The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1860-10-12

| the DaDe Tor whose birth she suucrs, 80
loved Elsie Russell, for whose sweet sake
had lost the greatest blessing man posseees
and from that moment, she had repaid my
sacrifice by care and kindness the most devo
ted. The only pleasure Of my life had beer
in her presence. Since the hour l knew the
sun would never rise again to me, her little
hand led me tenderly and cheeriully, a
though II had been sisters.
And now-now,' murmured aloud, q
felt for the scorched relic Of the bench-'nov
a strangers step must come between us !!
The sound Of my own voice, the cool air, tn,
quiet, brought back my reason. weighed
my own actions in the balance Of my con
science. paul Blair! said | to myself, you
have not dared to hope that the young year
of one 30 fair as Elsie Russell would be wasted
for your sake; that no strange eye would
spy out the jewel which you blind and help
less as you are, could never hope to claim
that that love which comes sooner or Later
to every woman's soul, would never come tC
hers? Paul Blair, you have not dared tc
think thus?' And even as bowed in shame
ut the conviction of my own heart, | almost
prayed, Not yet-not yet; let her be ours a
little longer !;-and laid down upon the
rude bench and wept as had not wept for
years, for from the inmost core Of my sad
heart, worshippcd Elsie Russell;
A low, trembling voice aroused me-.
paul = Il said, 'dear Paul, why do you
stay in this sad place alone' Come in, we
miss you my son.
II was my mother. wiped away my tears,
laid nv hand within her arm and thus went
back into the house. had ncryed myself to
bear the strange ivotstep, before reached the
parlor. was right when thought 1t would
come between us. Elsie was Us kind as ever;
but somehow, whenever she was singing to
me, or reading TO me, or whenever We were
walking in the garden, or chatting in the
parlor, would hear the ring gof that footstep
upon the path, and il was all over for the
day. By-and-by, almost grew to hate it.
One evening when she had gone to walk
with him, Us she often did oflate my mother,
pausing in q cheerful click of her knitting
needles, said pleasantly:
Il shouldn't wonder, my dear, If DR.. Clay
more seriously admired our Elsie. l hope IL
is so, for he il u fine man-is he not, Paul?'
answered in the affirmative, and she went
on:
Il was afraid that living in this lonely
house, Elsie would lead dull life as she
grew older. 1t is not as though you could
pay her those little attentions girls are 30
fond of, you know, and really DIR. Claymore
is quite. What is the matter Paul|
What pain the best people will give unin-
tentionally Ii was pang ut my heart,
not in my head, although told my mother
II. - ,.h;,h 40 atart md nh
ruptly close her speech. Only for the present
however, was doomed to hear OF DR.. Clay
morc's attentions, and Elsie's beauty, and
the little signs by which my mother argued
that the happy climax was approaching, un-
ill could have prayed to be deaf, Us well as
blind. =,
All this was wearing out my soul and
body; aud nv brain seemed to be on fire.
could not think collectedly, yet grew only
more silent and sad although my mother
saw that something was amiss, she never
guessed tho truth. Her greatest pleasure
was to make me lie upon the sofa, with a
pillow underneath my head, and talk to me
about Elsie and DR.. Claymore. She said she
saw II do me good
One day awokc with strange giddiness
and fever upon me. IL was late, and the first
news heard Elsie had gone to ride with DIR.
Claymore.
And shouldn't wonder, my dear. If he
was going to propose to her. lie looked
rather agitated, and certeinly had something
on his mind said my mother. 'Just let
me 90 and get you pillow on the sofa, and
III tell you what he said to her, rs you have
her interests almost as much at heart as
have my dear, and twill cheer you to talk it
over
could not bear II any longer. said some
thing about headache and the air, and man
aged to escape out into the garden. There
I wandered wearily up and down, feeling de-
lirium rapidly clouding my mind, and strug-
Cling wildly against it, until, rs the clock
struck twelve, groped my way, faint ana
trembling, to the wreck of the burnt summer
house, and sat down once more upon the
little bench where Elsie had been sleeping
when | rescued her from the flames. strug-
cled no longer with my reason, but muttered
Wildly 70 myself. Here, here-yes here,
where she slcpt-I will die, and she shall
never know that died for her love. Tia
ha ha how they would laugh ut the idea
of d blind man in love"
master Paul, come TO luncheon Don't
ait here looking 30 wild-like, said old Dinah,
who was close beside me.
knew the VOICE. heard what she said
but went on talking.
.why don't you laugh, Dinahv
what at young MassaT asked the wo-
man. =,
AT meat a blind man in love-!
20. Massa Paul, what ails yery sobbed
Dinah, what has happened to yerT :,
.Hush II whispered. you have heard
the step coming night and day-that has
killed mo but don't tell her, for he will DO
her husband then, and she would grieve.'
Tell her how loved her, though, and how
would have cared for her il had been like
other men. She will not laugh then, for !
shall be under the sod, and we never laugh
at the dead Hark the stepi Is coming !!
Firmly II came along the path; and as l
stretched out my arms, seemed to spring
from black precipice into agulf Of deepest.
profoundcst darkness, where hearing and
motion were buried in oblivion, heard her
calling out:
.Ol Massa Doctor Massa Doctor! here's
young Massa Paul gone dead all along o you
as knowed he would =
The first Of my after memories that Is real
ity, Is the sound Of that very foostep which
so hated, It was very sot now and It came
and went constantly, unweariedly. With II
there came also cooling draughts. soothing
soothing change Of heated pillows, refrcsh-
ing mois,enings Of parched lips and brow,
and tenderness equal to any have ever
known but l hated 1t and drove 1t away
still. l knew my mother was there and
Elsie; but that step destroyed my pleasure
In their presence. Not until lay 30 weak
that an infant could have prevented me from
making the slightest move. but nevertheless
safe on III. road to health again.. did that
.tsn ccase 10 haunt me. But that hour came
'eNf r-.I-.. x-onks 4 neyer heard