Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-07-09

| Your confiding, unsuspicious temper CAV,
me every opportunity to accomplish tha
object, in the unrestrained intercourse
which you not only permitted, but encour-
aged"
"And did you," said Mr.. Berne, his
voice trembling with excessive emotion,
''did you take advantage ofmy confidence
in your honesty and discretion to blast
the happiness of my friend? Can you be
SO cruel-so destitute of filial love, self.
respect, of common humanity as to have
even contemplated the perpetration of so
heartless an act2 l must leave you, Helen,
until am in more fitting mood to dis
cuss this subject. In the meantime, pre-
pare to leave here early in the morning. .
He rose hastily from his chair, and was
about to quit the room but Helen sprang
up from her kneeling posture, stood be-
fore him, laid her hand upon his arm and
with look that asked for sympathy whilst
it demanded justice, thus addressed him
"Stay, father; you must not leave me
in anger-it is not right that you should
do so at a time when / so much need your
sympathy and support. Remember there
is no one, on earth, to whom can look
for protection and consolation when aban-
doned by youl'
This allusion to her motherless condi-
ton operated like spell upon Mr.. Bcrne.
The sternness Of his manner immediately
gave place to that gentleness so character
istic of the man, and the displeasure which
his countenance betrayed, was succeeded
by an expression Of deep, but benevolent
sorrow. BE resumed his seat-Helen,
her kneeling attitude, and he said, as he
again laid his hand upon her head
81 believe, my dear child, that have
been too hasty--my feelings proved too
strong for my discretion. So, forgive my
harshness, and if you can assure me that
your conduct towards Mr.. Lee has been
above censure, my heart will be relieved
from great weight"
Whatever may have been my conduct
towards others, father, towards Mr.. Lee il
has been such as you cannot disapprove,
with the exception of the resolution I
formed at our first meeting, to treat him as
I had treated others But this I had not
the power to do---for from the first, he ex-
erted over me an influence I could not re-
sist. It was his elevated views Of what
woman should be, expressed with force
and elegance, that first forced upon me the
conviction that | had strayed far from the
path of rectitude. And if the mental
agony hive endured, for some weeks
past, is any atonement for past errors, /
may surely claim exemption from farther
punishment-for you do not--you cannot
know how much l have suffered And
will you, father, prolong, by the weight of
your displeasure, the sufferings of an err
ring but penitent daughter whose charac-
ter has been developed under the most
adverse circumstances? Remember that
she sleeps beneath the green turf, who
would have watched over me; and if she
could not have eradicated all that was evil
within me, would have stamped upon
my character portion, at least, of her
own purity. Thus would / have been
spared the pain of pleading for fathers
forgiveness-and shall / plead in vains
"No, no, my dear child" he exclaimed,
as he clasped her in his arms, and dropped
a tear upon her brow, ~ do freely for.
give you; but can not so easily forgive
myself. l should have watched more
closely the developement Of your charac.
ter, and corrected that proclivity TO error,
which gained strength under the careless
supervision of those to whom your educa-
tion was entrusted. am more censura4
BILE than you my dear Helen; but it is not
too late to remedy the defects resulting
from injudicious training. The virtuous
impulse that prompted your confession,
and the strength of mind and will that
enabled you to make it, prove that your
better nature has been perverted only for
time; and that you will never again di.
verge from the path of rectitude. Their
cheer up, my dear child" he continued,
as he kissed her pale cheeks; "let not the
past weigh too heavily upon you, but look
forward to brighter day in the future"
To this, she made no reply; but her
sad smile told of future, to her, cheer
less--almost without hope. She could
look back, through the past, upon the
shady grove, ripping brook, and verdaut
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