The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-31

''oh !" >o inaue, Jake 10 hefseu the promise also:
"se' pull not down my palace towers, that are
Perehs''ce may ,ettr,a tc'M others there,
"hen hare Purged my guilt"
Well she remembered it, contrasting that
| time with this; and, as she drew Ruth down
into the rustic seat beside her. she wept joyous
tears, IN which Ruth Ruth Joined silently auiv.
ering with her own emotions.
oh mother, dear mother" said the daugh-
ter, at last, many an happy hour have Ispent
here many joyous and manga sad tear shed
here; many visions also have had here, both
bright and gloomy, but never did dream Of
happiness like this, of sitting here beside you.
mother, with arms about you under the tryst-
ing tree, waiting for Jasper and loving YOU,
mother, as my soul"
And Jasper told his love here, Ruth? n
his manhood's love, yes but we've had
talked of it ever so many times before, you
know, MOTHER" said Miss Modesty, with a
great blush, " and it was all settled. But here
he parted from me- mother-on this very spot
| | saw him last OIL L shall never feel as
heart-broken as | did then, no, not even if he
were to die; for | had nothing to lean on but
him, then, while now / have you and myself
For you have. taught me to be very strong,
mother, and to rely upon my own soul, and
the power that is within me-"
=" And here, darling, have to tell you of Gil
bert, and of my love, and of the sin that brought
my sorrow, and the pride that scared nay heart.
This is the proper place for confession such as
| have to make. Here you had your fist sor-
row; listen to the black sorrow that preceded
yours, and brought it in its train Before we
do wrong, Ruth, we should consider how wide
and terrible may be the effect of that wrong,
upon those we love best, and most desire happi-
ness TO- But we never do so passion blinds
us. Our own ends must conquer even if in
the act of conquest we pull down heaven itself
upon US. a
Colbert was my first love, Ruth, and my
only lore. | honored and respected Jasper's
father, my husband, but had no heart to give
him. 1t was buried where my hate was be-
slowed. And l had only pride, which l built
a monument over, as if it were an honorable
something, and aspectable. Your father and /,
like you and Jasper, were children together
and in our most childish sports prefgured the
love that grew up between US. was proud,
wilful child, inheriting the Lucifer.spirit from
my father, who, having failed in business when
| was very young, could never look his old as
sociates in the face, but moodily retired to the
village near the Hall, and lived there the rest
of his days, heart-corroded and hypochondriac.
We were poor; but, though went to the vii
lage school, / dsdained to associate with my
schOolmates, held myself aloof even in child.
hood, encouraged to do so by my father, per-
haps, but ready enough to do so from the
prOmptings of my own ideas of selfconsequenee.
Gilbert alone exempted from this ban, and my
sole reason for doing so was, that he conquered
me. He, peasant though / deemed him, was
prouder than even /, and, scoring to court me,
compelled me to court him. AS soon as un-
bent towards him, | learned to look up to him
Young We both were, we became, | firmly be
heye, necessary to each other. He alone could
understand me. He alone knew of the pas
sionate soul, deep-hidden under the mask OF
Indifference or dsdain, while to me alone did
he confde his dreams, believing las do now
that only my eyes could look as far as his
through the vistas of the future, and behold
the glorious palaces he was to build, the giant
heights he was to scale. Oh, how ambitious
/ ID wss, RatA, and how proud l 81 his ambition
can measure the completeness of his apathy
on losing me, and the depth of my own crime
by comparing the projects we had planned
and which we could have carried out success
fully. with the listess life he led, and the little
which he did of all those giant plans. Well
his opportunities were fewer, even, than mine
but he made much more Of them; for, though
l, encouraged and stimulated by him, did at
tempt TO study and to provide myself with
enough of accomplishments to deserve and
adorn the high fortunes he was going to bring
me to, he did more much more, conquering
every fetter of poverty, and rising despite them
Unaided, he went to college, graduated honor
ably, commenced his life as an author, settling
IN the village, and We were to be married as
soon as the book he was engaged upon should
be ready for publication. That book never ap-
peared, Ruth, and he even burned the manu-
!. script. But, then, he worked on we worked
on together, in fact and oh, those happy hours,
how rosily they rushed by
- Among the acquaintance whom
Gilbert made in College, was Mr.. Fleming,
Jaspers father, who was just returned from a
prolonged residence in Europe, and studied
law in the College town. My present property
was part of his estate, and he came with Gilbert
once to look at it. Then | met him. Mr. Elem
ing was man of eclat. Exceedingly wealthy,
he was handsome also, and accomplished,
and r.. He was my husband, Ruth, and
our dear Jasper father, and did not know all,
Ruth, until that awful night at the Hotel. He
seemed to esteem and honor Gilbert, and was
his constant associate until introduced to me.
He was a man Of diplomatic shrewdness. |
firmly believe he loved me as much as he was
capable of loving; was handsome, had good
manners, was well-connected, could adorn his
Halls Besides he was very ambitious, and Il
learned this afterwards) Gilbert had beaten
him in some contest for literary honors. The
defeat ranked in his bosom, and he hated him.
On these accounts he had made up his mind
that | should be his wife. ! received his at
tentions with some pleasure it was iattering,
gratifying to my pride, to be gallanted driven
about, waited upon, by the handsome young mil
lionaire, to receive bouquets from him, and rich
presents. About this time l went to the city
on a visit. Mr.. Fleming followed me thither, es-
T corted me everywhere and pressed presents
upon me in such way that L conld not reject
them. When returned, Gilbert had heard of
the way had been conducting myself, ventured
to expostulate with me, reused my pride, and
we quarrelled. The next day he went off with
out seeing me, and was very miserable indeed,
for Mr.. Fleming had ako disappeared. heard
nothing of either for over fortnight, when
there came letter from Gilbert, brief note,
but one that made devil of me-God help
me, / know how it was now, but then / only
knew, only felt, how cruelty had been wronged,
and painted for revenge. The note accused
me foully, and cursed me bitterly, for blasting
his happiness. He was deceived awfully, but
/ did not consider the possibility of that only
thought of the black wrong Gilbert Congreve
had done me. Even while had the note in
my hands, and was staring with stony eyes
into the fire, while my heart scarce beat, Mr..
Fleming came in, and, pretending not to notice
my emotion, offered me his hand. tossed
him the note by way of response. He imme-
diately said that our marriage would be the
best way of answering the calumny.
"will you kill him if I become your wife ? ;
asked l, for l thought of nothing, save revenge.
"'If you will give me the right to protect
you against slanderers, l shall certainly do so,
said he. Without pause, without thought,
accepted him, and before week had passed
we were married. The second day after that,