Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1860-10-12
RAsBURGH. VERMoNT. FRIDAY OCTOBER II. 1se0


and-by, / almost grew 70 bate it.
| One evening when she had gone to
walk with him, as she often did of late,
ny mother, pausing in the cheerful click
of her knitting needles, said pleasantly:
/ shouldn't wonder, my dear, if DR..
Claymore seriously admired our Elsie.
hope ii is so for he is fine man--is
he not, Paul ?
| answered in the affirmative, and she
went on
i 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 so fond Of, you know, and really DIR.
Claymore is quite What is the matter
Paul?,
What pain the best of people will
give unintentionally 1t was pang in
my heart, not in my head, although /
told my mother that it was, which made
me start, and abruptly close her speech.
Only for the present, however, was
doomed to hear DIR. Caymore's attentions
and Elsie's beauty by which my mother
argued that the happy climax was ap-
preaching, until / could have prayed to
be deaf, as well as blind.
All this was wearing out my soul and
body; and my brain seemed to be on
fire. / could not think collectedly, yet
grew only more silent and sad; al
though my mother saw that something
was amiss, she never guessed the truth.
Her greatest pleasure was to make me
lie upon the sofa, with pillow UNDER
meath my head, and talk to me about
Elsie and DR.. CIaymore, She said she
saw it did me good
One day | awoke with strange gid
Ediness and fever upon me. 1t was late,
and the first news l heard, was that Ell
sic had gone to ride with DR.. Claymore.
And shouldn't wonder my dear, if
he was going to propose to her. He look
ed rather agitated, and certainly had
something on his mind said my mother.
/ just let me go and get you pillow on
the sofa, and l will tell you what he said
to her, as you have her interests almost
as much at heart as l have, my dear,
and it will cheer you to talk it over
could not bear it any longer. said
something about headache and the air,
and managed to escape into the garden.
There I wandered wearily up and down
feeling delirium rapidly clouding my
mind, and struggling wildly against it,
until, as the clock struck twelve, / CROP
ed my way, faint and trembling, to the
wreck of the summer-house, and sat
down once more upon the little bench
, where Elsie had been sleeping when /
rescued her from the flames. ] strug-
gled no longer with my reason, but NUT
tered wildly to myself. Here, here
yes here, where she slept-I will die,
and she shall never know that / died for
her love. Ha ha ha how they would
laugh at blind man in lovep
Massa Paul, come to luncheon
Don't sit here looking SO wild like said
old Dinah, who was close beside me.
Why don't you laugh, Dinah ?
What at, young Nassau asked the
woman.
AT blind man in love ?
%, Massa Paul, what aiIs yer?' sob
bed Dinah.
Hush 1 whispered. You have
heard that step, coming night and day
that has killed me but do not tell
, her. For he will be her husband then,
and she would grieve'
Tell her how l loved her, though.
and how / would have cared for her if
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 step is comingP
Firmly it came along the path; and
as l, stretching out my arms, seemed to
spring from black precipice into gull
of the deepest profoundest darkness,
where hearing and motion we're buried
in oblivion, / heard her calling out:
20 Massa Doctor Massa Doctor
here's young Massa Paul gone dead all
along o'you as ! knowed he would
The first after my memories that is re-
ality, is the sound of that footstep which
l so hated. Il was very soft now, and il
came and went constantly, unweariedly.
: With it there came also cooling draughts
q soothing change Of heated pillows, re.
I freshing moistering Of parcbed lips and
# brow, and tenderness equal to any ever
E knewl but hated it and drove it away
1 still. ! knew my mother was there and