The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-02-11

still they sat, some IN tears, others wit
cheeks white and dry.
I looked at Montcalm, his head lay @
the desk before him, and his form qui,
cred with emotion. At length, th
manager announced the exercises at a
end, and the spectators departed, leav
ing Montcalm alone with his pupils
In few appropriate words, he bade u
farewell. Each one, in passing out, too
him by the hand, and received from hin
some parting admonition. I held bacl
until the last. There was a.melanchol,
pleasure in being the last to say adie,
to him whom we all loved.
He took my hand. My whole fran,
thrilled at his touch; all the life lon,
agony of my existence was pent in thai
one moment! My courage forsook me
my self-restraint gave way, and "Oh
God |" escaped my lips.
We were alone; Montcalm bent his
head until his breath played upon my
cheek, and his voice was broken and
agitated as he said, Miss Fairfield
Genie, do you love me p
My face flushed crimson with shame
he knew my fatal secret. I would rath-
er have laid down at his feet and died,
than he should have known it.
I replied bitterly: Alasl was this
blow needed to complete my utter wretch
edness, my great humiliation p
Montcalm's face lighted up with in
tense joy; he caught me to his breast
Dearest Genie, he exclaimed, while
his kisses rained upon my face, and you
do love me, darling, you have loved me
a long time ,
I wound my arm around his neck and
held him to close my bosom, for fear
ed even in that moment of ecstacy, an
something, dreadful, and un
known.
Oh, the bliss of sitting in that lonely
Did hall, with the twilight shadows
around us, while he told me in his low,
voice, all his love, his hopes
all, all.
'To me, dearest Genie,' he said, ten
lerly, you were. always beautiful, you
we're woven in all my dreams of happi.
ness, your pale. sad face, as you raised
it to mine. on the first morning of our
meeting, has been for two years the com
panion of my sleeping and waking hours !
Genie, I love you better than the whole
world, better than my life, next to God.
Will you loye me thus, darling?'
1 told, him without reserve all my
lonely life, of the first beam of light
which his presence had brought, Of my
nrny weary hours passed in toiling at
my lessons, that 1 might win kind tone
from him leaning on his noble heart, 1
told him all my life long yearniDgs to
be loved, and his calm soul lit eyes shed
love and happiness upon me as he
looked down with holy trust into my
face.
We parted. One long agonizing kiss
I pressed on his lips, received with
strange dread his tender embrace, and
,farewel
Howard Montcalm was son of the
South, the possessor of fine property,
N Southern city, and thither he was
10 go, but in two short months he would
.eturn, and take me away, his own.
1 went back to my lonely home at
Black water, lonely no longer, for my
thoughts were all of him. I told NJ
,ne the story of our love, it was too hal
owed, too sacred to be spoken of.
Two weeks rolled into the silent past,
md I received letter from him, such
! heart-warming letter as only he could
write. I wept over that letter-wept
or very joy that I, poor, plain, inferior,
lad won the love, and become the object
# interest to one SO noble, so excellent
IS Howard Montcalm.
Four days after the reception of that
,lessed letter, at the dead hour of mid
light, there came messenger to Black
Tater. He brought a note for me which
these words-'Genie, I am
Il, come to me-
Itwas enough. I threw on my clothes,
nd scarcely explaining anything to my
unit, I set forth with the messenger.-I
'he night was dark and gloomy, and
be wind moaned fitfully in the black
,rest. I asked no questions; my CON-
anion gave no explanations. Arrived
the railroad depot, we stepped on
GARD the night train which was on the
oint of leaving, and for the space of
IN hours we travelled without intermis-
on. It was near noon, and we were in
,e midst of great city. My compan-
N handed me into a carriage and we
ere driven rapidly along. The streets
trough which we passed were silent
ID deserted. No carriages passing
We black, gloomy hearses, and ghastly
,ad carts, and felt at once that l was
city of pestilsnce.
Our carriage stopped in front of an
lposing stone edifce. I was assisted
alight,a ,and with a feeling of sufication
followed my guide up the marble steps
IL IL LII n 4l