Butte record., 1857-01-10

convinced me that true woman
heart was its prompter. 1t was just
such spirit as l expected. Much
depends upon who owns the third
heart quietly appeared in corner Of
the sheet.
She told me frankly that her heart
was free. and then 1 begged place
in it-asked her to ehshrine my image
there-asked her if she could not love
me. The question puzzled the giilish
heart of Elfie, awakened thoughts that
had never been there before. She pom
dered deeply, and gave me half-puz>
zled 4 don't know, Howard , she
thou ght she could, if could be patient,
and let her learn to love me; told Inc
she was but child in thought, though
sometimes woman in feeling. And [,
O, could wait ages, if she thought she
conld love in the end, and l told her
to learn to love me if she could, and |
would love her, and be patient, and
hopeful in the mean time. Ellie did
learn; I taught her. l taught her
with my own earnest words of love, by
promise intended to be kept, by ap-
peals to her woman's natuae, which her
loving heart could not resist.
Il told her how much my happiness
deperded on her love for me that my
life was lcnely, that | was often weary
and disheartened, and longed for dear
kind heart which | could know was all
my own, and thus have right to place
my sad thoughts, my discouragements,
dreamy boding of tho future, within its
loving influence, where all would melt
away. l longed for loving hand to
smooth my brow, when dark shadows
rested there true heart to lean on.
gentle lips to smile my care away. l
told her she was all | could ask then,
and | doubted not but that she could be
to me all l could wish for the future
| visited her at home, sat with her,
walked with her, talked with her.
'One night we were in the drawing
room alone, | requested her to sit be-
side me. She arose, and [ drew her
close to my beating heart, and whisper
ed loving words into her ear till she
timidly placed her hand on mine and
SAID, do love you, Howard always
will. For moment could not speak.
Those words thrilled my soul with a
feeling before unknown. The feeling
was so intense that it seemed almost a
shock. 1 nearly questioned the reali
ty of my position.
Could it be possible that I was low
ed Dear Ellie, can you pledge yours
self to me , l at length asked She
shrank little, and said she had not
thought as far as that. ] urged her to
think of it, wanted to know as well
as feel that she was nine. all mine,
bound to me. | could not feel satisfied
without her promise. l wanted to hear
the words from her own lips-which |
knew would be is binding as a chain
of adamant to her. When [ next ask
ed her, she began hesitatingly, 4 think,
then frankly and earnestly added, yes,
1 knoao l can be yours forerer ;'--and
glanced half-earncstly, half-timidly in
to my eyes.
'Their expression caused her to
drop a little, and her cheek rested on
my shoulder, my bowed head half-rest-
ed on hers. | sat very quietly, l am
not outwardly passionately demonstra-
tive, very much the contrary; but the
spirit-fount sent some bright little mes
sengers down my cheek, and they fell
on Elfe's, though l did not know it
then.
'When we parted, I gave her good
night kiss, which she Enthusiastically
received, her mind was deeply engag-
ed, l could see, but not in present, alb
solute actualities. She glanced into
my face and seemed at once arrested
and awakened, she quickly turned her
head away and left the room. She af.
terwards referred to that quick glance
in one of her letters, thus: There is
one expression of your usually very
calm, moony face which l shall never
forget, it always haunts me when /
think of yon, saw it twice while you
were here, once when l told you |
loved you, ad a ain when you bade me
goodnight. Your countenance was
actually radiant with an expression of
triumphant happiness and satisfied love.
the last time the triumph was most OBJ
servable. | felt then that | Was yours,
that I had yielded, as l never had be-
fore, and had thought | never could
yield, and l felt that you knew it. 1t
almost frightened me, and yet L took
a pleasuse in the very strangeness Of
the feeling
Il did feel that she was mine, | did
triumph in the thought. | felt in
debted to her for all my happiness, and
my whole heart was hers exclusively,
desotedIy. She was my first love, and
| felt that she wouln be my only one.
| thought she was entirely ruled by
principle, and, rather rellgiously in
clined, so, as wo were sitting on the
bank Of beauriful little river. told
her | did not call myself "a Christian,
and said, can you love me, totwith-
standing'' Ellie said, L too, am hu-
man, sin daily, hourly, and, though
your love might be more valuable to
me were it associated with Ch islian
principles, do not m Ike the absence
nominally OF that noble ingredient of
character, a positive objection to your