The Potter journal. [volume] (Coudersport, Pa.) 1857-1872, 1858-09-09


and returned in September | have no
words to speak Of that era in my life. !
Jaw, enjoyed, suffered learned 50 much .
Flora was always glad, magnificent, IRE
>iStible. But. rs knew her longer, ny
moments Of misgiving became more ire
4uent and prO,ound Ii | had a,pircd to
nothing higher than a life Of sensuou~
delights. she would have been all could
wish But
"We were 10 spend the winter in Italy
Meanwhile, We had another month in Pa
ris. Here Lad found Joseph again, who
troubled ne good deal with certain ru-
mors he had received concerning Marga-
ret. According to these, she had been
in feeble health ever since we left. and
her increasing delicacy was beginning to
alarm her friends. But added another
of Joseph's correspondents, don't let
Nestwood fatter himself that he Is the
cause, for she is cured Of him; and there
is talk Of an engagement between her and
a handsome young clergyman, who is both
ClOt uCiS uou ldSJliOlti!-
This bit of gossip made me very bitter
and angry. Forget me so soon p Isaid
and receive the attentions of another
man. You see how consistent was, te
condemn her for the very fault [ had
myself been so eager to commit!
"Well, the round of rides, excursions,
soirees, visits to the operas and theatres,
walks on the Boulevards, and in the gal
leries of the Louvre, ended at last. The
evening before we were to set out for the
South of France, I was at my lodgings,
nnpacking and repacking the luggage
which l had left in Joseph's care during
my absence among the Alps; | was mel
.ancholy, dissatisfied with the designations
which had exhausted my time and ener,
eies, and thinking Of Margaret. [ had
not preserved single memento of her
and now | wished | had oDe,-if only q
withered ieaf, or a line OF her writing. Iu
this mood, | Glanced to cast my eye up,
on stray glove, in the bottom Of my
trunk. [ snatched at it eagerly. and, il
tie impulse Of the nomeut.-betore | re.
fected that | was vrongiDg Flora
pressed it to my lips. Yes, [ found the
place where it had been mended, the spot
Margarets fingers had touched, and CAV,
It q kiss for every stitch. Then, ,iucenSeC
at myself. / flung it from mc, and hurrie.
from the room. | walhcI towards tht
Place de Ia Concorde, where the brilliant
lamps burned like a constellation.
s,r9'led through the Elysiau Fields, ana
aud watched the lights Of the carriage
Is swarning Ike fre-tiies ~ the long
aye1ue; stopped by the CONCERT gardens
-and listened % the glnriiei glrI> siu.in.
under rosy and golden pavlilions the
last song VI the season wandered Gbou
the faaut1.ns,-by the gardens Of tx
TuiEle~ies. where the trees stoc1 50 s,lad
owv aGd STILL and the statues cleaned 5.
paiey-i.ong taequay> Of the Seine, waere
the WIVES rolled 30 dark b5lo~.--tr7:a-
70 settle M. thoughts, T. master mysel:
10 pur Margaret from re.
Weary, al length. | returned to my
chamber, seated myself cou,r1>edlv. aud
looked down at the glove which lav wher,
| had thrown 1t, upon the polished for
Mechanically stopped aud took up b.t
Of folded paper 1t was written upon
unrolled it, and read 1t was IS II. [ had
opened the record Of doom Had the ap.
partition uf Margaret herself risen sud len
II before me. could not have beer nor,
a~tualded 1t was . note from hc-.-auJ
such a note full Of love, suffering. aal
humili,y.-poured out Of heart - deep
and tender aud true. that the sLallor14Ss
OF m7 own seemed utterly conten.p,ib.a
in couparison with it. | cannot tel YOU
what vas written. but il was more than
even ny most cruel aud e1acting pride
could have asked. Ii vas what would
once have made ne wild with ior-now
it almost maIdeaed ne with despair. I.
who had often talkef fne philosophy Ia
Others. had not a grain q that article LEFT
70 phys;c my malady. But one course
seemed plain before me, and that was u
70 quietly and drown mvself in the Seine,
which l rad seen flowing s. swift and
dark under the bridges al hour ago, when /
stood aud unused upon the tragical corpses
is solemn food had swallowed.
4 an little given to superstition. and
the mystery Of the note excited me: I
nave no doubt but that there was some
subtle connection between it and the near
presence o. Marsaret's spirit, Of which l
had that nigl5 been conscious. But the
note had reached me BIZ no supernatural
method. as [ was at first half inclined to
believe. 1t was, probably, the touch, the
atmosphere, the iuefably fue influence
which surrounded it, which had penetrat-
ed my unconscious perceptions. and bro't
her near. The paper, the glove. were full
If Margaret, et,-full Of something besides
wha5 We vaguely call mental ASSOCIATIONS.