Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1860-04-26
1nHr 4 10 I.
81 eArhrnfss HAH1tTos

John GRANT AMI i.
BrcArHrHfsE HAHILTos.
oHAPrER L
Tomorrow I am going te Be married. who
have been given over az an Old maid for an "
definite number Of years. The expected event
creates quite a commotion In our hitherto quiet
household. BY mother says, " Whatean 10
without vouP who will make the pastry and
eaks-and see 20 the dinners and the ehildren's
clothes 2v And nay dear father, whose dark
hair begins to &c sprinkicd with silver GAYS
mouTnfuliy, " cannot spare ny Margaret"
though Think he ia secretly pleased that his
net MAGGIE Is 70 have such a noble husband,
after an. E~fyrcguish brother Ton gees about
the house singing
@rhsfe is 60 Eor. however ray t~stsooa q lais.
she'll iai slme haaeft san-er ior Der mac
And I-alI this seems very strange to me. I
cannot make L real that the bridal dress Of
snowy satin. with The gossamer veil and
wreath q erapss hoGgffs' ca oe Tor pam
Margarst Hudson. Bot The stranEest Of al IL,
that / an to marry 'Joha Grant-John Grant'
whom / learned 10 love years ago, bat all
/ thoughts o. whom J slroFe, with Gods help,
to put Par from ne.
IL fs I've years now since that morning in
early sumner, when we walked together
through the green woods, the leaves stirred BY
j a ENNIN MA.NH anu NIN WNAA EANeANE NAfAA
morning songs. We were a little apart from
the rest Of our party, and when we had gath
cred our hands tall Of The sweet wild flowers
that were scattered 10 profnslon at our feet
we sat down upon a fat rock 10 wait for then.
Twas happy on that June morning, ss I sat on.
that messy rock By the side Of John Grant,
while be wreathed the buds and blossoms and
the dark green leaves Of the trailing arbutus
among the braids Of my brown hair.
W. IA unf tall much that w-rwrn~ 80 uua
had sat in silence several moments, when John
suddenly said, Margaret, / want TO tell you
something = il was no. the words that made
ny heart beat 50, and The hot blood rush TO nv
cheeks and forehead, for we had known each
other for a long time, and he had often made
a conhdant OF me-but Il was the low tone,
full OF new aud strange tenderness, that
thrilled ny whole being. / do not know, but
perhaps my voice trembled a little, as | said,
q Well, what is it, John? % Maggie, dsar,0
but the sentence was not fnished-just then
the rest Of the party made their appearance
and efect1aily pat an end % all confidential
conversation.
The next day John Grant left town on bust
ness, which required bis presence In a distant
city for several weeks. ] did not see him for
some time after bis return, and when be called
at last there was something In his manner, IN
dsfnable, but vet a change, a restraint, which
told ne that those words once Oh bis lips would
not be spoken.
Weeks came and went, and again be left
home cstsnsibly for business, but it was
rumorsd that a beautiful Young lady Of B.,
whose Acquaintance be had made, was the
real cause Of his frequent visits 10 that city.
In a little while it was said, and upon good
authority, that John Grant was engaged 10 be
married to Mary Wallace Of B, and i was
also said that she was very young and very
beaut full. Never till then, an ! knew he was
10 marry another, was the secret Of my own
heart revealed to me bat then I knew bow /
had loved him, bow al hope, all JOY, al
earthly happiness, was centered in him. Even
now I shaiier when I think Of that fearful
time. when life seemed such a heavy burden,
aud I longed for a lime to lay it down in the
grave but / could not a thorny path opened
before me, and I was 10 walk IN il, though my
feet were pierced and bleeding at every step.
I had hoped before hat I was a Christian,
that my will bad been subdued to Gods will,
but now my heart was fllet with rebellious
murmurings, and days Passsd ere that stubborn
spirit obeVed the voice OF its father, and t1Gs
sflL. But, thank God, the time did eoms when
I looked up tnroush tears and said, " Even 50,
Father, for so it seemeth good in thy sight"
CHAPTER L.
John Grant returned 70 town soon after his
engagement, and in a few weeks Mary Wal
lace came 10 Elm Wood, on a visit 10 bis
sister. Soon after her arrival, I was invited
10 a party to be given FOR her. ] dreaded to
20, and yetI could not stay away how plain
/ looked as I stood before my dressing glass
that night, in a black silk, with a few scarlet
verbenas in ny hair. Did I wear them be-
cause he said once they eontrasted well with
NY dark hair Twas early, and the rooms
were filed when they arrived. O., Mary Wal
lacei I do not wonder be loved You-vou trere
] Nmm-Een-n - -a~n an~n N.nHswn int fhn ~nnwm
in a dress OF Light blue silk, covered with a
cloud Of gossamer lace, your golden eurls fall
ing over your sweet childish face, and your
blue eyes running over with happiness, and he
but I dared not look at him long, for ] was
no. reTy strong.
