True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1858-12-22
e. RAGAN,, ,@ EditoCdr, ( and Proprietor.

resting on MS lace asl entered his pres
ence which Ifi6d never seen there before.
Gould il be the fearful foreboding Of The
dark winged evil near. I seated myself
on low couch at his side, and with all
the earnestness Of my nature pleaded my
cause. d I'had expected reasoning and re-
proacbes, but none fell upon my listen.
ing ear; looked up into tbe searching
eyes bent above me, and read in their
calm, unimpassioned gaze. an answer to
my pleadiugs | was maddened, wild; l
threw the circling arms from me and
stood up before him in all the pride and
dignity of my womanhood. Oh. in that
hour Of passion and blindness l forgot
my woman's mission, my wi(ely duty,
all. all save that one wild longing which
held captive my soul. Bitter words
were on my tongue, words which echoed
throug Oh my sOul.depths long afterwards
of a home and life far away where no
tyr4nt husband should bend my will 10
his. As turned to leave his presence
my husband cast upon me such a look Of
mingled pity anG tenderness, a look which
haunted me through all The weary years
of our es,rangement and separation.
That night left my husbands side
when | thought him sleeping and hastily
parepared for flight Selecting few ar
licles from my wardrobe, together with a
few jmcmentos of past hours, my fingers
sought the door knob when a strange,
unacountable impulse caused me to turn
and gaze once more on the face
which had been so dear 10 me. A few
faint beams Of the rising moon struggled
in through the half closed shutters falling
on the brown locks with a dim glory.
An anxious and troubled expression rest.
ed on the pale features, (the olden look
Of yesterday bis slumbers seemed rest
less and disturbed. .' ....,... p.
thought | heard nv name murmered
in his dream s. and bending low caugh,
the words, 90, Isabella, come back 10
me 0, how those pleading tones
pierced my very soul and we'll nigh un-
bent my purpose, but the syren finger Of
fame was beckOning me on, on, and heed.
ing not the voice of love and duty, nay
feet pressed the stairway. The door Of
our little parlor stood ajar. and / could
not resist The impulse once more to stand
within lis hallowed retreat, Ipaused a
moment by the low easement where
had sal so many happy hours the vines
seemed never to have twined so graceful
ly, or the June roses to have blossomed
so swee,ly there before. In one corner
hung my guitar, with its siIken strings
neglected and unstruhg, and there as last
left it, with its music book open at his
favorite song, stood my piano, silent and
still, while the blue eyes of my lost dar.
ling looked down reproachfully upon me
from The wall. Casting one long linger-
ing look on each familiar thing, my feet
crossed the threshold and ,rod The wind.
ing pathway to The little mound beneath
the willows. | plucked one white rose
from the hallowed spot, and went forth
alone into The cheerless night. Morning
found me at railway station bound, moi
knowing whilher or where. I had seen
an advertisement in the daily papers, Of a
celebrated music teacher, residing in a
large town about one hundred miles dis.
tant, and thither | resolved to direct my
wandering feet. On, on, the iron sleed
bounded every moment bearing me from
the ties of kindred and home. Stranger
eyes bent their curious glanccs upon mt,
that one so young, SO beautiful, should be
travelling alone and unprotected. and
shrank away from their cruel, searching
gaze. like the guilty thing | was.
Night found me in strange place,
without a friendly roof TO shelter my
weary head. D, in that hour of desola'
tion how the lone dove yearnod for lis
lost home nest in the safe retreat of hns.
bands love; but my wsyward heart had
forfeited all claim 10 the priceless treasure
Twas rugged, thorny pathway my
blind will had marked out before me, and
now ! must reap the consequences Of my
own rashness and folly. secured tol
myself private lodgings, sought out the
old tutor, who received me with kind
encouraging smile, sounded my voice
and for its depth and clesrness, pronoun'
ced it very fine, assuring me, by care AMI
cultivation, Of a brilliant success. pla
ced myself under his instruction and toll
ed hopefully, Increasingly, hardly allow
ing myself time for food and repose. A
the end Of three months | was considered
competent for my new vocation, and
made my debut on tue stage, as. a pupil
Of che celebrated Gerard de Norval. Tie
brllliaucy Of The gas lights, the sea d
human faces turned upon me at the rising
Of the curtain in the first act, SO complete
ly bewildered me, that for moment my
senses seemed paralyzed with fear, and
my voice thrilled forth low, trembling
strain, like the wall of frightened bird
but gradually, as became accustomed
TO The sight, strength and courage came
to my aid, and forgetting the scene Ground
me, I poured my whole soul into the
work before me, The intense stiffness
ofshelistening crowd, broken onlylby the
deep murmurs Of applause at the conClu-