The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1858-08-13

|
like fre-hies up the long avenues stop
ped by the concert gardens, and listened
to the glorifed girls singing under rosy
and golden pavilions the last songs Of the
season wandered about the fountains =
by the gardens of the Tuileries, where the
trees stood 50 shadowy and still, and the
statutes CLEANED so pale,-along the quayo
of the Seine, rolled 50 dark bcow,-try-
ing to settle my thoughts, to master my
self, to pat Margaret from me.
Weary at length, | returned to my
chamber, seated aIyself composedly, and
looked down at the glove which lay where
| had thrown it upon the polished floor.
Mechanically stoope and took up bit
of folded paper. 1t was written upon
| unroled it, and read 1t was as if had
opened the record Of doom Had the
apparation of Margaret herself risen sud
denly before me, could not have been
more astounded. 1t was a note from her,
-anG such a note full Of love, suffer
ing and humility, poured out of heart
so deep and tender aud true, that the
shallowness of my own seemed utterly con
temptiblc, III comparison with it. / can
not tell you what was written, but it was
more than even my most cruel and exact
ing pride could have asked 1t was what
would once have made me wild with joy
--now it almost maddened me with de-
spair |, who had often talked fine phi
losophy to others, had not grain Of that
article left to physic my own malad y
But one course seemed plain before me,
and that was, to go quietly aad drown
myself in the Seine, which / had seen
flowing so swift and dark under the bridg
es, an hour ago, when / stood and unused
upon the tragical corpses its solemn flood
had swallowed.
g am little given to suporStitions,
and the mystery of the note excited me
| have no doubt but there was some sub
tile connection between it and the near
presence Of Margarot's spirit, of which
had that night been conscious. But the
note had reached me by no supernatural
method, as | was at first half inclined to
believe. 1t was, probably, the touch, the
atmosphere, the ineffably fine influence
which surrounded it, which had perp ,tra
ted my unconscious perceptions, and bro't
her near. The paper, the glove, were full
of Margaret, full of something besides
what We vaguely call mental associations
full Of emanations Of the very love and
suffering which she had breathed into the
writing.
How the note came there upon the
focr was riddle which | was too much
bewildcred to explain by any natural
means. Joseph, who burst in upon me,
in my extremity of pain and difficulty,
solved it at once. 1t had fallen out Of the
glove, where it had lain folded, silent, un-
noticed, during all this intervening period
of folly and vcxation of soul Margaret
had done her duty, in time; | had only
myself to blame for the tangle in which
found myself | was thinking of Flora,
upon the deck Of the steamship, when, in
a moment of chagrin, she had been So
near throwing herself over; wondering to
what fate her passion and impetucsity
would hurry her now, if she knew; cur
sing myself for my weakness and perfdy ;
while Joseph kept asking me what ! in
tended to do.
" Do? do =? l said, furiously VI shall
kill you, that is what ] shall do, if you
drive me mad with questions which nei-
ther angels nor iends can answerp =
81 [ know what you will do, said Jo-
seph you will go home and marry Mar
garet.'
" You can have no conception Of the eff
feet of these words,-Go home and marry
Margaret | shook as | have seen men
shake with the ague. All that might
have becn,-what might be still,-the
happiness cast away, and perhaps yet with
in my reach,-the temptation Of the Dcv
il, who appealed to my cowardice, to fly
from Flora, break my vows, risk my hon
or and life, for Margaret, all this rushed
through me tumultuously. At length ]
said
- No, Josephj | shall do no such
thing | can never be worthy of Marga.
ret it will be only by fasting and prayer
that | can make myself worthy of Flora.
"'Will you start for Italy in the morn
ing p he asked, pitilessly.
." For italy in the morning? p | groan-
ed. Meet Flora, travel with her, play the
hypocrite, with smiles on my lips and hell
in my heart thuuderstrike her at
once with the truth what was | to do !?
To some men the question would, per
hapS, have presented few difficulties.
But for me, Sir, who not quite devoid of
conscience, whatever YOU may think, =
let me tell you, Id rather hang by sharp
hooks over a roasting fire than be again
suspended as | was betwixt two such al
ternatives, and feel the torture of both
I" Having driven Joseph away, locked
myself into my room, aud suffered the tor
ments of the damned in as quiet man
ner as possible, until morning. Then 10
seph returned, and looked at me with dis
may
Z" For Heavens sake he eaid, you
ought not TO let this thing kill you,-ard
it will, if you keep on