Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1858-04-20

wife of Andrew Williams, an overseere
IN the factory, and received freouenll
letters from her IN return. She AWAY
had something 10 say of Alfred, though
never mentioned him In my letters TO her
She told me how handsome he was grow
ing; that his fathers few acres had be
come too small space for him. that ht
was going 10 a manufacturing town tC
! build for himself a fortune All this
read with interest; and | often wondered
whether, in his plans for the future, he
ever thought of me, or acted for nv sake
had been SIX months In the academy.
when another letter from Nellie brought
the tiding that Alfred had left, and had
obtained good situation as clerk in a
large mercantile house. But one passage
in the letter gave me acute pain II read
as follows:- =
g once thought, Matte, that you and
Alfred loved each other, but am now dis
posed to believe myself mistaken, There
is pretty, black-eyed beauty lately come
here, who, sometimes think, resembles
you. Rumor says that a partality has
sprung up between herself and Alfred
and that since he went away, she often re-
ceives letters from him
| hastily folded the letter, and, as soon
as my labors for the day were over sought
my room. | reviewed all that had pass
ed between Alfred and myself; dwelt
upon every word and look of his, bu;
could recall no act in which he had in any
way committed himself. Then again /
saw the eager gaze Of the dark eyes, and
concluded that the peculiar expression or
lglnated from my own yearnng heart
that had looked through false coloring.
If he loved me, why had he not told me
so ? or, at least, why had he not asked me
to write TO him? Calmly and coo.ly Ie-
nounced the bright hopes for four years |
had almost unconsclously cherished; from
a blissful dream | awolie, with new zeal
threw all my energies into my occupa-
ton.
Another year passed. If, al the bol-
tom Of the current, the dark waters dash
ed madly over their uneven bed, their
great depth kept the surface unruffled-
About this time | received an unexpected
proposal of marriage from my patron, the
principal OF the academy. l had always
stood in some awe of Mr. Russell, for he
was fifteen years my senior. When he
came and sat by my side in my little par
lor, took my trembling hand kindly in his
own, and respectfully, but earnestly, told
me his love, my fears all vanished. |
raised my eyes to his, and If 1t was not
sincere affection he read from them, il
was so near akin to ii as to deceive US both.
He drew me to him, and made me rest my
hne, r., hos | hyirS INTO nod
of tears. Oh! how sweet TO find a rest
ing place for my weary head, noble bos-
ON where | might weep till my swelling
heart had eased itself of its BURDEN
When | became calm. he quietly lifted
my head, and pressed his lips to mine,
g Matte, said he, (Ee had always called
me Miss Kendrick,) this is the happ;est
moment of my life
We were married, and five years of
quiet happiness passed quickly away. l
received occasional letters from Nellie,
who congratulated me, i'll glowing terms,
upon my good fortune, as she termed II,
adding that she feared | should forget my
humble friends
But the darkest trial of my life was yet
in store for me. Ny husband was attack
ed with a malignant fever, and IN one
short month | was widow.
1t is said that the most violent grief ex-
hausts itself the soonest. In a few weeks
| found myself moving calmly through
my new duties and responsibilities. lar
ranged my affairs and returned to my
parents. My first care was to place my
family IN easier circumstances. | paid
off the mortgage on my fathers farm =
purchased a few adjoining acres; erect
ed new buildings; furnished the enlarg-
ed farm with stock sent my youngest
brother to school; secured the place | had
years before held in the academy for my
elder sister, whom | had previously edu-
Gated; established my youngest sisters who
were old enough to leave home, at a good
school for girls, and replenised the ward
robe of the whole family. | then placed
the remainder Of my money IN the hands
of Il banker for my fathers use, if he
should require 1t. My arrangements all
completed, found that | had spent near
ly one-third of my fortune. But | did not
regret it. | was more than repaid by the
satisfaction | experienced IN tightening
the burthan of my dear parents,
Thus occupied, two years passed.
A bout this time | received two letters, one
from Nellie, and one from a sister of my
late husband, who resided IN a distant
city, both containing pressing requests to
visit them. | determed 10 accept both in
vitation5, and my first visit was to Nellie
were | proposed 10 spend a month or two
In three weeks | was with her.
For eight years | had not heard one
word of Alfred Fletcher Nellie had
never mentioned him In her letters. and
l naturally supposed he had married.
refrained from mentioning him to her
and strove TO restrain the strange fiutter-
ing of my heart, as found myself among
/ old familiar scenes. | could not realize
the great change that had come over me
since | labored as an humble factory girl
+ cO1ld not realize that instead Of a bilthe