Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-01-13

of this wilderness is natural arbor,
formed by the interlacing branches Of
the willow. trees, which has been the
repository Of half the plighted VOWS Of
Sidney, and there, with the sllvery
moonbeams playing lightly amongst
her curls, the perfume of the violets
and thorn blossoms doating around, her
small white hand resting con6dingly in
thatof her lover, and her beautiful face
upturned to his, Ada Howard, in the
simplicity Of her nature, poured forth
the pent up feelings Of guileless
heart, spoke Of the hopes and inten-
tons of their brilliant future, when she
should have become his wife-his in
sight of God and man when she should
have won the greatest blessings heaven
give, the right to share with him his
hours of happiness, and soothe the
lonely ones which must occasionally
appertain to all. And he could listen
to her musical voice, trembling with its
rich freight Of tenderness, and in the
dark chambers Of soul whose tenants
were passion and sel6shness and vic,
could con over its wild plans, and de-
wise means for the destruction of purity
and innocence.
His schemes were deep and subtle
his address artful and fascinating,
but be had not sufficiently studied the
noble purposes of heart like that OF
the sweet girl who knelt beside him.
Had the impetuosity of wild and ar
dent temperament led him in o moment
of forgetfulness to insult and wound
the purity of her spirit, she could have
forgiven him, for she possessed strong
reasoning powers, and knew that the
passions of our weak and erring ma
lures, if unsubdued, are our greatest
enemies; but sould she forgive the cold
calculating hypocrite-the rurjured lib
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
Slowly, almost imperceptibly, as
dull shadows sometimes creep over the
bosom of pure lake, the knowledge
of the decever's per6dy wound itself
around her heart !; vaguely and eau
tiously was the subtle passion Of a
sensual spirit poured into her ears,
t clothed in imagery so bright and glow
ing, that it required keen eye to de-
tect the trail Of the serpent beneath the
howery and dangerous sophistry! Fol
while she listened trustingly, for she
loved, but when the truth became toe
papable for even her to doubt the
baseness of his purpose, like fright
ened deer she sprang from his arms,
and with heart quivering and break
ing, fibre after fibre, fled to the loneli'
ness Of her chamber, to mourn over the
destruction of her most cherished WIS.,
ions. All that night long her footsteps
sounded upon the sanded floor, as she
paced up ard down with her hands
clasped upon her bosom, a victim tc
the most agonizing thoughts. She
could not weep-the spirit of despair
had caught the pearly drops and hao
brea,hea upon them and left them 9
cold heavy mass upon her heart But
relief was at hand. The Almighty saw
and pltied her affection, and opened
the gates Of Paradise, and sent forth
his winged messengers to release the
imprisoned soul so when the night
was gone, and the beautiful clouds
were gatherir G in the east, and the sur
came drowsily up from his couch Of
roses, his first smile was greeting tc
the blessed angels who were bearing
away in triumph the undying spirit Of
Ada Howard, the broken-hearted