The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-09-29


One eye-one-half of the best gift God had
given her-and all the rest marred. She gentl,
pressed his hand
can bear it," said she, with little shud
der and my face, it is badly marked? 2"
ION are brave enough not to need beauty
Lizzie-yes, it win be badly marked The
old woman was tired out by long watching, and
fell asleep--when came in the morning, It was
too late to be remedied. You had torn off the
bandages in your delirium. 1 ought not to
have left you, but had to see patient who
was very ill.,"
Again she pressed his hand. You did
rightly, and l thank you for it, and / can bear
1t" She laid silent for little while.
Shall bid Oscar to come up?n
Stay moment-wat until l see the old
woman-and you must remain while he is
here" whispered she.
Aunt Chloe came busting into the room with
her best make of beeftea. Come here, Aunt
| Chloe" said Lizzie, holding out her hand.
The Doctor has been telling me what a faith
full nurse you have been, and that it is none OF
your fault am to be afflicted ; and you and |
know, Aunt Chloe, that it could not have been,
if God had not willed it So"
DR.. Larsh agreed with the old womans
1oum an angel, you is."
| Ask him up, now, Doctor, please2"
He came; he flung himself upon his knees at
the bedside, completely unnamed, and weep
ing aloud:
| "Oh Lizzie, this for me-all this for me
| Wretch that am, why did not die frst?"
Because there is work for you to do, Oscar,
my brother" said she, pleasantly, and placing
her hand upon his head. All this for you-yes,
brother, and much more would not be enough.
do notsee you-will you let me touch you ?" add
ed she, gently. Alas all the lovely curls are
gone, but the face is soft, and the eyes are blue
as ever-are they not, Doctor 2"
Sub pondere crescit," murmured Dr. Larsh,
thinking of quite another matter than the sub
| lect of her question, and go you down stairs,
Malmstedt, for you are getting pale" After he
was gone, the Doctor took the spoon from Aunt
| Chloe's hand, and began to feed his patient,
who did not show much appetite, and sighed
once or twice, very heavily.
Confound it all, say" growled the Doctor
What is the matter? Have you burned your
fingers with the soup?"
He laughed harsh and strident laugh
wish, said he, " | wish you would let me
kiss you, 1 am not afraid to soil my lips upon
yours " and the Doctor muttered the rest of the
sentence, unintelligibly, through his clenched
teeth. Lizzie sighed again, for she had kissed
Oscar-and yet she had not had the disease.
Was she more loathsome to look at than he
had been?
=" Perhaps he did not wish to -"
The devill' growled Larsh - don't be
! toolish-you can't make out case for him,
and you will only drive me into positively I'M
gentlemanly conduct in your presence, if you
proceed. / think, moreover" added he, +" that
you stood in your own light very much when
you sent that school girl home with flea in
her ear"
did very wrong bat that can be RENE
died" said she, gently. "Will you explain
how | stood in my own light 2"
How" laughed he, in that harsh bitter
way, how why you might have had. me.
am no fool!"
She put out her hand towards him, she made
him place his in it, and said, oh, so earnestly
" My friend, my dear friend, because / have
made such grave mistake is no reason you
should do so likewise. Neverl"
He said, in a changed tone, after he had
YOU, Efzkkfe;, land ffas8 sTaiRnte. !" God bless
ever "You are right-let it pass-I under
stand " Then he was silent for little while
longer. "Anyhow, will have my kiss, dear
Lizzie, kiss of parting after this we shall
Defends !" She felt bis lips passionately
touch hers, and hot tear fell upon her cheek
Z" Friends!" he cried again, and the next in
slant she heard his strident laugh outside the
door, upon the stairs.
The mighty warrior, Charlemagne, once wrote
a Latin hymn, some verses of which would have
reechoed in the heart of our Lizzie at this period
of darkness. For how else could she have con-
quered peace if not by praying, with the iron
crowned poet:
Inhrma nostri corporis
VIrguie hrmsns peIpeu
| Hosem repel Has longius
Pacemque dones pFounus
Duciore sic te prsevio
Vemus omue noxium"
| So she prayed, and so it happened. She 'cds
enabled to endure the infrmities of the body
the enemy did fee, peace came to her soul
| like dove from on high, and she was able to
know and to follow the path meet for her pur-
suit.
Not without struggle of course but now
the struggle is over, she has conquered, and
feels that all is WE'LL" Some weeks have gone
! by, and she is now the occupant of a pleasant
room in the house of Mr.. -, her man OF
business, and her friend. Still weak, but i'm
proving rapidly; already she has taken one or
two rides in close carriage, though her eyes
are still extremely painful. She has a green
shade over them, and keeps handkerchief
wrapped close about her scanned and purple
face After while, the Doctor tells her, this
unnatural color will 90 away, though the seams
will not and her complexion will be very pale
even for so much she is very thankful. Oscar
does not come very often, and his visits are
brief and hurried. But she sees that he is agi
tated, griefstricken, full of remorse that he
breads her, and shrinks from her presence, as
j if he were murderer at his victims corpse
and she pities him, rather than condemns. But
Doctor Larsh visits her every day, and is hel
chief friend. She knows his worth, and it ii
wonderful to see how she smoothes his asperi
L al of oil
permitting him to hope that he can ever become
more-wiIhout suffering him to make himself
miserable with delusion so fond. She ha:
tanned him, without using letters.
To-day she feels better than usual, and has
dispensed with the pillows in her armchair
Mr.. IS daughter has been reading to hel
from very pleasant book, and she rests hel
head against the back of the chair, closes hel
eyes, and gives way to thought. The chile
steals noiseless out, and bushes the house witt
the information that Aunt Lizzie" is taking
a nap, and must not be disturbed Soon, how
ever there comes hurried, unsteady step along
the pas saga quick, nervous rap at her door
and she says gently:
his old one, when he lived with her at the farm
house. He enters, and filings himself into
chair. She sees that he is very pale, that hi
hand shakes, that his eye is distraught, his LII
quivering:
"You are not well, Oscar-you do not TAX
care of yourself-you will be Ill again, m
brother, and there will be no Lizzie to nurs
you"
off l we're dead, there would be no Lizzie +
curse me-" said he, bitterly. "Why do you cal
me brother, Lizzie? want you to call me b.
dearer name. Lizzie, you must be my wife
soon-I need you-your kind aid and presenc