Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-02-10
CHAPTER II.

VIZ uooA W. AoASs 6uu ue0IAu& 10
miliar voice. il. the hall Imogene hasti-
ly threw open the sitting-room door,
and the next instant was clasped in the
arms of her early heart. friend, Bessie
Warden For two long years these two
congenial souls had been separated !;
and after the task Of disrobing Bessie
Of her several extra travelling wrappers
was laughingly accomplished, and the
fatigue Of her journey somewhat re-,
moved by a late supper. with . dish Of
tea from the still Kissing urn, which
Bessie declared ga delicious comfort
after so, cold . ride - with many re-
grets that Frank should have beer
obliged to be out, on this particular
evening Of all others, when he was usu-
ally at home, and when he would have
been 50 happy to welcome her old
school-mate to their cottage, Imogene
drew up the rockers, and hand in hand,
as of old, they sat together in the soft
fire. light, talking of he happy past
and present, comparing notes in regard
to their individual experiences, and
each, still in the morning Of her days,
looking forward to- the future as to
hours beauti6ed by the roseate hues Of
still unclouded hope, only Bessie re
|cognized in the young wife's tones,
while speaking of comming hours, q
richer music than ever bef,re, and felt
the influence of deeper Inspiration,
breathing in all her words of loving en-
dearment-felt consciousness i'll her
presence that there had been fuller
unfolding Of her woman's ssul during
during their last separation than ever
before, adding sweetness and dignity
to her every look and tone. sa.I
seBut tell me, dear friend, about
your new book. Do you know how in.
terested I have been in it," This
question Bessie suddenly asked, during
slight pause in their conversation.
"Is it published yet %
eyes," answered Imogene, softly,
while blight warm blush manteled her
cheek aud a beautiful light shone in
her large hazel eyes.
"You know" said Bessie, "you
wrote me in reply to my inquiries
about your idle pen, that you were con-
centrating all your energies upon it,
and l shall expect a rich intellectual
treat something quite worthy of your
genius" Bessie, who was herself a
bit Of an aulhoress, continued: ''you
will bear me witness, ma chere, that |
have always insisted that your literary
efforts were too spasmodic and your pro-
auctions, especially in poetry, quite too
detached and fragmentary, to do justice
to the talents which l know you pos.
sess but why did you not send me q
copy? l shall begin to feel jealous,
considering how prompt you used to be
in forwarding such favors.''
Il thought to do so, certainly, but
concluded to wait little longer" said
Imogene, with d half comical smile
lowering about her lips ''now let us
on to the library; for you must know"
she added, as they rose, "that Frank,
dear soul. has fitted me cozy little
nook, which dignity by this appella-
ton - and leading the way, Imogene
and Bessie passed throu. h a side door
into good sized sleeping apartment,
and from this into smaller room, the
faint outlines Of which were scarcely
distinguishable by the dim light of a
half extinguished gas burner. The
next moment, with soft quick step,
Imogene passed before Bessie, and
turning on a full blaze of light, reveal
ed, indeed, rows of well filled book
shelves, extending around two sides of
the wall the convenient little writing
desk, with all its ct ceteras ; but some
thing still more surprisingly interesting
in the small snowy canopy by her side,
within whose softly falling folds stood
richly carved mahogany crib, where,
like little "cupid, lying among the
roses'' Of richly lowered satin cover
let, slept beautiful babe! d..
For moment Bessie, struck dumb
with establishment at this vision of in
fantile loneliness, could only hold her
breath, lest the sweet vision should dis
solve into 'airy nothingness,'' and
gaze upon the cherub, like one SPELL
bound. A profusion Of golden hair
soft and shining, surrounded the fault
less head one dimpled arm lay under
the rosy cheek, while the other arm
was tossed out among the roses-a thing
Of waxen beauty.
"And this, oh, Genie % she at
length asked, in a hushed whisper, of
the happy young mother.
eyes 20 replied Imogene !; "Mis,
dear Bessie, is my last published vol
ume-does it not exceed your expecta-
tons ?" And the thankful mother bent
over her darling of one short year with
true maternal fondness. "Ah, Bessie"
she added, sis not this worthy of my
highest efforts %
eyes, isn't this Genie's best book"
asked a low, manly voice in Besse's ear
The two friends turned with start,
and Frank, who had softly entered the
room, threw both arms around them
and thus they stood, u happy trio,
looking reverently down upon the great
mystery-a ne,0 human life; while
each decided that nothing which had
ever been achieved in the realm of art
or the fields Of literature could equal
this, greatest Of all her productions
this unlettered book, fresh from the
divine hand-Im ogene's last volume?
A CHILD's FAITH.-At the time Of a
great drought in England, several pr