In the course Of the evening, I was intro
duced to her, and strange as it was, from that
moment she seemed to sling 70 me she was a
child In artlessness, and soon commenced
talking OF "Jshn.p asking il ] knew him, etc.
" How strange be never mentioned you, be
told me Of so many Of bis friends" "John-
J0hn,D she called as be passed rs, "Why
didn't you tell me about Miss Hudson, you
sp Ike Of 80 many others?" Our eyes met for
an instant, aRd thea said, plying his embsr-
rassment, ale has so many friends, it isn't
at an singular that he should have forgotten
one,n-but I knew then, a. I do nor, that be
had not forgotten ne.
Just then, locking up, I saw IN a mirror op-
posite the rejection Of our little group and
John Grantl-when I saw the contrast be-
tween Mary Wallace and myself, / f0rgave you
fully, il I had not before, not that | was s.
very plain-I DO not think Iwss-bat she was
so beautif ], 80 eonhding and loving, no one
could help being charmed with her, and /
could not blame him, for he had always been
a great admirer Of the beautiful.
Mary Wallace came 70 see ne frequently
while she stayed int0wn ; sometimes, not often,
accompanied BY John. Il was an autumn
afternoon, full Of cloud and sunshine, when
she came to pay her farewell call. He was
with her, watching her every movement with
loving pride, AID yet it seemed to me that he
regarded Eer somewhat as a beautiful play
thing, winding her yellow eurls around his
fingers, and calling her pet names. We went
out into the garden to gather bOquets Of the
bright-hued fall flowers and as she ran about,
laughing and talking, picking flowers and
wreathing them in her hair, OF decorating
Johns hat with garlands, she seemed a lovely
and bewisching child. John bad gradually
list bis constrained and embarrassed manner
when with me, and, excepting that We never
approached personalities in our conversation,
our intercourse was getting to be something as
Il once was.
Our tastes ia manythings were similar, we
had read the same books and admired the same
authors, and upon most Of the important sub
jects connected with human life, our thoughts
we're alike. We were speaking Of some work
W. had lately read, and were quite interested
in discussing its meri-s, when Mary suddenly
checked her happy play, and with a grave face
walked silehtly for a few moments at Johns
side. At last she said 4" You never talked in
that way to ne, J0hn, but it's because I don't
know e1ough.D You know enough for ne.
dear,1 be answered bat she went on, E" an
a second Dora John, and shall be another
'chil5-wife.' Margsret IS Just like Agnes
she would suit you much better than II "AL
! lowing you to b. iudge,"I said, laughingly,
for saw John could not answer readily. We
said no more on that subject, but I think John
asked himself more than once that day, is
Mary right 20
When she babe me goodbye she wound
her white arms around my neck and kissed
ne, saving In her gentle voice, "write to me
often, Maryaret, and teach me to be worthy Of
him. And she went away through the ave-
nue. lssning on his arm, the warn autumn
sunlight falling on her golden hair, making
her very beautiful.
cHAPrER III.
Soon after this, John Grant left Elm Wood.
to engage IN business in Western city. I
seldom heard and never mentioned his name.
Mary Wallace wrote ne frequently during the
winter her letters were like herself, graceful
and charming, full Of love and confidence.
She wrote much Of John 'how proud she was
OF him, what letters be wrote, 90 much better
than hers, and wasn't il strange he should
love such a child as she was ?o She went on
writing in this way for several months. but at
length there was a change in her manner OF
speaking Of John; it seemed as though she
were not qlite as happy as she had been she
said she began to be discouraged about ever
knowing any more, and limited that John was
getting dissatisfied with her-geneIany ending
her Letters with a disquisition or her favorite
cat or canary. A month or two after this. I
was not much surprised when she wrote that
her engagement was broken BY mutual eou-
sent-"they were not at all suited to each
other, and no doubt would both be happier.S
she said, che knew 80 much and she so lltle.r
She concluded with a long account Of her new
black kitten, "ropsy,v who was a amost
knowing cat, and had sueh pretty features"
cHkPPER ".
Two years passed, and I seldom heard John
Grants name mentioned, and il thought OF
him at an, I believed / had conquered my old
attachment. My life lowed on quietly and
s~ereuelY- ! tried to be useful % others, and in
regular employment and recreation I was con.
tent Was there a capacity for higher happi-
! ness uunmUIOVed-l CRAVING ~ my vrnman1a