The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-02-24
Misttllalrfous.
LOVE AND REVENGE.
Fuom the Philadelphia Bulletin

1A III, how I hated him-how l ha-
oted Richard understanding by
my side, with that sort of mocking tri-
umph, lighting up his deep eyes, and thin
proad lips half parted, as if in expectation
that l would say something that he
would wish to check. And who would
not have hated him as | did? Let NE
tell you how it was.
| had loved him more than a year
loved him Heaven only knows how pass
ionately. Not more blindIy or entirely
does the silkworm weave itself with its
own shroud, than | wrapped myself in
his pleasure, his admiration, his love-
Not more trustingly turns the fearless
eagle to its mountain eyrie than /, fool
ish and confding turned to the bright,
beautiful castles of hope which | had
built on the rotten foundations of his faith
And yet [ never thought of it till that
day: and oh, with what humiliating
weight the knowledge came to me he
had never asked me for my loye-never
asked me for it openly, save by tender
chances and pressures by the hand, and
those thousand delicate attentions which
are nost precious to the jealous eyes and
ears of affection. But had not dream
ed that such passion as mine could be
poured forth and bring me no RETURN
[ did not even imagine that his apparent
devotion could be wrongly understood:
and so I bIindfolded myself, and bcwil-
dcred, content, happy, rushed forward to
despair.
That afternoon we had been sitting in
the garden, talking to each other, rs we
had many times before, of Our past lives
The dreamy music which tie wind made
rs it stirred the trees above us; and the
fresh sweet smell of early flowers with
which the spring air was loaded, seemed
just the outward influences needed to sof-
ten our hearts, and draw them most near
ly into sympathy; and when in quiet
manly way. he told me the story of his
life-of the father who died before his
remembrance, and the sw, g mother who
had closed her eyes in their eternal sleep
ere the grass had twice grown green over
her husbands grave; OF MS desolate, friend
less, struggling boyhood, showing me one
by one, the weary steps he had climbed:
telling me SO gratefully how my hands
had sown roses in the steep way; and at
the close saying with serene smile:
Helen, | would suffer my life over
again q thousand times, rather than give
back this day Ny heart was filled to
OVERLOOKING. l, too, was an orphan, and
knew better than any one, | thought,
how cruelty and grudginglv the world
had laid its hand upon him as he toiled
onward in its service. How glad | was
that 1 had always been kind to him, that
| had kept my heart free, unsullied and
womanly. as the browning gift of his sue
sess and JOY.
wept, moved deeply by his eloquence
and leaning toward him, with quick i'm
pctuous movement, drew his head forward
with my hands, and pressing my lips to
his white forhead, kissed him-not light
ly and coquettishly-but reverently and
tearfully. For moment he bowed his
head, and could not see his face: but
when he looked up its expression startled
me, the change had been so sudden and
startling.
"Do You know" sad he, SO Wy drop
ping his eyes before my look of wonder
ing inquiry, shat think the woman who
bestows the tokens of her love unsought
lowers herself beneath the respect of him
who becomes their recipient"
am sure l should not have understood
him, but for the meaning sarcastic smile
with which he spoke. saw then, in
moment, his whole power over me; saw
how he had led me on cautiously, artfuIly
through love to pity, and through pity to
| saw that for an ignoble
triumph over my woman's pride he had
sacrificed his truth, and would sacrifice
my heart; l saw him degraded from an
honest, loving, noble heart, into fiend,
and for nv life l could not have answered
save to strike or curse him. He read my
feelings in my face, 1 suppose, for he
laughed ironically. He spoke again and
was forced to listen.
. Helen Reade. you need not look so
fierce, SO bitter, so s,ornful in your anger,
thinking to deceive me. You love me,
and | know it. You would have waded
with naked feet through seas Of fire rather