The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1861-02-09

|
Is Why lie never CpmeS-kssp her AWAY"
The voice turned TO shrisking sobs There wa,
sounds Of fcot and hurried movements, and Owe
'ane out, ca'ping for breath and his fare tus Il
VI. :, can't tear it, " he said, with his hand
,ver his face.
Can bc OF usc ?" asked Robert.
"No, ihe nurse can hold kcr:" and he ieant nj
arms on the mintelpiccc, his fra me shaken wit
,ong.trawn soils. He had never seen his sister
,nG she was too much appalled, to speak 0
move.
When the sounds ceased, Owen looked an Z
listen and Robert said, "S,ill NO consciou.
ness ?"
IT," h''" y
! "lt must he better not, IL ~ ordslnci," sal,
Robert.
| "P,haw what are last feeling. and wards
rs If hiighicd life AMI such suffering wcr. No,
.nre " compensation. There's morp iustics il
Heaven than in Nonr system :"
! lie VS. gone aud Robert with deep sigh
"ih, II am not judging. | trust there wer,
."hrMN"f repentance and forgiveness but II Il
| Iainiul a. her mother feels 1t, to hear how be
,I, mnH runs on light songs and poetry"
/ "Mechapcally!
" True and delirium is no criterion Of tn,
state Of mind But 1t is very mournful In he,
occupation, ono would have thought habit alon,
| Wcnli have made her ear catch other chimes"
Lucilla remembered with pang tina, sho had
| Nmathi2cd with Etna's WEAKNESS of the mo-
| nuiony Oi hymn aud Cltcchsn. Thinking Do
try dnli and tircsonc, shc had little guessed si
! !hc efcSt Of sentimental songs aud volumes Of
! L. r. L., and tho like, on an irhammabe mind
! She did not marvel at the set look Of pain with
| which Robert heard passionate verses of Shelley
ind Byron fall from those dying lips. They mus,
. have been Cuuncd by heart, and have been the
! ivuritc study, or they could hardly thus recur.
II must -, said Robert after time am
| ioing no good here. iou will take care of your
. Inn thar Ia pNs.r b,f, 4
! you Z"
My things are In Woolstone Lane
IL meant to get kim there. will GENE back
. by seven o'clock but must 60 TO the school.
! May 60 in there ?"
"iou had better not. II il q fearful sight, and
| you cannot DO Of use. | wish yeu could BE- out
VI bearing; but the house is full"
"One moment, Robert-the child 2"
Sent TO nurse, when every sound was ago
! ny"
He stepped into the siek room, and brought
sut Mrs. Murrell, who began with Q courtesy,
dued by sorrow and watching, she was touching.
y meek and resigned, enduring with the pa.
tience Of real faith, and only speaking to entrsAt
that Mr.. Fulmort would pray with her for hei
pc0 child. Never had Lucilla 30 prayed and
ere she had suppressed her tears, ere rising from
her knees, Robert was gone.
She spent the ensuing hours ofthst summer eve
ming, seated in the armchair barely moving, list
sning to the ticking Of the clock and the thnndei
Of the streets andat times arkeningo the sound
in the inner chamber, the wsnderings feebler and
| more rare, hut the fearful convulsions more fre
quent, seeming, as il were, to he tearing SWAY
tho last remnant VI life. These moments Of hcr
ror-etruck suspense were tho only breaks, say,
when Owen rushed out unable to bear the sight
and stood, with hidden face, in such sbsorptioI
ofdistress as to be uuconscious Of her awc-struch
attempts to obtain his attention, or when Mn
hurrell came TO fetch something, order her maid
or relieve herself by few sad words to her guest.
