The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1858-10-28


About this time a letter came
Madeleine had few, very few cores
pom Tents, and as she took it and obserl
ed the superscription was not in the
hand d.writing ofany ofthosc fromwhon
she was accustomed to receive com.
munications, a strange, unaccounta
bic, undelinable sens ition crossed her
mind. AS she hastily tore it open aud
looked first at the address. and then
at the signature. no wonder it drop
ped from a nervelcss hand, as her eye
glanced upon the old, familiar name,
Henry Moreland.
Yet who can say there was moi
pleasure in the reflection that he still
remembered her!
"My dear Madeleine" so it com
mcncod.
DO not, entreat you, be- offended
thai,I address you by the same appel.
lation have ever donr in years de.
parted-lor have never known YOU
as Mrs. Raymond-and do not con-
/ slider me presumptuous that address
! YOU at all, after an estrangemenI Of 50
many years.
trust you will not feel thai here is
any improperly in my doingit; tor the
same interest took in your welfare
. in days and years departed, remains
for you aud yours, though so long has
been our separation.
trust not to open the wounds OF
your sorrow alresh when say. have
heard of your atlliction. Permit me
to condole with you! to sympathze
with you! | too have suffer ed.
Ishall pass near you in few weeks
Allow me to call and offer you my
sympathics in person-even more, it
you will kindly permit it, to renew
the acquaintance. the deliyhtful asso-
citation of our earlic:, may not say,
for myself, at least t,-happicr days.
Let me hear at once. if you will
grant my request, my earnest petition
to come and see you, once more.
Yours ever sincerely
and atlecIionately.
Henry MoRELAND.
Gladly did she say to him to come and
visit her, and pleasant, very pleasant
were her antcipations 'of meeting
with him, whose association with her
in those days so long agon", was so
delightful. She could con"erse with
him of the old home, the pleasant liz
tie village in which it had been loca-
ted, of her. old companions and her
dearly remembered mother; and last.
all that had been so unaccountable in
I his letters OF the past would perhaps
be explained and he would converse
with her freely and frankly as when
they learned their lessons from the
same familiar page.
Madelene's letter said as much,
and she rejoced in spirit that they
should meet once more, and this JOY
impaired new elasticity to sher step
and a frightened color to her check.
For many months she had been com
panionless, save her children and ser.
wants. and the heart of the widowed
mother was almost starved from pri.
walton of its aliment. human sympa-
thy, not that sort of sympathy which
makes itself known in formal calls Of
coincidence and set phrases intended
to be very consoIatory. and, at the
same time, so sci off to the best ad.
vantage, the amiability and kindness
of him, or her who utters them. Or
these, Madeleine had had far more
than enough; but mean that unai'
fected sympathy which springs from
real kindness of heart joined to a live
Iy appreciation of what is necessary
to in p ,rt comfort to its object.
He came, at last. after weeks of
anxious waiting had dragged their
weary hours away; he came. he who
seemed the nearest on earth to her
since the gaping sepulchre had hid.
den in its depths him who had ever
been to her all that she needed in so
close friend. He came, and the
commencement of their interview has
been detailed in the beginning of the
narrative. She did not, could not
recognize him. The FEATURES with
which her memory had been familiar
were not there. The light, glossy
curls were almost black. the eyes Of
deepest azure were dark hazel, or
rather grey, and the chin and face. on
which had been the first down OF man
hood, were covered with hick and
lengthy growth, yet darker than his