Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1857-12-24

sorrowful black eyes. She looked stead
fastly at me for a moment and then she
said half sorrowfully:
MY child bave you promised to be Nor
gan Philips wifeG"
"No mama, am young yet."
"Yes. very young; but ifyou have moi
promised, you have let him see for these
many months that you loved him-thai
his presence at your side was welcome
Now, Hanne, if you did not mean to wed
him, was this right!"
i blushed, and was silent, and sho con.
tinued; @
Il know Hunt Hennesly loves you, also
and will not counsel you. Your own
heart will be your safest guard, if you will
only follow it; only Hanne Stuart my
child, do not let ambition, power, luxury,
anything tempt you TO marry without love.
The retribution will be terrible, terrible,
and my mother drew her shawl about her
and shuddered: albeit the room was warm.
Her voice was husky when she said:
81 will tell you my poor girl, story Of
my own youth. 1 had not thought to
confess your fathers faults or mine, and
God knows which were heaviest, but you
need the lesson and you shall have it.
was motherless. have seen picture of
the beautiful being who died that / might
live, but she passed from earth ere she had
clasped me to her breast / was my faith
er's idol, but at fifteen be died and left me
poor. He had been wealthy. but after my
mothers death he had trusted his fortune
| to faithless steward, and | was scarcely
above want.
81 was very beautiful, the world said,
and knew it well. The face that met
my gaze as l stood before my mirror, was
bright bewilderingly lovely. l had been
educated in eonventdal retirement, and my
heart was fresh and pure. loved! Han
ne, you have never known such passion.
1t was worship-it was idolatry-it was
the life of my life. And he l loved was
poor, Allen Greame was fathelless like my
self, but l was an inmate of his mothers
cottage. Very tenderly they cherished the
orphan committed to their care. l knew
that Allen loved me. I read it in every
act; in the appealing tenderness with
which his blue eyes would rest upon my
face, in the care with which he anticipated
my wishes, and in the very intonations of
his voice as he addressed me.
"But another suitor came. Allen
Greame had never asked my love, and 1
had never promised in so many words to
be his bride, but for many months he had
believed me all his own, and yet when
your father visited the cottage, his eyes
sought my face, with kind of question
ing sadness. Time passed on, and seven
weeks more beheld me Percy Stuart's be-
trothed. Looking back, l cannot see by
what circumstances this change was
brought about. worshipped Allen
Greame as madly as ever. His smile
was the sunshine of my existance. Your
father loved me, at least he idolized my
beauty, and he was noble glorious man.
Still his presence had no power to awaken
single heart thrill But he was rich and
nobly born. l coveted the proud rank his
love could give-the stately mansion and
the old name. 1t was long struggle be-
tween love and ambition, but at length l
laid my hand in his, Scorn me, hate me
Hanne, l deserve it. I sinned willfully.
l knew l did not love him-the heart
and soul were long ago yielded up in ad-
Grafton to another-and yet became his
bride.
"Allen never reproached me, but the
stony hopeless sorrow in his blue-eyes was
more bitter than the most terrible words.
His mother was as kind as ever. But l
could see the hot tears fall upon the bridal
garments she was making. And |, Oh
Hanne, sbuddered, looking back through
all these years, at the bare thought of my
silent agony. | believe that l was more
beautiful than ever. Ny ewes were wildly
bright, and my cheek flushed like wine
hundred years old, mantling over silver
goblet. NY bridegroom liked the impas-
sive coldness of my manners. l do not
think that he ever dreamed l did not love
him and nay stateliness accorded well with
the lofty pride of himself and all his haugh-
ty race. .,s,.. r .eE
81 married him. The ceremony was
over. And he turned to kiss his wife for
the first time, when shrek rang through
the church, a piercing, terrible Shrek
Then there was a heavy fall. Allen was
borne senseless through the crowd. My
husband might have suspected when he
saw my anguish, that he was more than
the brother l called him, but he said moth
ing. He even aceeded to my wild prayer
that our bridal journey might be postpon-
ed until he was better, and permitted me
to be constant watcher at his bedside
He had not long to wait. My beloved had
broken blood vessel in his fall, and the
fourth day he died. / held his hand as
he faded silently away.
"Katrine," he said, looking mournfully
into my eyes, "katrine it is very sweet to
die thus, with you beside me. / am dy-
ing for your love. 1 shall be happy, dear
est, for an angel whispers you will be mine
| in Heaven. You have never said You
loved me, but know it. l know that
my dying love is more to You than all this
bright living world, and am going where
no shadow falls. Kiss me dear Katrine,
and then sing me ono of GUS dear old
songs"
Il had kissed him many times before as
sister might: the free, innocent kisses OF
childhood, but now,-now | kissed him
with the passionate kisses of womanhood's
deathless love; and then drawing his head
to my bosom, l sang. 1t was balled we
had sung many times together, when tie
stars were climbing up into the quiet sky