The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1858-09-09

sideration can outweigh. she repeats
it sol And as she slowly repeats the sen
tence, there comes up before her visioI
of white face, and feeble hand, ant
an eye fast closing in death. The face
and the hand, and the eye, are now ONLY
to be seen in the picture memory presents
but the pencil of master painter could
not present it more vividly or distinctly.
She is holding-as in that terrible hour
the feeble hand of her mother in her
own. She is in an attitude of listening
My child she heard it now, as she heard
it then, obey your parents And wher
am gone, he alone will be left to guard
and cherish you
Blauche's head falls upon her breast
Are there tears upon the miniature Ii
so, they betoken the struggle going on in
the bosom of the maiden. The contest is
between Love and Duty, and both are
powerful.
Which shall eopquerl
Lower and still lower bends the head
of Blanche. To tears are added sobs-
such sobs. as only heart rent by hope
and fear, and passion and despair, can e.
woke. She sees before her two roads,
One, the beams of love shine upon; but
over it hangs fathers curse and moth
er's dying invocation disregarded. The
other, the hand of duty is outstretched to
lead her on, but love, and hope, and hap
piness shed not their beams upon it. All
seems dark, and desolate, and dreary.-
Do you wonder that the tears fall. or that
sobs are uttered! Many such battle
has been fought; and some have uphed
over duty, and some have won victory
over love.
And such victory as the last, is that
of Blanche Duboises.
Stern-faced Duty banishes the smiling
face OF Love.
The conflict is over.
Blanche takes up her pen to write to
Gerard Cole. She dashes away the tears
that will fall, lest they leave upon the pa
per she rites on, tokens of the agony she
feels. When finished it reads as follows:
GERARD Il return to you your like
ness and your letters. You will do the
same with mine. l bid you farewell, and
may God bless you; but We can never
meet as We have met, or be as We have
been. Do not ask-why. Enough to know
that sense of that duty demands sao-
rifce of love, of hope, and ofjoy. and l
have laid the offering upon the altar; not
perhaps, with fearless eye, or heart that
does not ache; but stern sense of duty
buoyed me up, and the biiows sorrow do
not wholly overwhelm me.
Your future will be a glorious one. |
feel it | know it, am proud of it. Go
oniu the path you have chosen, and though
| do not ask you to forget NE, cease to
think of me other than a bright star,
whose glory is now forever eclipsed. Have
charity. aud believe that, had l the sha-
ping of my own destiny, this letter would
not be written. But the mould is in 9TH
er hands than my own, and | yield to
decree cannot annul. BLANCHE
Gerard Cole received tie letter, the
miniature and the package He read the
letter, and then Gushing down the ago.
py that settled in his bosom, he complied
with her request. Accompanying the
packet was note. | was very brief
1t was as follows:
LADY BLANCHE Necessity knows
no law. | obey your wishes, though in
doing SO my heart is crushed. If in the
dark path of duty in which you have now
entered, there should ever come a sunny
z lean, link it with the name of one who
long loved, and still deeply and sincerely
loves yor. Ever
GERARD COLE
Blanche read it, and crumpled it tight
y in her trembling bands, for moment
ere she consigned it to the flames Once
reading was all sufficient 1t was engra-
'ed in memory, never to be obliterated.
The paper soon crumbled to ashes and
Is Blauche gazed, she said:
And so the hames died out, Oh, faith
IT! - oh, motherl If you knew how cru
Il the fate was to which the act consixns
ne, you would not seek my happiness in
his way
But the mother could not, and the faith
II would not hear. What had lie to do
With such silly thing as Loue or a6ectiony
TO him it was synonymous with all that
vas trivial and simple.
Arthur Grey is kneeling at the feet of
Blanche. He has come to receive her
Iecision, having already obtained that of
Ter father. The one was favorable; the |
thor-0f courSe-must be so too
Mr.. Grey, | consent to be your wife,
Is it Blanche who speaks ! How chan.
ed in tone from the Blanche confronting
er father and avowing her love for Ger.
rd Cole.
Thanks, Blanche 1
The cold man of the world could say
20 more. He may have read in her man.
er much that % ade him wonder. But if |
o be did not express it. Like Mr. Du-
oise. love was to him talked of, but nev.
T felt. He married, for po.ition--noth.
ng else. In all the circle of his acauain.
ance there was no more eligible match
an the one about to be cousum mated. -
ad there been a Blanche would not