Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1856-03-13
Condolences and Confessions.

The clear, cheerful fire glowe'
warmer and brighter, and the dark
ness Of the winter evening gathere'
i without. -s.e.--r.<
Cousin Harry and | sat close be
side it, enjoying the pleasant wrmth
and giving full reign to our wander
ing fancies. -
! He was leaning back dreamily il
] his easy chair-I, silently musing op
] posite him, with my feet, they wer'
not large ones, reader) resting on th'
Hover fender. My eyes were fixet
on the glowing Goals; but now ant
then could not help stealing {
glance at cousin Harry's face, il
order to coDjure the subject Of bis
long reverie.
lie was in right dreamy mood,
and his dreams were evidently pleas
ant ones on the whole, though many
emotions swept across bis manly
features. o.@,
/, too, as / sat there looking de-
murely into the fire, had certain
little dreams of my own. Did |
mention that cousin Harry was not
my cousin-only a ward of my faith
er's brought up in our family, to
whom that title was givenby courtesy?
But that, of course, had no. hing to
do with my dreaming or not dreaming.
Harry broke the long silence at
last, by saying:
'Come sit here by me, cousin
Olive, / want to tell you something:
I went and took q low seat at his
feet, and leaned my head against his
knees as | had done from childhood.
Dear cousin Harry, bow ! loved him.
He passed his hand caressingly
over my curls and said:
sOlive, did l ever speak to you
about Miss Rutherford Miss Mary
Rutherford?'
mo cousin
sAnd yet l never had, and DO not
wish to have any secrets from my
little cousin. But this is proof' he
added, laughingly, shat the old line
which says, The heart feels most
when the lips speak not is true.
If / have not spoken to you of Miss
Rutherford, it must have been be-
cause felt too much to give easy
utterance to my thoughts. Olive,
she is the loyeliest creature ] ever
looked upon. / met her last summer
when / was travelling in Europe. We
travelled through Italy together, and
each day that spent in her society
| admired her more. In short Olive,
| fell in love with her
Yes said |. was glad to be
able to utter even that one word, and
so glad that my face happened to be
turned so that Harry could not see it.
She has just returned to this
country continued be, 'and this very
night decides my fate. / sent her a
note this morning requesting an in
teryiew. An hour from this time
gees me the happiest man in America
or the most miserable
/ clasped my arms tightly round
Harry's, and ] am sure, even in that
bitter moment, I Breathed prayer
for his happiness, come how it might.
NY tears could no longer be quite
restrained, but Harry naturally mis-
understood their cause. He patted
my head with playful tenderness,
and raising himself he raised me too,
and kissing my cheek said: go
THANK you, dear Olive, for your
sympathy. / am going now-glve me me
your good wishes - s.
Farewell, Harry ! whispered and
he was gone. How much there was
to me IN the one word l had
spoken--farewell. es &
I did not sit up to wait for Harry .
return, as / at first intended to DO.
BY the time / began to expect
him, my head ached SO and my eyes
we're swollen with crying, that l knew
lit would not do for him to see ! me.
So / went to bed, and laid awake
the whole night, and thought and
thought of cousin Harry, aud how
kind he had always been to me, TIL
my heart acbed. .s-,.,e,..g:
The next morning ! vas really
quite iii and feyerish, and kept ny
room all day. But the suspense
was intolerable to me-y longeds to
to hear Harry's voice again, even
though bis words struck to my heart
like daggers--therefoFe when II the