The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-07-14

Alice or in mes And why must l keep
secret even from my wife the fact of my
acquaintance with her? 1t was with a
feeling Of awe and dread, which l could
not withstand, that placed the costly
gift on the fair arm of my bride; and
when her smiling blue eyes looked into
mine, with such pleased surprise, l
longed to tell her al knew of the mys-
terious giver.
Just opposite our own cottage lived
Alice's father and step-mother; her own
mother, she told me, had been dead many
years. Mr.. Hudson was man Of very
reserved habits, yet of benevolent DIS
position. Towards Alice he was always
tenderly affectionate; between him and
bis second wife there was little sympathy,
yet she was an amiable woman, and en-
deavored to please Aim to the best Of her
ability. | often thought that there was
some grief preying upon Mr.. Hudson's
mind, which was unknown even to his
family; that there was some sorrow of
the past which he could neither forget,
nor confde to another. lie would sit
musing fer hours, needless Of the hum Of
conversation going on about him; and
then, suddenly reused from bis reverie to
real life, [ have seen his face wear
strange, troubled expression.
Alice, in reply to my questioning, said
he had always been so, and she thought
he had never ceased mourning for her
mother; that often when they were alone
he would talk to her of her mothers
beauty and rare. attachments. His first
wife had been q gifted woman, superior,
in mental qualities, to most of her sex;
but I felt that afectionate remembrance
of the dead could not alone weigh down
a mind of such strength as his. The
more familiar I became with him, the
warmer my attachment grew for him,
and the moro | became convinced that
he was haunted by painful recollections.
He spent much of his time with US;
often, upon a summer day, coming to our
little garden to write or think upon his
sermons. When our little girl was born
he seemed drawn towards us by new
tenderness. We named it Eleanor, in
memory of his first wife, and from that
day it seemed to us that the child had
the first and best place in his heart.
Three years after our marriage Mr..
Hudson grew suddenly i'll. | attended
him, and watched by him almost con
stantlv during his brief sickness. Going
earlier than usual, one morning, into his
room, [ found splendid boquet lying
upon his table-white aud blush roses,
heavy water-lilies, and rich pansies, of
gold and purple hues. AS I entered alb
ruptly, he made motion to conceal them,
but meeting my glance he OILY laid them
upon the outside Of his bed. ] approach
ed, and while standing by his bedside,
carelessly took the flowers in my hand,
"These are beautiful l said. "It
cannot be that Alice has brought them to
you so early"
"No," he answered, taking them "a
ther eagerly from my hand, +" Alice did
not give me these; my wife brought them
in to me-" @
I said nothing more, bat the little cir
cumstance struck me as singular, for Mrs.
Hudson was the last person from whom
should have expected such gift. Irue'
she was amiablc, and kindly disposed,
but sentiment was no part of her nature.
She loved only the useful; the beautiful
she did not comprehend. TWAS not like
her to rise at five o'clock, and gather
flowers for her sick husband; she would
prefer stepping herbs for him over the
kitchen fire. His apparent eagerness to
conceal them, too, made bis explanation
of their presence very doubtful to my
mind; yet l had never before suspected
him of the slightest prevarication.
I remembered this incident, and told
it to Alice that evening, as she rocked
her child BY cur vine-coyered doorway.
She looked surprised and thoughtful, and
could not but think it strange that her
step-mother had suddenly grown roman
tic. but she did not donbt the truth of
her fathers reply.
From that morning he rapidly grew
worse. Sometimes his mind wandered,
and then the maize always on his lips was
oIs she come? ?" he would say, looking
about him with wild mournfulness.
"she promised to see me once more
to let me hear her voice once again
Oh. why was I SO rash, and she so proud
She always loved me. | know it:
believe it all now, dear Eleanor" And
then be would murmur sadly, " It is too
late Elcanor-too late, aud must hre