The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1856-06-19

from the brook. Again she would repea
the words of Earnest
"Ah, Annie, she is more beautiful tina,
your widest fancy ever wove into song"
Then she would improvise rhyme, saying
this shall be the bridal song. will no
be the naughty child of my dear friend.
'ciU write him bridal song, and sing j
too at his wedding"
Earnest, at such times, would lister
with the deepest feeling to all those revela
,ions Of her poet soul. Ho wrote in hi,
tablets each line Of sweet verse she haC
named the bridal song" Ho was never
absent from her side, and the first Object
that Annie saw on the return Of conscious.
ness, was Earnest May. She held out he,
thin white hand to him, and tried to speak
her thanks for his presence.
Many weeks of weariness and lancuo,
came to the poor sick girl ere she could
leave her bed. There seemed TO he some.
thing holding her back from health. lie,
mind was not quiet and at rest.
Earnest read the soul of the young girl
and on each day felt more than ever like Il
guilty wretch, who had crushed in his rude
hand beautiful and fragile flower. Well
as he had imagined he had understood her
he found he had no conception Of the cx.
tremc dclicacy and sensitivcness of her ma
turc. No attention or kindness from him
could in any way wipe out the great wrong
he had done her. But what was in his
power to give, he gave with carncstness and
devotion. 1t was he who sat hy her bed
side. and strove 10y pleasant conversation
and reading, to entice her back to health
and cheerfulness. His arm bore her slight
frame from the sick room into the genial
sunshine.
Nor WAS Earnest wholly unsuccessful in
his efforts to restore Annie to health and
when the soft air touched her pale check,
there sprang up again in her soul de-
sire to live, if but to rcvc in the beauty Of
nature.
One day Earnest bore Annie into the
garden arbor. Annie was still weak, and
very pale, from the effect Of her long ill.,
ness. She seemed as fragile us IN infant in
the arms Of the strong MN. How slight
breath might nip the beautiful flower ;
and Yet strong will WAS beating in her
bosom, and brave luealt was in that fraiI
tenement, that was buoying her Ly on the
wave of destiny, and would surely bear her
safely to some protecting llarbor.
Earnest drew from his bosom Il tablet
upon which were Inscribed the lines Of the
song improvised in Annies dclirium. lie
commenced reading it to Annie, who sat
perfectly absorbed i'll the strange mystery.
The rhyme. :he thought WAS hers, but
how could she account for the traccable
lines?
Earnest closed the verse, and replaced
the tablet, and then said i'll low voice -
Annie, this is our bridal song"
Annie turned her beautiful eyes into the
face of Earnest, as if to read the meaning
Of his words.
=" Dear Annie, why did you let your wild,
wayward b@,rt nislead you, when strove
to tell yo" Of my love for you 2"
"Iour love for me, dear Earnest. YOU
said she whom you loved was rery beauli-
ful and gifted"
And so she is, sweet Annie. Who, An
ME, but you. could have inspired such love
as has blessed, and wel.nigh wrecked my
Ife."
And is it me, dear Earnest, that YOU
loved so tendcrly, so passionately Z" And
the poor girl buried her face in the bosom
OF Earnest and sccpt, the first happy tears
that had touched her cheek for many long
weeks.
You, and you only, my beautiful child
poet!" aud Earnest raised the small head
from his bosom, and kissed away the tears
as he playfulIy said -
Haste, Annie, and soon be we'll, for
long to sing the bridal song"
Reader, is the story told?
Il Sad Picture.-O! were the tongue
dipped in the gall Of celestial displeasure, l
would describe the case of man expiring
in the cruel agonies of unbelief All, see
Everything conspires to trouble me now.
l am dying; despair recovering; physi-
clans have given me over; the signs and
tears of friends are useless-the world can
not cure me. Whittier am I going
What will become Of my body! My God
what spectacle! The horrid torches, the
| dismal shroud tllc coffin fhe tnllif,oe hall