Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-02-24

have always loved you since that lrst
njtht,n he murmured at length, leaning
ever me. lisa, you don't know how beau
tifui you looked then. Is was something
no new, so fresh, so like one of those Ara
bian tales used to delight in, to come to
this.great eyrie-looking house, and find in
Its very midst a sleeping beauty. And
then, when you sprang to your feet, you
we're 50 full Of sparkling contrasts, with
your olive complexion, your flashing black
eyes, and your glittering black hair, your
crimson cheeks, and the dress scarcely war
mer or deeper in its hue. You were so
unlike every thing had ever seen before.
| almost thought | had gone to sleep in
England, and woke up in the times of good
Haroun al Raschid, in some palace of the
Barmecides. Ever since then have loved
you, and now my beautiful vision is my
very own. This viii not last, Isa. | am
too wildly happy. There will come some
great trouble p
laughed at his fears then, ,,andfor months
afterward, while the short days of winter
heightened into the spring, and the trees
in the park grew full of buds and blossoms
in the early summer. One day in July |
was quite alone. Reginald had some i'm
portant business to transact, and | could
not see him till the evening, and my father
had gone out. There came up fearful
storm. All at once the sky grew black as
night. The wind mcaned add grewled
through the trees in the park, and ever
and anon some fierce flash of lightning
would show me their scathed and writhing
trunks. Then the solemn thunder-tones
would reverberate, like the crash of inyisi-
bic artillery. [ stood in the win ndow of
my "Queen's-chamber," as | had been ac-
customed to call my room from early child
hood, watching the storm. Perhaps | had
never been more wildly happy. Every
shrek of the wind fell on my ear hike a
shout of exultation, in which | longed to
!. join. My eyes kindled with CLEAN of
delight, and | fairly clasped my hands to-
gether in ecstacy. Suddenly the door of
my room was pushed open, and my father
staggered across the threshold. | sprang
from the window, and supported him in my
) arms.
at has come," he gasped, family. "The
doom-the sudden death. Ithas followed
me for years-eyer since / so deeply wrong
ed my beautiful Inez. It has come. Al
ways its shadows has been beside me
> in the street-in the fields ard here in
this house, where she should have been
; mistress. Hold me tenderly, Isa. Your
: love is my comfort to the last. Look il
!, the casket gave you, should any strive to
take away your heritage. | shall be al
; peace now. God has forgiven me, and
I even Inez will not turn away when | stand
, by her side in heaven p
He was silent for moment-there wa
fearful lull in the storm-a deathly still
: ness which you could aleHost sec. Not
bough shivered even on the aspen trees
it was hushed-calm.
"They are waiting" he whispered, witt
" a look which was too peaceful for terror
:, "Who are waiting, father?"
II "The spirits-thosc unseen ones ths
ride upon the storm. When they NOV
l again, must 90 with them. Hush, it
L time"
His hand clasped mine in convulsiv
;, pressure. A sudden blast swept, like
tempest, the boughs of all the trees, ii
' they gave forth prolonged wall. Their
u was sudden flash Of lightning deafel
D ing thunder-crash; and mid, the glare IN
eyes sought my fathers face. He VIZ
70 70 dead!
" | do not know how long the storm col
tinued. | needed it no longer. The Sc
, wants seldom. came 10 me unless they wei
summoned, and now terrified by the uni
u sual violence Of the storm, they were hue
81 died together in distant apartment.
y had no thought of striving to awake hin
| wished no witnesses. | knew he W;
u dead. In that hour it was my only thougl
: the. one black. cloud, shutting out all ell:
~ of life. l held him there for hours. B,
" ~ side that one thought all was emptiness.
IL sat there until the voices of the storm wei
III hushed, and the broad, full beams of IL
~ July moon poured in at the window, fooC
~ ed the great room, and bathed the dea
~ ~ mans brow. Then | looked up, and Reg
- nald entered.
ur "What is this, Isa 2" he said,, as be a
az vanced to my side.
III My answer was but the utterance of ol
thoug ght-"He is deadr'
"O Reginald Percy bent over me-, and la
: his hand upon my fathers forehead. "Go'
- - heavens, lisa, what is this? He has be
dead for hours. He is cold and stark. v
ou must have physician instantly. We mt
I've know how he died And you have be-
Gu alone here all this time! There, | W
.ns ne bring pillow. Just rest his baud dov
ou here, and get up yourself"
-. "Thank you," | said quietly, but res
a. az lutely-"I am not at all tired Twill ho
ns r' him until the physicians shall have come
"But, Isa p
@ nes "Reginald, shall hold my father"
:an aJ He saw that was resolved. and left t
m ion room. Without alarming the servants,
20 ~; went out, and returned in few momer
m .nu with light and a physician. Then "
Use forced to submit to,haye him taken frc
me and laid upon couch. DIR. Hamilt
e hal, it seemed, known both my father a
'Oel my grandfather He called my fathe
'"' disease by some learned nsedical nan
= which to this day cannot remember.
" He said he mast have been secretly strt
ny Cling with it for years, and that it was {
D. Ily strange it had not brought death or M
W. Eness long before--that the very intens
op of his struggles against it was why de;
r. lcame 80 suddenly at last.