The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1859-06-09
LOST ALICE.
"O thol ~hsse day are Jet all spring.
Iflst bHght~d 0aee. = past retrieving
Experience 5s d da4b, dead thing


Why did | marry2 often asked myself
the question. in the days that succeeded our
HONEYMOON b. rights | should have mar
ried 10 one Yet ! loved her. as l love her
still.
She was perhaps, the slrangcst character oi
her age. In her g,flho0i | could not com
prehend her; aud often l think, when | raise
NY eyes to her grave quiet face. She sits
opposite me al dinner, that | do not c3mpre-
hend her vet. There are many thoughts
working in her brain Of which know roth
ing aud flashes Of feeling look ont at her eyes
now and then, and 90 back again, as captlyes
might steal glimpse Of the outer world
through their prison bars, and turn TO their
brick walled solitude once more. She is n Y
wife | have her. and hold her as other
eau. She bears my name, and sits at The
head Of my table she rides b-side me in my
carriage: or takes my arm As We walk; and
vet | know and eel, a the time, that the
darling of my past has fled forever, and that
it Is only the ghost o the gay Alce, whom
won in the bloom OF her bright youth, hat
fingers near NE now.
She was not a child when I married her.
though she was very Young | mean that
lite had taught her lessons which are general
" given only to the gray-hared. and had
.
to the old She had been an unloved child,
and at the aye Of SIX cen she was left TO her
self, and entirely dependent on her own ex-
eItions. Friends and family she had none,
so she was accustomed laa.hingly to say;
but | have since found that her sisters were
living. in happy homes, even at the time
when She accepted that awful trust OF herself
aud went out into the great world 70 iulhI
it, Ofthis part Of her life she never speaks;
but one who knew her then has told me
much.
II was a time Of fs.ru4gie and pain, as well
it might have been. Fresh from the life OF
a large boarding school. she was htJl5 htted
for the bustle of great selfish city; and the
tears come 10 my eyes as | think, with
kind of wonder. on the child who pushed her
way through difficulties at which strong men
have auailed, and made herself name,
position, aud home. She was writer
al first a drudge for the weekly press, poorly
paid, and unappreciated. BY and by bright
cr days dawned. and the wolf went away
from The door. She was admrod,read sought
after--aboye all--paid. Even then she
could not use the wisdom She had purchased
at so dear a rate. She held her heart IN her
hand, and it was wrung and tortured every
day.
i may as we'll stop breathing stop low
ing she would say with smile. Cant
talk to me about my folly. Let me go on
with my toys: and if they break in my hands.
you cannot help it, and l shall not come 10 you
for sympathy
"l', I, '-' -. to,rarl7 . rasnactob1e
Sc'i'5 ;.L = Wv, e,raI, bairs show
.iii''u'o %, Ila.t, 1o.Is / had NV
I.77,.''lr,5 f,nr;as anI nv hot aager. cen
o.,,' r,,t1, I;La most other men. and they
ba9 @a.seJ a,yav bnt one thinr I did not
tnn,I--one tbinr had missed (saye in my
Jr.ar,. ! and that was a womau's love -,
=. r.at+ar Of course. fell into danger now.
WI Alie,. Knit went singing aud dancing
tbrongh the house. leaving every door and
window open as she went, / used 10 lay down
nv, mem and look after her, and feel A. II the
sun lhone bsi shter for her being there.
We crew to be great frjends-like brother
and sister. used to say to myself. How
that liking gHded gradually into loving l
could not have told met her one day, in
tha VILLAGE street. turned a corner and
came upon hersuddcnly. She was walking
slowly aIonJ. with her eyes fixed upon the
round laoSinr graver and more thoughtfal
sbsn had ever seen her before. At sight
ma her whole face frightened suddenly;
and she nassed me with slight nod aud
I.r,l, and took her way towards home
So, lhat ea~h Of li-nt play over her grave
fsca and feeling the sudden bound with
With NV hear. spraus up to meet it, knew
what we were to each other
! Il WAS late when reached home. after a
musiag walk The farmer and his wife had
zone t. bed. the children were at a merry
making NJ the next house, and a solitary light
burned from the psr!or window. which was
omen. The fall moon shone fairly in a sly
without a cloud. untasteued the gate and
went in. and therein the open door sat Alice,
with = Lrbt shawl thrown over her shoulders,
her hand resting on the shaggy coat OF the
Newfoundland dog His beautiful brown
ewes watched me as came up the path. but
he did not stir.
sat down near her, bu, on the lower step
:, ,,,,1l r..,g. nm in her face