Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-06-17
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salary etc.. aud an apology for the liberty
she was taxing.
Adeiaides plan was at once form4d-she
""uld accept the situation thus thrown IN
her way herself bearing diffrent name of
course; and, in a foreign land. and am,suaau
strangers, she might perhaps, foFge . part
of her grief
Her courage failed her as tire time drew
nsar aae Ut Is more than probable that if
Mr. Fletcher had -beeu at homa when the
hour TOR her departure arrived, ehe might
Dave betrayed herself. But his opportnne
absence seemed te her almost prUvi ssutjal
snd as Mrs. Allen she joined the party Of
Mrs Ellsworth, at L., on the day an
p0iaFed.
They proceeded at once 10 Boston, and ssss.- :
ring the ensuing week sailed ior Eagland
ng before they reached tue shores 5f Il q :
iast anchored isle Mrs. Ellsworth isaa
tearfed e feel almost i sister love f,x a
getatln. pensiEe 81 anger 81 lisf side al s
nsr@ eilllesen on zslssin a sifsl6 hlas.estasi
saass ,ness:s as s. - s selAs.l 5. sFs.
caiieo her, IS II sne nm. 5eeT fIls ffT5Fs1-s,--
years rather than Of weeks They al seemed
: to take it for granted thas she was widow,
her mourning dress strengthed the impress.
Ion; and she continued SO TO evade the.
questions as not to undeceiYe them.
Indeed, Mrs. Ellsworth soon discovered
oy Adelaide s auiyering lip, and the increas
lug paieness of her cheek whenever any al
luslon was male to her former life, thai her
history, whateVer It might be, was painful
one; and With true kindness she ceased to
make any inquiries in reference to It,
At the close of long. bright summer daY
rather more than two years after Adelaide
became member of Mrs Elsworth's famiI
~ she sat with that lady and her children
IN the parlor Of the beautiful little cottage
that Mr.. Ellsworth had chosen for their resi-
dence while in England
1t was quiet, home-like room-n0t too
elegant for comfosf. nor too stylish for ease
and freedom. Frank, if he pleased, might
bring his tiny boat, and sit on the CARPET
while he mendea the rudder-no fear Of
frowns If he did make few chips; and
Amy might convert the ottoman into a couch
Tor her wax baby, without incurring any
danger of lecture
Mrs. Ellsworth was reading, and Ger
trude, the eldest daughter sweet girl of
aDout htteen-was seated at the piano war
oilng song after song as carelessly and
seemingly, with as little effort as a bird.
Adelaide sat by the window-her work
had fallen upon her lap-her ewes were fixed
upon the golden clouds of sunset, but her
thoughts were far away-with her husband
She wondered if he ever thought of her If
the past haunted him as it did her then as
the glow faded and the clouds became gray
and sombre, she pictured to herself a nail
and coffin ; and then again wondered If he
: were living Ii he were not he knew now
how well. how truly she had loved him..
Death was nothing when compared with
their estrangement-and she found almost
pleasure in the thought
Gertrude, do sing Sweet Home'-will
you? OH | am so glad we are going back,
aren't you, Amy?' asked Frank, as he threa
away his boat. 1t was too dark to see any
longer.
| don't know anything about any home
but this replied little Amy, and it is very
AmerrcuLaird ss.s4a--,' '.s....,---.-,-
but forgot, you are only "A grit said Mas
ter Frank, with very perceptible sneer at
the idea of q girls patriotism but, hush
Gertrude is singing
just as the last sweet strains of the famil-
lar air died away, they heard the sound
of toots cps on the gravel-walk.
There flthpr has cnme-I know his step,'
cried Amy, as she sp~ung to the door.
1t was fatner,' and his pockets were cram
mel full of papers. magazines, AMI lerters.
The steamer has come IL, and we have
more than our usual allowance cf good
things he said, after the usual greetings
were exchanged; and calling f'r lights, Ge
began to relieve himself of mis- welcome Dur-
den.
There was nothing for kdelaide, of course,
and taking up "a magazine, she cut the lean a-,
and was soon absorbed III its fasciHa sing onn-
tents Ii .r new friends hal at first Thought
very strange that Mrs Allen had 10 corres-
pondcnts bat as they became more intimate
| iy acquainted, Adelaide told Mrs. Ellsworth
| a little-a very little of her histery-yet
enough to satisfy her.
Mr. and Mrs. Ellsworth and Gertrude re
busy With their letters and Frank and ANY
amused themselves with the pictures. At
last Mr.. Ellsworth broke the silence
See here. Mary-here is something thai
will interest you. Mrs. Willis Fletcher, if
not friend of yours, was friend of cne of
! your friends, was mt she :?
His wife threw aside her own letters, and
i leaning on the back Of his chair, looked over
his shoulder, and read aloud.
i / forget half that [ wrote you, my dear
friend, and | have forgotten, also, whether
i our townsman, Willis Fletcher. Esq, is an
acquaintance of yrurs, bat You must know
him byreputation at least Did ever write
/ yol any thing ABOUT his wife's desertion ?
5 She left ..im about the time you went to Eng
land, and has not been heard OF since. For
several months after her disappearance, Mr..
Fletcher travelled from one state TO another,
ostensibIy in search Of health and amuse-
uent, but in reality striving TO discover some
trace of his lost wife The strangest thing Of
all is, that though be has always been con-
sidered stern, proud man, he never seemed
to be at all enraged at his wifs's leasing him,
and would not suffer the least shadow Of
blame to attach itself to her. lie told his
friends-he has no relatiyes-that there had
been error on both sides. but that her deser
ton vas entirely his own fault. Well, about
a year ago ne returned. with the weight of {
= = settled grief crushing him to the very dust
I. = his wife herself would hardly have knoTr
!. him. He gave up all hopes of finding tn
= lost one, and. apparently, merely to chang
- the current Of his thoughts, plunged head
long into business. Every one predicted tn
:, result, He was wiid-rocklessly so in hi
: pecuniary ventures-and last week he failed
,e !. II is said be has lost every thing, and mus
= = begin the world anew. Melancholy-is n
" it?' Conclusion iseEt soeek
d Good Cor. At sale of farming stncl
IS in Worcestershire, England, the auction
ID eer gave the following extempore descrip