
try. Do YOU love me PHILIPPE
"Dcar wife!"
"AIay God reward YOU for your love.
| have not been worth it, but oh, how
YOU have blessed me with it. 1t has
been the breath Of Heaven over me
even here"
"a letter for you sir" 1t was a
servant entering the room with a light
step who handed it to him. He glanced
at the direction, and sharp pang shot
through his frame, and visible pallor
was on his face. He turned from the
bedside, grasping it convulsiyely in
his hand, and staggered rather than
walked toward the window where the
last rays of sunshine were streaming
in through the half closed shutters.-
He looked at it again, and sat down
feebly, as if in pain.
Stern and terrible was the resistance
be offered, but it would have been all
in vain, had not the voice of his wife
come to his aid.
''Phillip, Philip, come to me!''
He sprang to her, and in an instant
he was hers again, and all was forgot
ten save the peaceful, joyful face that
lay before him, looking SO lovingly into
his eyes.
She was dying. Father, mother,
friends who were around her-none
caught that look of love, save he whose
It's all was here, and forever. And at
length, whispering, sPhilip, hold me
close." and nesting her head in his
bosom, she closed her eyes on his be-
loved countenance - last vision of
earth, last thought Of time-and took
it with her to the unseen world, as all
she wished to take from earth to hea-
ven.