The Opelousas patriot. [volume] (Opelousas, Parish of St. Landry, La.) 1855-1863, 1857-08-15
Tho Reconciliation.
A SroRY OF Ewo PRodp HEAsTs

@s3 -
| al mild May morning, fresh, md pleasant
and bright the soft air fill of hessso0nggs hi HAP
by birds the wild aowerslifting j Ifdr head|
in the sunshine and the green leaYesssEusthfg
and waving in the woods,n d if they were wits
pering seeretsto the gentle wind that stirred
them. "a
1t was a lovely day-a day Q be happy ]
and yet a saddcned look was visible on TIL
sweet face Of Faith Egerton, as she left The dool
Of her house, and went down the gravel we'll
that led to the road gate.
Her home--the home of her husband AM
children--was q pretty brownstnne cottage
overhnng with vines, and snrrrnnded by bed
Of fragrant flowers. Behind the house was !
level and beautiful grove, in cool aceesses sh,
had often laid as a child, and watched th,
Pickering light and shade come down upon th'
ground for the earliest years of Faith, as vel
as these latter ones had been spent in Til
quiet place. Here she had been born-he
kind mother had d~ied--here she had lived will
a dear only brother--here she had married he
first love, and here her children were springins
up around her here she had hoped to close he
eyes, with all the old familiar scenes smiling il
beauty around her.
She leaned upon the little gate, and looked
wistfullyup the road. She was awaiting ther,
her best and earliest friend, and the sound o
wheels made her start, and sent q color int,
her pale cheek that had long been q strange
there. "A dusty stage-coach came wbirIing vi
beside the gate-stnpped long enough for a lad
to alight and give some orders respecting lie
luggage. aud dashed away again The new
conner did not see Faith for a moment screened
as she was by the branches of q wild rose tina
grew beside the gate. The traveller lifted hel
veil, and exposed a broad high forehead, sha
ded by silky masses Of black hair. q face we'll
featured but grave and full Of Thought, .an6
deep, dark eyes, whose glances werezEfnd, ane
here smile was beautiful.
How strange q contrast between theSeg two
women. the one lair-haired and softeyed
with q meek and quiet face, OF. whose features
contentment and home happiness were most
plainly stamped the other, dark and proud
and self-snstained, with a look that said loahe
most careless observer, .Oh, l have suheradl
10 one, life had been a fair. summers day, with
only now and then a light and happy cloud;
to the other-ah what to her but a black and
stormy winter, where everything she loved
withered and died And yet they were oil
the same ago, Of the same station in life and
side by side they had sa7at school, and played
at home, in the childhood that lay behind
them. =n. "a
The tears sprang unbidden to the ewes Of
Faith Fgerton, as she saw the steadfast look
with which her visitor regarded the scene
around her. She lifted the latch of the gate
and stepped out beside her.
:, Northumberland Alewynne-wont YOU
speak to me 7, she said.
Faith, dear Faith, is it you p said Ger
trude
They were clasped in each others arms al
once. Faith wept bitterly, but Gertrude was
pale and calm, and smoothed the fair hair Of
her fsicnd with a caressing gesture, such as one
might use to soothe q little child.
Come, Faith she said at last. as if weary
of her tears this is but a sorry welcome to
give ME after a long journey. You know |
never liked to see you cry u.
Faith. ~
well, and if ] am ? said Gertrude. 1T is
some years since VIC met, and they have not
been marked with rose leaves for me. You
must not expect to be quite the anne at twen-
tty-ive as fifteen. Life changes US all, you
know
4 know, answered Faith, sadly but ]
never knew it SO well till now
Well, we will let them drop said Gertrude.
And now you are going to ask me in after my
long journeyp
Pray, forgive me- aaid Faith, blushing at
her inattention. sI will show Won to YOUR
chamber myself. 1t has been ready for you all
this week
They went up the walk together. Two
fair-haired children ran out to the door to meet
them. The youngest, a boy of some two sum-
mers. held up his little hands to Miss Alewyn-
ne with a sunny smile, She stopped down and
took him in her arms, and walked along through
the halllwith Faith
Are these your only children p asked Ger
trude.
Yes, and they are trouble enough for me.
replied the mother, looking at the children with
a fond smile that betrayed how iitase the trou-
BILE was felt.
Gertrude sighed, and said brokenly, | don't
know, Faith, why every one calls me cold and
proud perhaps am. But when l take a
little innocent child in my arms, something
stirs in my heart that nothing else can touch.
| might have been a better and happier woman.
Faith, if ] had married. M
You know well what my f~avorite plane al
ways was, Gcrtrune. If you had only married
my brother-, and this lime it was Faith
that sighed.
Oh, Faith spare me- was the half laughing
answer.
But you would have loved him if you had
only seen him. persisted Faith. sTTe is so no
bic, so generous, so handsom? He is only nv
halEbrother, You know? but if he had been nv
own, could hot have loved him better
BY this time they had reached thereon which
had been fitted mp for Gertrude. why yo
have made q little Paradise for me- she said
with a pleased smile, as sue looked around H.
chamber. i shall never osaNGpt to leave YOU
Faith ''
III any pains of nine will keen You, I am
contented,' replied Faith.
But, Faith, said Miss Alewynne, OBTAINING
her friend as-she was about to leave The room /;
i never knew before that your paragon was
a halfbrother. Your maiden name was
Faith anderson pray what is his p
Walter Roscoe she repliel, : He was tie
son OF my atepuaother. My own mother died
when was very young
y nat was his name 2 The tone vas Bharo
and impatient, but the speaker face was turi,,
ed AWAY Esafe IN1ftb