The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1858-08-21

lhIuN ltF htlAnH Over N"hNtihB ua NhAt
iatg her pagEiou Ur imVrtuuEity would ittif-
ry her nov, II she knew tursng myself for
ny weakness and periidy while Joseph kept
asking me what ] intended N do.
.''DO? do p ! said, furiGu6ly,-"l shall Kill
y0u tiim is what ! shalt do, II you drive me
mad with questions which neither angels nor
hends can anawer"
Il know what you " M DO" said jopph
"ynu will 20 home aud marry MuTgnttE
You can have no conception Of the effect
Of these w0rds,-GO h0me aHd many Mar
garef | shook ~ have seon men shake
With tho aguo. All that might have bgepf--
what might be still,-the happiness East
away, and perhaps yet within my reach, ,-,lhe
temptation Of tho Devil, who appealed 10 NJ
cowurdice, 10 fly from Flora, break my yows,
risk my honor and her life for AlaTgnrei,--'
al! this rashea through me temaliaeaaly'--'
~ lrnglh hnd g
NO, Joseph / shall DO no such thing,
can never he worthy Of Margaret Il will be-
only by fasting and prayer that / can make
myself worthy Of Flora
"Nill you start fur Italy Ia the morning ?"
he asked pitilcssly. s....
"For ltaly In the morning ?" | Rrnanrd =.
Meet Flora, travel with her, play the hypo-
erite, with smiles on my lips aud hell la my
heaft-or thundcrslrike hel ~ once with
the truth ! What was | to doP To some men
the question would, perhaps, have presented
few difficulties. liut for me, Sir, Who Az
not quite devoid Of conscience, whatever you
NAV think,-let me tell you, I'd rather hang
/ by sharp hooks over q roasting fire than Ice
again suspended ns ! Wa6 bctWixt two tuch
alternatives, and feel the torture of both
! Having driven Joseph away, locked INV
self into my room, and suffered the tormenls
/ Of the damned n ~ quiet manner ~ possi-
/ bic, until morning. Then Joseph returned,
and looked ut me with dismay.
For Heavens sake" he said, "you ought
not to let rhls thing Nil you,-and il will, II
/ you keep on
$50 much the bctter,"I said, "ifh Kills
nobody but me. But don't be alarmcd.--
Keep perfectly cool, and attend To the COM
mission am going To trust 10 you. cant
ste Flora this morning ! must gain q little
! time. Go 10 the station of the Lyons rail-
way, where have engaged to meet her par
/ tyI say TO her that um detained, but that
will Join her on the journey Give her no
ttimo 10 question you. aud be sure that she
does not stay behind"
"I1l manage it,--trust me !" said Joseph.
And of he started. At the end Of tNo
hours, which seemed twenty, ho burst into
my room, crying
'"Good news she is gone! | told her you
had lost your passport, and would have 10
get another from our minister"
| "What" l exclaimed, "you lied 20 her p
I E
scph ingenuously ,-"she is 90 sharp They're
to wait for you At Marscillcs. But I'll man
age that, too. On their arrival at the Hotel
d'Orient, they'll find tylcgraphic dispatch
from me. wager a hat, they II leave IN the
irst steamer for Naples. Then you can fol-
low at your leisure
THANK you, Joseph"
felt relieved. Then came reaction, The
next day ! was attacked by fever. know not
how long ! struggled against Il, but il maStcr.
ed me- The last things | remember were
the visits Of fIieuds, the strange talk of
French physician, whispers and consultations,
which knew were about me, vet took no in
terest m,--and nt length Joseph rushing to
my bedside in tuiter ofpgitauun, aud gasp
, ing
"What Of Flora ?" demanded.
a 81 lclcgraphcd, hut she wouldn't 60 she
has come back she is here"
ID was sinking back into tho SiupnT from
which had been reused, when heard a
l rustling which seemed aiar of, yet was in my
/. chamber then a vision appeared 10 my sick
6 -e+eA- sl4Air-a- -Gasa-n -nhleA LAiE,ly- -t4eaFAtI
c had seen hetorc,--a flood Of curls and rain
e OF kisses showering upon me,-sobs and de-
I vvyfFi17F g'sFsssgErt fvFT s=sttte tdfift Fife
: passionate names and | lying passive,
r. family struggling To remember, until my soul
; sank whirling in darkness, and knew no
y more.
+ One morning, cannot tell You how long
c after. / nwnke and found myself in strange
: looking room, filed with strange objects, not
;, the least strange Of which was the thing that
!, seemed myself At first looked with vague
d aud motionlcss curiosity out of the Lcthe
= from which my mind slowly cmcrgcdi pain
: less, and nt peace liStlesSly questioning
e whether was alive or dead, whether the
J, limp weight lying in bed there was my body
the meaning of the silence and the closed
C curtains. Then with a succession of painful
s flashes, as II the pole of an electrical battery
y had been applied TO my brain, memory re-
Is turned, Margaret, Flora, Paris, delerium.
&c next remember hearing myself groan aloud,
C then seeing Joseph at my side. tried TO
s. speak, but could not Upon my pillow n
L. glove, and he placed il against my check. An
&c indescribablc, excruciAting thrill shot through
d me still | could not speak. Alter that, came
s. q relapse. Like Mrs Browning's poet lay
""TviNt gloom and glcam.
With Death and Life ntcach extreme"
d But ono morning was better. could
" talk Joseph bent over me, weeping for JOY.
ID "The danger is past !" he said. "'lhe doctors
a say YOU will get well y
- HiIave been so i'll, then ?'
ID all ?" echoed Joseph. Nobody thought
a. YOU could live. We all gave YOU up except
G her ;-"and She
l. "She!" said she here ?"
n "From the moment Of her arrival" replied
81 Joseph, "she has never left you. oh, il you
id don't thank God for hcr,r-he lowered his
ID voice,"and live all the rest of your life JHs,
t. TO reward her, you are the most ungra,cfu
rs wretch You would certainly have died but
" for her She has scarcely slept. till this morn
Id ing, when they said you would recover"
IL Joseph paused. Every word he spoke went
40 down ike weight of lead into my soul.
rs, had, indeed, been conscious Of tender hand
ic soothing my pillow, of lovely form fitting
I'd through my drcams of a breath and magnet
Ia. L; .n..nh Of lnrn inrnainn mnrnl III. iuir