Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1859-09-15
SHtttt0 GaIt.
THE MIST OF THE VALLEY.

MY wife was dead. | had never loved
her-l may well speak plain-never loved
her and yet for her sake cast away the
one priceless pearl of my life think every
human existence has its moments of fate-itS
moments when the golden apple OF the Hes
perldes hangs ready upon the bough-how is
il that so few of US are wise enough to pluck
it The decision of q single hour NAV open
to US the gate of the enchanted gardens
where are flowers aud sunshine, and air purer
than any breeze of earth or NAV condemn
rs, TantaluS-like, 10 reach ever more after
some far of unattaiuable good-make US slaves
Of the lamp forever aud forever And vet We
seek no counsel! We stretch forth our hand
and grasp bliBdly at the future, forgetting that
We have only ourselves 10 blame when We draw
them back pierced sorely with thorus.
Ny life, like all Others, had its hour of des-
tiny aud il is of that hour. lis perlIS, its
temptations, its sin, that an about to tell
you.
had known Bertha Payson from ny in
fancy. She was only year younger than /
| can remember her face, far away among the
misty visions of my boyhood 1t looked then.
as it does now, pure and pale, yet proud Her
ewes were calm as full lake underneath the
summer moon, deep as the sea-a clear, un-
troubled gray. Her hair was soft and smooth,
and dark. She wore il plainly banded away
from her large. thoughtful forehead The
pure, yet healthful white of her complexion
contrasted only with her eyes, her hair, her
clearly defined, archjng eve browS, aud one
line Of red marking the thin, dexie lips 1t
was relieved by no other trace of color, even
iH the cheeks
have not painted for you beauty, and
yet now think that Bertha Payson had the
noblest female face that M eyes ever rested
on
Her figure was tall aud slender her voice
clear. low and musical From nv earliest
boyhood she had seemed to ne ike some guar
dian saint, pure enough for worship. but, for
long time, had not thought warm enough for
love
She was twenty before | began TO under
stand her better. | had Just graduated st
Harvard. and came home-perhaps & little
less dosmatic and conceited than the majority
of new iedged 4. B's-fuIl Of lofty aSDira-
tons, generous purposes, and romantic dreams
| was prepared to fall IN love, but had never
thought OF loving quiet Bertha Payson, nv
nv next neighbor'S daughter The ideal lady
OF my fancy was far pret:ier-s fairy creature,
With the golden hair and starry eyes Of Ten
nyson's 6ream-sn
Airy fairy Lillian,
Faitlag, airy Lillian.
And yet in the meantime, | looked forward
with pleasure to Bertha's eompsnionship. To
talk With her always brought out the most
Of Heaven / had in ne' There was nothing
II art or nature SO glorious that it did not
take new glory when gIaBees of her eye kin
died over IT, Ny mind never sesIed sny
heiEot Of LOFTY p1rpose or heroic thought
which her far reaching sou bad not CONQUERED
before NE. and 50 the best purposes of nv life
grew better snd stronger in the serene atnos-
pbere Of Der approval
Thus it came sbo0i that We were daily TO
geiher- Long before thoGgh; Of looking At
The pale proud face With lovers passion. |
think hsd tsOoght, whss Other Interpretation