Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1857-05-09

} evening, and we Will dive to the resi-
dence of DIR. Pierpoint. who knows yo,
and will perform the ceremony anc
as | have special license, he will no
object. In one hour l will return
and by that time you will be ready t.
accompany me, until then farewell.
and he bowed himself out of the room
you remember, Elmira, how tolG
you Of the ruin that was before me
you saw my agony, and if l had not full
fille d my compact, would have been
a sacrifice. You consented to the sa-
cri6ce, and that night was welded to a
stranger His promise he has held sa.
cred; TINS far he has never called up
on us, or intimated that such a mar
riage existed but before the year ex.
pircs l fear you will need your hus-
bands aid, for cannot live much long
er, and my dear daughter, bear lit
tie space yet with feeble old father,
who is morose and disagreeable to such
an extent that strangers avoid him,
and the patience of his only child is
almost exhausted
Forgive me, father she pleadingly
said, as she threw her arms aroind his
neck, and imprinted a kiss upon his
forehead, while the thin, gray locks of
the father mingled with the dark tres
ses of his only child.
The winter rains of '49 had set in
with severity, and the cold. damp. hea.
Wy atmosphere clngged the lungs Of he
debil,tated invalid. At his side was
his ever-attentive daughter. Friends
had gathered about his bed, and each
seemed anxious 10 aid the brother.
The oiten-repeated word of brother,
which the visitors addressed to the
father, and the kind attention they uni
form y bestowed upon her, caused her
to make enquiry as to its meaning, and
when informed that it was the brother
hood of Masonry they alluded to, she
ne longer wondered at the chart which
hung so long on the Il of her faith srs
study, or of his constant perus ii of the
'Mason's Manual.' A smile of pleas
! ant meaning void linger on the old
mans face, as his eyes rested upon the
form of his child, as she contemplated
the various pictures upon the margin
OF the chart, which now hung at the
foot of his bed. Among the few who
cal ed to see tine ok m IN, was Il young
clergyman of two-and- twen'y, who
used the rites of an 'entered appren
tice' TO Patriarch lie WIS colrte-
Gus, kind and agreeable, and in those
stirring time. when time was money,
he hnd many leisure hour to spare.
encouraging the sick man. cheering the
daughter, and prepa ing her mind for
the parting that must soon me be-
tween her and her father
One sabb tn morning, in December,
the clouds had cleared away, and TIL
sun shone out, di-pelling the gloom of
a long-continued rain, when process
sion followed hearse down Stockton
street, vending its way slowly to ,h''
graveyard at the base Of Telegraph
Hill. After the hearse walked a min
ister, carrying a Bible sarouded in
Grape then followed eight pall-bear
ers, and then woman, the only mourn
er, while at her side walked two men
with uncovered heids, out of respect
to her sorrow, and emblem ,li"al of
their sympathy at her misfortune, then
came a few persons, distinguished from
those I'll It followed by small green
sprig, which they wore on their breasts
The procession stopped at new-mndr
grave, the prayer was said, the green
twigs fell upon the coffin, and the sod
covered the old mans resting place.
Elmir found home with the fans
lily of a friend. The winter rolled
round, and the spring of 80 found her
| still there. She called one day at the
post office, and received letter dated
several months back, and addressed TO
her father. She delayed breaking the
seal until she reached her home, and
then, to her astonishment. found it ad
dressed Dear Father. II was from
her hush md, and alluded to her fatt-
er's sickness, apologizcd for breaking
the silence that he had imposed upon
himself, and requested that he might
be D .rmitted to visit him if he came Ic
San Francisco, and closed with the
svowal, that if his daughter preferred
any one to him, he would resi ign his
right to her hand and leave her free
to choose.
This generosity was unexpected and
engendered in Elmira a secret wish to
see him to whom she had been plight
ed, for in the excitement of the mo
mcnt she had not looked iuto his face
nut became a bride to one whose fea
lures we're unknown. The release lef
her more at liberty, and enjoying th Il
freedom so natural to young hearts
she often srolled over the hills in com
pany with the young clergyman auc
it was not long before her heart tolc
her of words and looks he had used TO-
wards her, and repeated them with {
secret delight-dwelt on their memor.
and cherished them f'r the giver'!
sake. At last day came that sud
denly revet tled this latent regard. Th'
young clergyman had peremptor,
letter calling for his immediate retur'
to the Atlantic States. When he In
formed her of it, she could not sup
press the flowing tear as it courses
down her cheeks, and the simple reply
Then | will be alone,' revealed tn