The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-02-11
LOVE AND REVENGE.

Richard Vinely-kneeIing by my side
with that sort of mockiDg triumph light,
ming up his deep eyes. and his proud, thin
lips, half parted, as il in expectation that
l would say something that he might
wish to check And who would not have
hated him as | did? Let ne tell you
how it was.
| bad loved him more than year
loved him, heaven only knows how pas
sionatcly. Not more blindly or entirely
does the silk worm weave itself with IT.
own shroud, thar | wrapped myself up
in bis pleasure, his admiration, his love
Not more tru>tinely turns the fearless ca
gle 10 it, mountain eyrie, than |, foolish
and coufdiug, turned to the bri. bit, beau
tiful castles of hope which | had built on
the rotton foundation OF bis faith. And
vet 1 never thought of it till that day;
aud ob, with what humlliating weight
the kDowledse came to me.) be bad new
er asked me for my love-never asked me
for it openly save by tender glances and
pressures Of the hand, and those thousand
cous to the jealous eyes and ears of aiiec-
tiou. Bat | bad not dreaRed that pas.
sion as mine could be poured forth and
brug pe no return. did not ey"n n im-
aSiue that his apparent de7otion could be
wrongly understood; aud so | blindfold-
ed my.eIf, end. bewildered, content. hap
py, rushed forward to despair.
That afternoon ve had been sitting in
the garden, talking to each other, as We
had many times before, of our pat lives.
The dreamy music which the wind made
as it stirred the trees above u; and the
fresh, swcct smcil of early flowers with
which the spring air was loaded. seemed
iust the oateard infueDcc needed TO soft
cn cur hearts, and draw them most nearly
Into sympxthy; and v hen 10 his quiet, man
L. wsy, he told me the story of bis life-of
the father who died before his remem-
brsucc, and the sweet mother who had
closed aer ewes iu their eternal sleep ere
the grass had twice grown green oTer her
husb bandit oofin; of his aesolste, friendIcss,
struggling boyhood, showing Hse, one by
one the vearry steps he bad clmed; tell
ing me so gratefully how @y hands had
>oen roses IN the steep way; and at the
close, saying with such & serene smile:
Helen, | would suffer ny life over a.
gain thousand times, rather than give
lack this day;" wy heart vas filed to O.
verfos sing. too, was an orphan, and
knew better than any one, thought, how
cruelty and grudginsly the world bad
laid lis bands upon him, as be toiied on
ward 10 It's service. How glad | was that
| bad always been kind to bim, that |
had kept my heart free, ua>uilied and
womaniy, as the crowiDg gift of his sue
cess aud joy.
l wept, moved deeply by his eloqacnce
ana lesuing towards him, With quick,
ia petaops movement, drew bis heai for
ward with my hands, and pressing my
lips to his white forehead. kissed him
nc. lightly aud ccqaeti~hly-bet rover
emily aud tesrfs}ly. For a moment he
bowed his he'd, aud | could not see bis
face; hat sbcu be looked Up bis express
ion startled me, the chs0ge had been so
sudden.
"Do you know" said he, slowly. drop
ping his eyes before my look of ~onder-
Ing inquiry, ''thatI think the woman Who
be-tows tic tokeus of ber love un,ought,
lowers herself beneath the respect OF him
who becomes their recipient"
am sure should not have understood
hin, but fer the meaning sarcastic smile
With which be spoke. | saw then, in a
moment, bis whole power over NE; sa"
be had LED me on cautiously, artfully,
through love to pity, and through pity to
humiliation; | saw that for an ignoble
triumph over ny woman's pride he had
sacrificed his truth, and would sacrifice
ny heart | saw him degraded from an
honest, loving. noble heart. into a icnd
and for my life could not have answered
sake to strike or curse him. He resG my
feelings 10 my face, for be laughed l.
roOically. He spoke again, and was
forced to listen.
"HelIen Reade, you need not look SO
fierce, so bitter, so scornful in your an
ger, lulbbIHR u HGCtffC u1S' Ou AONO
me, and know it. You would have wa
ded with naked feet through heaps Of fire
rather than give me up as you are doing
now. You would-wait till | have
done" be continued, when | would have
Interrupted BIN. "Do you remember the
tiHe when went to you, five years ago,
and offered you what now would be your
highest bliss TO owny Do you remember
how you laughed my words to scorD, and
scoffed at NE as silly boy, who had mis-
taken himself and you@ Ay, was boy
in years, HELEN Reade; but mans un-
derstandiDg, mans experience, man
passionate strength of purpose, had made
NC old before my time, aud | loved you
with as perfect love as ever grew up IN
a human heart ! was proud; and your
Indifference, your gay, heartless, cutting
indifference gailed ne, and made dlsaP-
poiutment doubly bitter. | said then, as
[ left you with that dead hope making
discord in my breast, that some day your
heart should bleed as mine did then; thai
some day | would mock your apguist