The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-05-12

Ne NWoyo hDHuo NJ toe0, ma ofonko up -
/" grand pasersal shop," - b eaas i, ~.
provskes The. terribly, know. Wen
that's nsisAse hers nor tAsre; bss, - "a
saying, here yeo'il hare them % the On
aide, ssd sli the fse ladies sp the ether, as'
10 great house asd ssrvsnts, and parties q
- to. and, lorful heart! Miss Ivy, you't
die in three years and il you know whel
you're well oE. you'll stay Ut home. ass
marry and settle dovs near the old foiks
Believe ne, nv dear, its bad thing botl
for the man and the vonap, vbea she mar
ries shove her."
"Mrs. Simn." said Ivy, rising, evil yo'
promise me one thing 2"
s'Certainly, child, il can"
"Will you promise me never again q
mention this thing to me, Or alluds to Il II
the most distant mannef f'
Miss Ivy, nov" began Mrs. Simn,
deprecatingly.
Bec.uss,'' intercepted Ivy, speatins
very thick and fast, ''you cannot imagine
hev d,saereeable il 10 to me. IL makes me
fed ashamed 70 think Of what you have
said, AID that you could have thought il,
even. I suppess-iudeed, / knew-thai
yen did it because you thought you ought ;
4
from Mr.. CleFron, nor 10 there the slightest
probability that his fortune, Or his honor.
or his reputation, or sisters will ever De
disturbed by me. an very much obliged
to you for your good intentions, and | wish
| you good mornin :"
"Don't, now, Miss Ivy, 70 CO..
Bu' Miss Ivy va. gone, and Mrs. Simm
could only withdraw to her pile Of clothes,
and console herself by stitching and darn
ing 9TH renewid vieor. She felt rather
uneas. about the result Of her mornings .
work. though she had really done il from .
| conscientious sense OF duty.
"Wslladay." she sighed. at last, "she'd
better he . little cut up and hufy now, than
to wnh into tch blindfolded, and wash
my hands Of whatever may happen after
this. I've had my say and done my part"
Alas, Ivy Geer! The Indian summer day
was jus, ss calm and beautiful far-of
mountains wore their veil of mist just -
aeria!ly,-the brook rippled over the stones
with just rs soft melody; but whs' "dis-
cord on The music'' had fallen! what s.dark-
ness on the glory - A miserable. dull.
dead weight was the heart that throhbed 20
lightly bat an hour before. YEARLY.
dreariy, she dragged herself hcme. Il was
nearly sunset when she arrived, and she told
her mother she VAS tired and had the head.
ache, which was true,-though, il she had
said heartache, it would have been truer.
Her mother Immediately did what ninety
nine mothera out Of hundred would do in
similar circumstances, s,-mads her swallow
n cup OF strong tea, and sent her to bed.
Ia. ali r.. oh he
stronges, tea connot assuage!
When the last echo Of her mothers foot.
step died on the stairs, and Ivy wns alone
in the darkness, the It'd VI bitterness and
desolation swept unchecked over her soul,
md she wept tears more passionate and des-
ponding than her life had ever before known.
tears of shame and indignation and grief.
Ii was true that the thought which Mrs.
S'mm had suggested had never crossed her
mind before; yet it 10 no less true, that all
unconsciously, she had been weaving .
golden web, whose threads, though too fine
and delicate even for herself to perceive,
were yet strong enough to entanele her life
in their meshes. A secret chamber, far re-
moved from the noise and din Of the world,
"A chamber whose aoft ard rose. tinted
light threw its radiance over her whole fu-
,ure, and within whose quiet recssses she
loved to sit alone and dream away the hours,
bad been rudely entered, and thrown vio.
lently open to the light Of day, and Ivy saw
with dismay how its pictures defled. With
bitter, though needless and useless self-
reproach, she saw how she had suffered her.
self to be fascinated. Sorrowfuliy, she felt
that Mra Simm's words were true, and a
nuf lav hat k.v hA
pictured him moving easily and gracefully
and naturally among scenes which to her
inexperienced eye were grand aud splendid;
and then, with sharp pam, she felt con.
strained and awkward and entirely unit for
such a life was che. Then her thoughts
reverted to her parents, their unchanging
love, their happiness depending upon her,
their solicituds and watchfulness,- s,-and she
felt ~ il ingIatituds were added to her
other sins, that shs could have so attached
h rself to any other. And again came back
the bitter, burning agony Of shame that she
had done the very thing that Mrs. Simm
too late bad warned her not to do; she had
been carried away by the kindness and ten.
derness of her friend, IND, unasked, had LAID
the wealth Of her heart 1T bis feet. So the
night flushed into morning; and tho sun rose
upon pale face and trembling form,-
but not upon faint heart; for Ivy, knsel.
ing by the couch where her morning and
evening prayer had gone up sincs lsping
infancy, kne~ling no longer child, but
woman, matured through love, matured,
alas through suffering, prayed for strength
and comfort; prayed that her parents love
might be rendered back into their own bo.
SONS hundred fold;praysd that her friends
kindnes - her might not be an occasion Of
sin against God, and that she might be
enabled to walk with steady step in the
path that lay before her. And she arose
strengthened and comforted.
All the morning she lay quiet and silent
on the lounge 10 the little sitting room.
Her mother, busted with household matters,
only looked in upon her occasionally, and,
ns the eyes were always closed, did not
speak, thinking her asleep. Ivy was no,
asleep. Ten thousand little sprites fitted
swiftly through the chambers Of her brain,
humming, singing, weeping, but always
busy, busy. Then another tread softly en-
tered, and she knew her dear old father had
drawn chair close to her, and was looking
into her face. Tears came into her eyes,
her lip involuntarily quivered, and then she
felt the pressure Of his-bis.-surely that
was not her fathers kiss!- She started up.
No, no! that vas not her fathers face bend.
ing over her,-no, her fathers eyes smiling
into hers; but, woe for Ivy! her sou thrilled
with deeper bliss, her heart leaped with
q swifter bound, and for a moment all the
experience and suffering and resolutions Of
last night were ~ If they had never been.
Only for moment, AMI then With strong
effort she remembered the impsssibls gulf.
"a pretty welcome home you have given
me !" said Mr.. Clsrron, lightly.
He saw that something Was weighing on
her spirits, bat did not wish to distress be,
By seeming to notice il.
al wait in my library, I walk in my gar.
den, expecting every moment will bring
you,-and 10 here you are lying, doinl
nothing hut look pale and pretty ~ hard q
you can"
Ivy smiled but did not consider it pruden,
TO speak.
81 found your books, however, and har,