New Orleans daily crescent., 1857-01-12
THE VOICE or THE OLD BIBLE.
A NOBLE REvENGE.

NOBLE REFENGE. .
"Miserlfly unfortunate and poor. His wife and
child in actual need of lifes comforts Oh, Lueius,
Lucius. am reyenged now y and smile, sad even
in its triumph curled the beautiful mouth OF the
speaker. as7ass9az4s..u
She was young 90 young that yon would have hesi-
tated whether to write her girl or woman, and her
only beauty in her mouth and eyes. The one was
large but soft, sweet flexible, the responsive strr
ment on which her soul always struck its innitudes
Of emotion and feeling The eyes were large and deep,
translation Of her soul rather than her heart, as
perhaps eyes oftenest are.
Up and down her chamber with that sad, bitter |
smile On her lips, the lady walked many times. The
velvet carpet, its dark groundwork piled with Sorron
to roses, cushioned her feet Soft landscapes OF the
Rhine, intermingled with wild pictures Of Alpine
scenery, leaned down to herrom their oval frames
but needless Of the beauty about her. its mistress
walked amid it, her soul wrapped in joy which the
angels must have written sin.
And yet you should pity her. for great had been her
wrong. She had the elements of very noble nature,
too but her mother had died before Alice met her
tenth summer, and there was none that understood
her deep, emotional nature-her impusive, poetic
temperament. al -
Her father was plain practical farmer whose be-
ing absorbed in the few which lay around
his yeowbrown homestead, and he regarded Alice as
remarkably sensible child because she always pre-
erred books to dolls and bonnets She attended the
village school until she eighteen for her father
was ndulgent to fault and although he fuIned and
reted over The semiannua school bills, he neverhad
loved. There she met Lncius Brante How the
thoughts the proud woman reach off to that hour
and drag it up to the present 80
| He was poor, an artist and schoo!-teacher, with
earnest aesthetic nature, and much Of that social
magnetism that attracts the sympahies Of others.
| Alice was his pupil. | do not know how it Happen
ed, but both teacher and scholar learned lesson that
| was not in the Textbook that summer
"Alice," said the young man, brushing away the
| curs that leaned over the girls bowed forehead az
they stood by the old farmgate the last night of
| his stay in Meadow Brook, AZ give you my heart.
Take and keep it. I must go out into the world and
win me name and place there then will come
Il viii take and keep it till give both back to
God, answered the girl solemny and so they parted
She had been true to hin-through the dark
triumphs OF her face comes softer light with the
/ thought Then, what temptations thickened about
her-when her father died, and she came to her fash
enable aunt's, and entered upon that new life of
wealth and luxury.
Piqnant and impulsive graceful, and sometimes
beautiful it not strange she created an unusual
sensation But the dreaming fairhaired YOUTH whose
rap eye leaned his easel in the fourth story of
old building in that obscure street Of the metro
polis owned the heart that princely fortune could
have bought A!ice's relative intriguing
worldly woman. She had no children of her own
and whatever of affection could exist in such nature
was bestowed the orphan. Mr.. Reade was 3
widower and millionaire; and if his life was leaning
down to the shadows of sixty, he thought that
reason why he should not have young and beautifu
wife to preside over his home.
She'll throw herself away on that handsom
young painter, and starye to death in a garret,
mused Mrs. Henley, between her lunch and her lar
dog, after long interview with Mr.. fseade "pd fol
bid him the house, but Alice is such high-spiri.e
girl. little diplomacy will succeed best with he
Itwould only be doing the child lifelong favor to-
Well see!' Significantly perforated the portly lad
as she divided slice Of cake with her canine favo
| ite.
:, Alice Y '-
:" and the girls bright face leaned over til
balustrade. DCs
Here's letter for you found among my carl
after dinner. l forgot to hand it to you. E1c,t
moi, What, not dressed for the party?" As Alic
the wellknOwn chirography.
mo: but shall be in half an hour And st
went back to her room.-
No her again that night. The letter struc
out all the light and joy and faith of her life
Two months later there was wedding, and vel
e. gorgeous one, at the reidence'of Mrs Henley Ali
was the wife of the millionaire.
Well, he good indulgent sort Of husband, al
loved his young wife better than even he did his lou
and his horse, which is saying great deal, for the
were his passions
And Alice? have given you the keynote to Ii
life. You can feel the sadness of the heart-hym
amid all the earth glare aud luxury through whie
they rise.
Yes, it is my triumph hour now Lucius Brante
murnlurs the lady, she ty7ined the watch cha
rouud her white fingers still pacing N and down tt
chamber floor. oh! what heart was that ye
sighted-what love was that you spurned Yo
would never have come to what you are now if I ha
been your wife. My genius would have Stimulate
my affection would have inspired you But you kne
I was poor, and you thought you would marry a ric
woman. Your designs were frustrated finely, thoug
were mt they? In less than year her father died il
solvent, and you had pretty, helpless girl yor
hands, who, if she had strength to love, hadn't
to appreciate you. Well, you deserve it ALL and Ii
it. glad of it. / wouldn't give one halfpenny of IL
thousands possess to save you, or your wife chill
from starvatOnt' And the lady brought down h,
cenched hand on the table.
No, not on the table, but on book that lay ther
No wonder the flush and the scorn went out from ii
ladys face, for that book her mothers bible al
the old days. when she read it at her knee came, Ill
far travellers away from her lifes morning, and stoc
still and reproachfully about her. She bowed dow
her fair face on the old brown cover and wept, al
the angel in her heart lifted his head and whspere
Forgive even as you would be forgiven The
was long fierce struggle betwXt the good and Il
evil in the sou of Alice Reade that night but the
was new beauty on her face, the beauty of pea
when at last it was lifted from the old Bible
"Well, Alice what can do for you this morning
Mr.. Reade leisurely drew on his glasses as he ask
the question, gancing admiringly at the grace
position of his wife, as she sat in her easy chair, /
-. head cushioned on its crimson back H
i've He was a portly, pompous-looking man, with
VI shrewd, selfsatisfed kind of physiognomy-a fl
WELL unreserved elderly gentleman, on the whole.
Il thank YOU don't want anything, Mr. Rea
"WelI, speak out, my dear
Didn't you promise me new diamond pin l
Week.
She looked up from the figures on the rug with
hu smile dimpling her mouth which few husbands wol
, have resisted.
IN 'in. $50 | did, dear child, and see you want it
rre night for the party Well You shall have it for
fri- kisses
Ill "No shant either, for I've pins enough aIread
VII but crossing her hands coaxingy his arm,
want the money very much for something else.
great secret so don't please ask NE anything abe
it, only say l may have it."
"A thousand dollars to throw away on a secrs
EXtraVagant, Alice . v ,-
Mr.. Reade drew in his BREATH but there was u snl
lurking in his eyes and his wife knew all was rig
Send up the check before eleven please,
Reade," were the words that followed the milliona
down stairs.
ne ne It was a high chamber in a dapidated brick no
~. a. and liscrably destitute few ashes smould
c ing on the hearth and by their side sat shverir
starving mother and her child.
ca Mother, mother, won't papa come home pref
M ear soon aad bring me cake"' asked the boy.
.ted 81 hope so, dear little boy. Oh, if he only c
"rne sell one Of the pictnres" 1t was ptu the sob
;, the woman's voice, the tone half hopeful, half
mp st pairing in which she spoke this. She young
pera very pretty STILL in her pale pnched lace
sale the that looked out of her large blue eyes
E There was DO great force of character in her ia
for it is true. You felt it was not one to meet calm