The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1857-08-27
WHOLE NUMBER. s19


Q ed herself, and tsgan the old ballad of
Q La Rose Heue.'
? As Madame Nugel sung, all the re-
sentiment of the major seemed to vanish,
:. and an indescribable emotion seized him.
This song he had heard the first. time he
saw Charlotte /; aud afterwards, in tho
day Of their union, she repeated it q
thousand times. The voice of Madame
Nugel acted upon him like fairy, and
rebuilt all the broken edi6ce of his hap
piness. While li-tning to her, he thought
he saw that little house, surrounded with
vines which they had inhabited together
at Prague; that garden with its arbor of
clematis and its border of violets. lie
Imagined himself young, con6ding, joy
Gus. 1t was like an appeal from all
which had been tender and happy in bis
past life.
Madame Nugel had Quilted the piano
and had been sometime in the same spot,
with her arms closed and her head cast
down. She was interrupted in her rev.
erie by the voice Of William, who told
her midnight had just struck. He took
Madame Nugel's arm without remark,
and turned towards the temple with all
the guests.
There is, in the solemn act which
binds forever upon earth two beings, and
which destines them to live for one an
other, a religious character which touch
es all hearts; but especially to parcnt.
the nuptial benediction has som mething in
| it grave and touching. 1t is an abdica-
tion Of his rights over the child he has
brought up,and whose happiness be here
after confdes to another.
The emotions which the major had
just experienced had particularly dis
posed him to tenderness and he could
not restrain bis tears when be heard the
minister pronounce the consecrated for
mula which gave bis daughter to Will
liam. BY an involuntary movement,
his looks sought Madame Nugel she
had concealed her head in her hands,
and was sobbing.
This sympathy Of emotion entirely
dispelled all the resentment there was
left in the soul Of the major.
After all, he thought, it Is her moth
er.
This idea touched him. Her mother.
aud she was there as a stranger, under
false name! Her mother and her
presence was not even pure and COM
plete JOY to Dorothea, for she remem-
bered that the most sacred ties must be
broken, that all the happiness dreamed
by her and by William might end in vi
olatiou and hatred! The major felt his
heart oppressed as. With sremorse, and
when his daughter rose, holding Will
liams hand, be cast down his eyes to
hun her look.
~ Shey went out from the temple. The
~ hook leave, after having embraced
the betrothed.
Dorotbea had placed her arm in her
fathers, William took that of Madame
Nugcl, and they all returned to the ma
or's,
They found the ball still Illuminated,
he piano open, the violin suspended
rom the desk, and the portrait, which
eemcd to smile at these festival signs.
Madame Nugel then advanced towards
he major, she was pale, and her voice
rembled.
This is the hour for us to scpsrate,'
be said farewell, aud thanks, sir, for
aviug permitted me to cross your
Do not think, especially,
bat have wished to afflict you with my
If | have come, il is because
could not resist the entreatics Of this
hid. | have wished she should not
tand at tho altar an orphan, and thatin
be most solemn moment Of her life she
night fnd both Of us near her 10 bless
er. Pardon me, then, for having pre-
cnted myself without your permission,
nd Cor having prohttcd by the authority
rantcd this child fcra day. 81. Sylves-
prs day Is ended, sir you are master
gain, and return 10 tho solitude which
leases you
Al these words she turned towards
'orothea and William, and pressed them
D her heart.