The Oxford intelligencer., 1861-01-16
gs ~ OXFORD, MISS WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1e 1861.
Ieould see great tears in her eye.,as sh'

q Icould see great tears in her eye.,as she
answered him. tas tfi.-hin saira'ai .
HDo not misunderstood me, Mr.. Awyn.
1 do think we'll of you. As q sister, may
Z even say that I love you; but other love than
that Of sister Linda Harrington can never
give to living man. I-I-have loved once,
and ho to whom l was betrothed sleeps be-
meath the ocean waves, or is ? wanderernpon
the face Of the earth Living or dead, he is
lost to me forever; bit woman gives her
heart but once, and mine is his still, Mr.. Al
wyn Leave me, l beseeeh you Time can
never change my feelings, and l am glad it
cannot" add
He took her hand and pressed it to bis
lips, aud, in another moment he was gone.
Miss Linda sank upon the seat from which
she had arisen; the tears were trickling
down her cheeks, and her bosom rose and
fell convulsively. Over her dress, over the
fioor, fell a shadow. creeping slowly along up
the whitewashed wall Of the school-house
and while watched it tho tall man with the
black beard stood in the threshold-stood
there, with both arms stretched towards her,
until she turned, and, looking on him, cried,
"WilEaml oh, my William" and fell upon
At first I had imagined that the black
bearded gentleman was about to cevour Miss
Linda, or carry her away to his enchanted
castle but when she called him William the
truth dawned upon my mind, and listened
quietly, when, some moments afterwards, he
knelt beside her and spoke thus: ..
(. / have been near you many weeks, dar'
ling-I have watched you to and from the
school,; and, though never dreamed you
could still love me- have loved you every
moment since we parted. When left you
hoped to return to you soon, happy and
prosperous but, baficd and disappointed,
could not bear to bring my poverty and grie
for YOU to. share, and | battled with the
world, weary and broken-hearted, until be
gan to doubt all truth and goodness, and be
lieyed no woman could welcome back toll
worn, beggarcd man. as she would ono who
was glad and prosperous"
/ saw her arm steal about his neck, and
his lips touch her cheek, and he went or
again.
"Better days dawned upon me, and
came back sgsin, loving you still, to WOO anC
win you, if you could forgive my long anc
shameful silence. The FIST news l heard
dearest, was, that you we're betrothed to
another; and, although it almost broke my
heart, i vowed that, if this were true, lwoult
not mar Your new-found happiness by bring
ing back the memory of tn. past. Had yo'
loved him, Linda, you never should hav'
known that Will Brace dvelt among the liv
ing men, although he would have prayed TO
your happiness while he had heart to Pra.
with, and blessed you until his lips wer
dumb forever" .'t
There was another pause, and | could hea
her sob.
"To-day, Linda, I followed my rival, as
thought him, to his door; i heard the word
he spoke, aud also heard your answer,
learnt, my angel, that YOU had forgiven me
that you we're still true to the wandere
whose only merit was that he loved you fond
", and no words can tell the ecstacy of tina
moment, the balm that knowledge poure
upon my wounded heart. viii You be m
wife still, Lindal Will you share the it'll
that have Of wealth, and let me have srigl
to the great treasure of your woman
heart r.
She did not speak, but her head sun
lower still, and her white arms twined then
selves tenderly around the bronzed neck
the man with black beard.
A week later the village paper reporte
the marriage of Miss Linda Harrington an
Mr.. William Brace, and our school was viii
out q mistress. s..... A..