Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1861-02-21


graces were making sad havoc with the
hearts of the village girls. Already over
my soul had begun to steal presentment
. of sorrow
I think my brother loved me very much
He had always made me his confdant One
night he came to my room, and said, with
a hesitation which seemed very singular in
his frank, fearless nature. that he had some
thing to tell me. Then he talked of indif-
ferent subjects for while; and at length,
suddenl y-alas, it seemed to me pitilessly
the blow fell. He loved Leona Ashland
Oh, Heaven pity me- God have mercy Oh
me! | knew in that moment that [ too
loved her: blind, helpless fool that l
was had made her my idol. I had not
known before what was the spell which
bound me to her; or, rather, [ had resolute-
| ly closed my heart against the conviction.
The vail was ruthlessly rent away. [ could
not choose but look on my own stupid i'm
becility. A voice in my soul mocked me.
1t cried: "You-you cowardly idiot you
thought, did you, to darken her life by
fastening yourself upon her? blind, help
less shadow. You thought that young girl
could love you-that girl radiant with youth
and hope, and all the glory and brightness
of life before whose feet the future stretches
out, green and fresh, and smiling. You
thought you could win her. Selfish insen-
safe mad %
! l babe the voice cease it's upbraidings -
| shut my ears against it, and desired my
brother leave the room. For the first time
fo T nl
He had generous temper. [ do not thiuk
he blamed me. He reproached himself,
rather, for speaking to me of love from
which my misfortune had shut me out for
ever. Begging me to forgive him, he went
out.
shut the door behind him. locked it,
The key turned with sharp click. Then
[ threw myself down upon the floor, as a
traveller might PROSTATE himself before the
poison wind of the desert Lying there,
this fierce, scorching simeon swept over me-
Unknown to myself had been cherishing
one sweet flower in my heart, watering it,
day and night, with the dew of hope. 1t
lay there now, torn up by the roots, it's buds
blighted, it's fair blossom withered.
Blind, helpless IDIOT So the voice in
my heart bad called me. Ayl but the blind
idiot could zoue. Who else could pour such
wealth of tenderness on one who could never
grow old to his sightless eyes-whose brow
would always be smooth-whose hair would
never lose itse its ightness-whose eye
would never grow dim, because forever he
could clothe her with the fair garment OF
his fancy? And new voice in my heart
( T
With these words strength came to me
and rose up, and stood erect in my dark
ened world, lonely and grief-stricken but
still man.
was not one to inaict sorrow upon 9TH
ers. l strove to go out into the world with
cheerful face. But listened with tremu-
lous eagerness to every infection of Leona' S
voice when she talked with my brother. 1
knew she must love him; but there was a
curious facination in watching how this pas
sion would spring up in her pure heart
how the tenderness. which could never be
! for me, would grow into her beloved voice.
Day after day it seemed to me to become
| full of sweeter pathos. Richard was con-
stantly by her side Often they roamed
together over the fields. Sometimes they
asked me to 60 with them; but I was too
sensible to intrude: I always refused. -
Once or twice, when [ had declined going.
Leona insisted On remaining with me- Then
she would be SO cruelty kind to me, read to
me, talk to me, bewilder me with torturlng
glimpscs of an impossible happiness. Then
Richard would come back with floral offer
ing-a spray of honeysuckle, or bunch of
wild roses; and, sitting beside her after
wards, [ smelt all day the fragrance of his
flowers upon her bosom.
One night she asked me if she might 90
along with me to evening prayers, as she
used before Richard came It was plea
SAINT walk, that half-mile between our house
and the church, in the summer sunset, with
the trees over our heads, all odorous with
bloom. There was a curious joy, which
was more than half compounded of pain, in
knowing that she was by my side, in feel
ing the light pressure Of her hand upon my
arm.
When the services were over she asked
me to stay little longer, and play for her,
as I had often done before. Hitherto, at
such times, she had chosen the tunes but
now the fever fit of inspiration was upon me.
[ poured forth the story of my hopeless love.
[ used no words, but the music explained
itself 1t thrilled, it trembled it pleaded,
it despaired. it struggled, it hoped then,
as if for the dead, it Walled, and died out,
at last, in a long, helpless cry of sorrow
| heard Leona sobbing. She stood, at a
little distance, alone in the darkness |
leftm seat. Iwent to her, took her hands
In the darkness she laid her tender, plying
arms around my neck. felt her wet cheek
against my own, Alas. I knew the Ian
guage of that silent caress. She loved
Richard; but with all the fullness of her
angelic nature he pitied me. She would be
my sister
No word was spoken by either Of US. We
went out Of the church, and went home un-
der the night and the trees.
/ Coou oft tb;c z ;aborJ ,u,. +o