Gratiied by the eager sisterly acknowledgement
OF poor Edna, the touched Lucills deeply By
Speaking Of her daughters fondpess for Mis-
thought ungr.tefui, and assurances that tbs =
cret never could have bean kept, had they met
the day sfts9 tbs soiree. Many had bean tn
poor things speculstions how Misc Ssndbrooh
would receive her Marriage but always viii
confidence in her 6nal mercy and instice ana
ness, ths hspe deferred the evil reports and susp
cions oe nsighhors and lodgsrs, the falling health
and cruel disappointment, and looked round at
the dismal little sitting dungeon whore this fail
and gifted being had pined and sunk bsusath
slander and desertion, hst tears Of Indignation
er, she said, "Oh, that had known Il sooner
Edns was right. Twill be tho psrssn to ~
justice done to her"
And when left alone she csst about fer GIa
most open mode Of proclsiming Edna Murrsll
her brothers housrsd wife, and her own beloved
sister. The moro II mortified the Chsrterissa,
tho better.
BY the time Robert came back, the sole change
was In the falling strength, and he insisted %
conducting Lucilla to Wsolstono LAM, Mrs.
Murrell enforcing his advice 30 decidedly that
there was no choice. She would not 10 denied
one look at the sufferer, but what she saw WA
70 mserably unlike the beautiful creature whom
she remembered, thst she recsiled, feeling tha
kindness that had forbidden her the spectacle,
and passivey left the house, still under the chill
influence OF the shock. She had tasted nothing
since brcakfssting on board the steamer, and on
coming into the street the comparative coslneAa
sseIned TO strike her through; she shivered, felt
her kuees give way, and grssped Robert's arm
for support. He treated her with watchful, con.
siderate solicitude, though with few words, and
under the charge Of the housekeeper; when, 10
return for his assurance that hS would watch
over her brother. abe promised t6take fosd anl
70 at once to rest.
Too weary at first to undrsss, and still think,
ing that Owen might be brought to her, she lay
back on the couch In her own familiar little CO
dar room, feeling a. II she recalled the day
through the hszy medium Of dream, and a y
she had not been in contact with Edna, nor Ow.
en-, nor Robert, but only with pale phantonl
called by those names.
Robertespecially Engrosscd and awe-strick.
"
something was gone that to her had constituted
Robert Fulmort. Neither the change Of dreaA,
nor even the older and more srttled expression
of countenancs made the difference; but thu
want " that namces., hesitating Difference which
in each word or action formerly seemed to i'm.
plore her favor, or even when he dared to censuyt
did 80 under appeal to her mercy Had hi
avoided her, she could have understood it; but
his calm, authoritative sclfpOssessiOn was I've.
yOni her, though as yet she WAS not alarmed, fol
her mind was too much confused 10 perceive
that her influence was lost; but il was unc0n.
Portable, and part Of this strange unnatural
world, as though thr wax which she had bssE
used 10 mould had suddenly lost it's yielding
nature and become marble.
Tired out, she at last went 20 bed and slepi
soundly, but awOkc early, and on coming down,
found from the hOuskecpcT that her brother had
bsen brought home at two o'clock by Mr.. Ful.
mort and had gone to his room at once. AL
was over. Lucilla, longing 10 hear more, sei
out at once for Mrs. MurreIl, before ho should
come down stairs.
While the good woman was forced TO btstii
herself for her Odger's breakfasts, Luclla could
steal a solitary moment Ia gaze on the pallid
face To which death had restored much Of Ia
beauty. She PRESSED her lips on the regal brow,
and spoke half aloud, Edna, Edna SandbroOk,
sister Edna you should havo trusted me. Yon
knew | would sec justice done to you aud will.
You shall lie by ny mothers side in our owe
chuTchyard, and Wrgpwortb shall know that shs
whom they enyiol and maliSncd, was owen
SIndhrook's wife aud my cherished sister"
Psor Mrs. Murrcl, with her swimming eyei
and stock phrases, brought far mere Christian
sentiments 10 the bed Of death. "Poor, doar
love, her father and little thought it would end
In this, when We used To be 50 prond Of hor. We
should have minded that pride is not made for
sinners. Favor is deceitful and beauty Is vain;
| and the Lord saw 1t well that VIZ should be cast
| down, and slanderous lips opened against us,
| that so we mi ht feel our trust is in Him alone