Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1858-08-12

correspondence be carried on between them
This was sore trial to Ruth but loving and
trusting with her whole heart, she assented
and burying her love deep in the recesses of her
heart, went to her duties, none suSpectng its
existence.
The only means which Ruth had of hearing
from her lover were by means of friend of
correspondent of his For time all was well
but at length came rumors of fraud and de-
pravity in various forms. Last of all came the
tale of maiden'S shame, and in connection
/ Herewith was breathed the name of Edgar
! Winthrop! Ruth, like the pure, true-hcaFted
one she was, believed the loved one an inno-
cent and injured man, and waited patiently a
confirmation Of her hopes from his own lips,
never dreaming of the blight which was to wi
ther her hopes 1t came at last came too,
when the heart was all unprepared to meet it,
, glowing as it was with love and anticipation.
Oh, ye worldings! We prudes We who think
and speak Of love as ideai, We should have wit
messed the desolation and despair which its in
| tcrruption brought to that devoted heart
| When fully convinced of Elgar's uufaithful-
ness, Ruth wrote him that he must consider
their engagement at an end, for never would
she again see or receive aught from one so ut
terly unworthy as himself 1t may readily be
supposed that this Intelligence caused Edgar
no grief, for he never loved Ruth, but it woun-
ded his pride and irritated him to be dismissed
| by her. As none were made acquainted with
/ the engagement, so none knew of its te:mina-
ton, and poor Ruth locked within her own
bosom the anguish which threatened to crush
her, striving to appear with her wouted cheer
fitness but the uprootng of that life which
had been to her so much Of JOY, and to which
she had yielded unhesitatingly, proved too
much for even her Self-control, for the effects
were visible in shattered nerves and an enfee-
| o.ed frame. Afectionate friends came round
! her, suggesting various remedies, change of
climate, &c, to all of which Ruth replied that
she was very vel, and smiling family, bade
them dismiss all fears. Bat the destroyer was
there, and not until the fair fabric was over
/ thrown wouId he relinqu SD his hold
Aud Ruth was prostrated One and all
wondered as to the nature of that power which
had so suddenly overwhelmed poor Ruth. But
the unconscious object claimed their attention,
and with the exclamatious strange :" won
derful - they ceased to conjecture After
many days of death-like stupor, consciousness
came slowly back to the tortured and heart.
sick girl. Though grateful for the loving kind
ness Of friends, she felt in her inmost soul that
they did her no kindness in restoring her to
I consciousness. The anguish of her soul had
not yet passed, aud the bruised and bleeding
heart yet clung to the earthly love, and refqs
ed to be comforted
Time, and the constant care of afectionate
friends, restored the hue of health to the fad
ed cheek, and strength to the feeble frame
but happiness dwelt not in the heart made de-
solate by the blighting of its dearest hopes,
and Ruth, with all her forttude and pride,
was little better than an autOmaton. It nav
be that her mother, with womau's keen per
cepton devised the secret of her daughters
unhappjness, but she never hinted her suspci-
cons, and Ruth believing the secret known
only to herself guarded it with jealous care.
\ year had passed Time, tho il brought
not the deep full happiness which she felt in
loving, and believing herself loved, brought
peace and quiet while the removal of her af-
fection, which she now acknowledged to her
self was doatrouS, had taught her to look
away from earth, and lis heeting joys to the
/ Source of Light and Life, even God. our Fa-
ther
1t was at this time that Ruth was again
addressed, and by gentleman of worth one
who could appreciate the beauty Of charac-
ter Ike hers, aud cherish as a sacred thing the
/ affection Of her noble heart Ruth felt that
she did not love him, and grieved over the fact,
/ for she respected him for his many virtues and
would have done or Suffered much for his hap
pness. One evening she accepted an invita-
/ tiOn from the gentleman in question to attend
! social party at the house of mutual friend
/ During the evening, while standing alone, and
partially hidden from view, engaged in exam
| lining some pencil sketches, her attention was
arrested By an unusual hustle at the entrance,
/ and farther extremity Of the room. As the
crowd surrounding the entrance parted, the
well-k1own form of Edgar Winthrop met her
astonished vision, and so unlocked for was his
appearance, and so overwhelming the fact that
/ cha stood in the Sapoa roam onI vrftbin fa,r
PAGES of the being she once so rapturousIy Iov-
| ed. that she was obliged to summon all her
forces of mind and body, to maintain any de-
gree Of self possession Fortunately she was