The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1856-02-06
fresh air would do her good. l offered

TO accompany her.
No, thank you, sir she said my
good mother alone will come with me.
And with one hand slightly leaning on
Gertrude's arm, while the other held n
small package, she went out They walk.
cd towards Juan's rustic seat, but very
slowly, for the convalescent was yet very
weak
Arrived there, sho bnclt down. and af-
ter a silent prayer she turned to Ger
trude, and embracing her, said Bless
your daughter, dear mother for the last
time: you will never see her again
What do you mean, my child2'
Tho truth. ] am going away. You
will say goodbye for me to him, moth
er and tell him that it is my very love
for him that forces me to fy.'
But. dear one,' said Gertrude, de.
tanning her, you wrong our Juan he
has a noble heart, and ho will love you
all the better for these noble scars when
he hears that it was in saving me from
dreadful death you received them
He has a noble heart replied the
| girl ard | know that he would marry
me, and try to make me happy, but how
could l endure his averted looks-his
sorrow? No, no. / shall suffer much
! less in suffering alone
just then we'll known bark was heard
and a large white dog rushed out of the
woody path.
Caesar = cried Gertrude. Where is
your master2'
Here he is repliedan agitatcd voice;
and holding one end Of cord Of which
the other was fastened to Cirsar's collar.
soldier appeared Mother are YOU
herc2 " here is Marguerite2 Why
don't you come aud embrace your poor
bird wandererp
Bliud ! exclaimed Marguerite and
fixing her eyes on her betrothed. she
saw that his were covered with band.
age. ! cannot describe the emotions of
all three suffice it to say, that aftor an
incredible number of embraces, Gertrude
and her two children returned to my
house aud wcIpasscda delightful evening"
Here the curatc stopped and l thought
his talo was ended
Well, | said suppose the blind
warrior and his betrothed- still, in lis
Imagination blooming in all her youthful
charms-wcrc speedily united q
They were he replied. 1t was I
who married them but have somewhat
more TO tell you of them. Their cottage,
by the willing aid of all the villagers
was soon rebuilt, and they removed into
1t. Their circumstances were very com.
Portable. and Juan supported his iufirm.
ity-caused, he told me, by the explosion
Of mine-with the utmost chcerfuluess.
His tenderness for his wife seemed to in
crease every day and yet she was evi-
IDENTIFY not happy. She became prey
to constant melancholy, and her health
and strength visibiy declined. Her old
friend, the DOCTOR visited and prescribed
for her, but without avail
My art is at fault he said to me.
Her body suffers, but the seat of the
disease is her mind. Do you try to dis
cover what the secret which weighs on
her may be, or | cannot answer for her
life
Alas how could l apply the consola.
uou of religion to case of which the
sufferer persisted in keeping me pro.
fOundly ignorant2 Once She seemed on
the point of opening her mind, but Juan
entered the room, and she was silent;
Dor could | ever afterwards induce her to
speak freely. Meantime her bodily con.
dltlon became very precarious; and Juan
who was now aware Of her danger, scarce.
ly ever stirred from her bedside Old
Gertrude, as you may suppose, was
scarcely less anxious about her.
One evening, when l was in the cot,
tage, the doctor arrived and having ex.
amlned his patient, pronounced that un.
less some powerful reaction took place
she could not long survive How SOL
emn were the moments that succeeded
this announcement Poor Juan grasp
ed convusively the hand of his wife
while large tears streamed beneath his
bandage.
| began to exhort her on the subject
Of religion; and when | spoke Of the mer-
cy of her Maker, she exclaimed Oh, l
have great peed of mercy, for my consci
ence is burdencd with a heavy load.
Listen she continued. addressing us all,
and tell me whether can hope for for
giyenoss.'
Grouped around her bed, we waited in
silent astouishment. Marguerite had
raised herself into sitting posture her
wasted arms, her disordered hair, her
sunken features. her hollow eyes, gleom-
ing up before it is cxtingui,hcd forever,
lent an air of indescribable solemnity to
the scene. Placing her hand in her hus.
bands she said Juan, you remember,
when we separated, the promise which
we made of mutual fdelity2 My heart
was yours, and yours was mine Well,
the terror of losing that heart caused me
TO commit a grievous sin. | pictured
you to myself with shocked, avertod
looks at the first sight of her who was
once named the Pearl; aud in the agony.
the delirium of the moment, cried to
Heaven; oh, God either give me back
my beauty, or take from him his eye
sight = the moment the selfish, impious
prayer was uttered, bitterly repented,
aud would fain have recalled il but too
late Juan the wish was granted, and
| have never known since Que moments
happiness