The independent press. (Abbeville C.H., S.C.) 1853-1860, 1857-08-07

took from him all pity for her suffcrings.
1t CHANGED to bo tho festival of Santa
Isabella, and 10 DO honor to her patron
faint, as we'll as celebrated the crcturn OF ler
husband, Isabella put on her wedding dress
and seating herself by an open cascmcn,
that overlooked tho Alvar gardens, she
watched for his coming but whilst he,
eye were vainly fixed upon tho path by
which she expected him to appear, hand
was laid OH her shoulder, and, turning
round, she belicld Fesalc standing by hcl
side.
81 have ordered the supper to bo laid ID
my study" shd he anil taking her by
the hand he led her away TO the room in
question, dismissed the attendant, and
closed the door. Everything wore les,
tive air, yet the rcpast was chccrlcss. Per.
ceiving that she had tasted nothing, We.
sale poured few drops from the vial oi
elixir in cup of Malaga wine, and pre-.
scnted it to her.
"Drink this" said lie, ''it is sovereign,
cure for the complaint you are sutlerin,,
from"
'pledgc me in the lraught," she returned
filling goblet from the same flask, and
handing it to him, "and it will bring a
quicker healing to me. Let us drink to
our absent friend, Andre"
Fesae accepted tho offering, and thew
emptied their goblets together.
"Talking of friends" said he, and sudden.
Iy fixing his eyes upon her, "you have not
spoken TO the Of Don Alvar de Soils. Are
all the hopes Of hearing from him rclin.
guished : lie was braggart and. liber-
tine, and boasted that no woman aevcr re-
sisted his seductions, that no husband ever
suspected the injury he was preparing for
him."
Then grasping his wife BY the hand, he
led her up to a door at the further end of
the room, and throwing it wide open, re-
vealed to her view skeleton, suspended
within, holding in one of his bony hands
one Of her embroidered gloves.
"Behod," he said pointing to the ghast-
ly spectacle, "tho gallant and beautiful Don
Avar dc Soils, the object of your guilty
lovc-contcmpIated him well, if the sight
can render your movements happier, foi
you arc about to die, too-the wine l have
given You was poisoned r.
When the last dreadful sentence, and IFS
more dreadful illustrations burst upon he,
atfrghtencd senses, she became paraIyzcd
with excess of emotion, the scream that had
arisen 10 her throat, died there in strang-
ling mwmur, and sinking fell back as one
dead upon the arms of Ncsale.
She WAS not dead, however he had not
poisoned her; that crime ho had hcsita.
ted TO commit, yet lie was none tho less
her murderer. Convulsion flowed convul-
sion and at last sllo died and in that su-
premc moment, the hour that preceded
death, her husband, who had never quilted
her, behcld these phenomena whicl, SONG.
times attended the dying. Awakening
from torpid slumbcring, consciousness and
memory rcturaed at once, and with them a
calm and courhgc she had never possessed
in her life.
"Andrc," said she, fixing her eyes upon
her husband, 81 am dying by your hand,
yet | am innocent Incvcr wrongcl you
by thought or deed Don Alvar pursued
me with his loye and threats, but | repul-
sed him. I never loved but you. But I
dared not tell you of this pursuit. Oh,
Andre, believe MY words tho dying deal
not in falsehoods Should be thus calm
wcro guilty 2"
Vesalo, sinking upon:his knees, solemnly
protested his faith in tho innocence of lis
wife, and, with choaking g'sobs, adiured her
to believe that lie only feigncd to give her
poison, that he could not nerve his hand to
take away hcr life but the terror Of death,
not death itself, was upon her And
while he yet spoke Isabella murmqr,
cd
"Thanks be to Heaven for this ~ and
drawing his hand towards hers, laid it on
her heart, and as she did it ceased to beat.
PowER OF y WoRD.-I was told story
to.day-a temperance story.s Another, on
the green hills Of Vermont, stood Mt her ca,
den gate, holding by her right. Hand son
of sixteen years, mad with love of the sea.
"Edwsrd," said she, "they tell. me- that
the great temPfation Of the seaman's life is
drink. Promisshie before you quit your
mothers hand, that you never will drink ~
Said ho, Qor lie told me the story.) ~
gave her the promise. l went the broad
globe over-Calcutta, tie Mediterranean,
San Francisco, the Cape Of Good Hope
and for forty years, whenever I saw a,glass
of sparkling liquor, my mo,her's form BY
the garden-gate on the hillside of Vermont
rose up before me, and to-day, at sixty, my
lips are innocent Of the taste ofliquor.S
Was not that sweet evidence of the power
of single word3 And yet it Wis but
half; for said hes ., -si -
yesterday there came into my c6hnti bg-
room a man offorty, and asked me-
"Do you know me n ~ -. y.
"No,h ,hsaidI. & 5,s
aI was brought once," said he to my iu-
formaut, adrunk into your presence on ship
board. Youwasa passenger. Thecaptaia
kicked me aside. You took me iiito your
berth, Kept me there till j had slept off sfhe
Tintoxication, aud then you asked me III I Ihsd
.a moti,a said, neyer that I,lsnew of;sI
:nsysr had beard Inothera Yoiee. Eou
told me- of yolss st sl,a gafd dsp: gatA and to-
day. twtaty years Si,aasss off ,ons
came; @ 5 spijss and -
Howsfsr back that littI tIe csndls shrSHsisk
Beam 4ihat MOI i6sf 81 isisl fl stl,s ~ sgSeo
ibMlsids Vsrap6 g
!. ths 81 al@tsli ssr |
& M saaItss