The weekly mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado County, Calif.) 1861-1862, 1861-06-08
EREE sTINE.
~ corsIN NAY CARLETON.
There are words still deeper
Than the wall above the dead" :"

| SN Spt dioIl5 III OllUulHB gusts. lUe NlHu
came wailing over river and flat in long,
lamcntable blasts, dreary and dcSoate as
the last cadcnccs Of funeral hymn. On
the shore, scarce ten yards below, the
waves came tramping in with low, sigh
ing moan, that mage the heart ache and
high over all, atintervals, rose the wild
shrieking cry of some sea-bird, as it skim.
med, solitary and alone, over the broad
sea.
| arose and walked to the window. In
front spread out pale blank of driving
rain, and father on, the black, hcavins
river, with one low, dark schooner strug.
Cling wearily along on its restless bosom.
Overhead, u dismal autumn sky, leadcn
and sunless, Sprcad-iar and near, above
and below, all was dull and dcsuiatc.
\ strain of music rose on my car as
stood thcrc--a song hated, because she
sung it, Ever of thee" The piano
stood III far-0if shadOwy corner Of our
long high parlor, and two white hands,
sparkling with rings, went straying over
it with mastery skill. 1t was no school
girl Jingle, hers every note breathed fire
and paSSiOn-tlamcs from the hot, burn.
ing Southern heart Of the fierce, dark
beauty singing. What voice she had
So rich, so clear, so full, 50 sweet and
piaintivc. SO the tall, dark form bending
over her seemed to think, by his rapt air,
and it was for his sake hated her.
drew long, hard breath as the last words
arose.
"Years have not chilled the love cherish,
True NJ the stars hath my heart been to thee;
All never I'll, life and memory perish,
Can forget how dear thou art to me-"
turned abruptly round from the win
dow, aud looked at them lie was bend
ing over her, till his short, dark curls
swept her crimson cheek, and glittcred
amid her own jetty, shining bruids. He
was whispering in her car, and the white
hands went wandering tremulously over
the keys, and the long black lashes vailed
the dark luStr0us eyes. Some inward
mesmcrism told her of my burning gaze,
for she looked MP with start, and for an
instant the hot crimson tide swept across
her bold high brow. Then she flashed
back glance Of proud defiance, and, with
short laugh, arose.
"There, am tired of singing. Do
you like Ever Of Thce!' Magsiey"
MOI" was my short, curt reply.
"Why, Maggic!" exclaimed Alfred,
(ny betrothed lover, reader,) "what a
taste you have! Not like Ever of Thee
why, it is the gem of all songs"
=" am glad it pleases you"
What objections haYe you to it, belle
Marguerite :" said ErneStinc, as she
swept, in her own indolent, graceful way,
across the room.
My lip curled, for was no belle, and
she knew it. Perhaps Alfred did, at that
! moment, too.
A very simple one hate all sickly,
mawkish love songs-ltaian or English.
My barbarous taste, Of course so sing
away, Erncstinc, and never mind me-"
40, Maggie! you are such an oddity.
What do you like Y"
"Wcll, like the Laird O. Cockpen,'
and the Other Side of Jordan, and Dix
les Land" and all such, said !, secretly
enjoying her look Of young lady.lk hor.
ror at the atrOcious confession.
80 Grahde Ciel :" calculated Erncs.
tine, in diSmay, while Alfred burst into
loud laugh.
"Well done, Maggie! Why didn't you
add 20, Susanna and odd Dan Tucker'Y
Ernestine, won't you play some of those
pathetic and touching songs for her music
loving ladyship ?"
Ernestine began protesting so earnestly
and vehcmently that she did not know
one of them-never had heard them in
her liie-that had to smile too.
Perhaps Miss Maggie will favor us,
hcrselfI" said the young lady, with half
Snccr.
Alfred looked at me with a peculiar
smile, as if he found it rather pleasant to
hear me quizzed. walked away from
the window, and sat down.
mo, thank you," | said, coldly, Miss
Maggie would rather be excused"
"Some other time, then, hope to have
the pleasure" said the young lady, with
IL smile and bow that would have done
honor to the court of St. James, as she
took my place by the window and looked
out. Alfred stood by the table, turning
over some prints, with strange, discOn.
tented expression on his handsome face.
How well / knew what it meant! lie
had already begun to compare his future
bride and this queenly Southern belle
and that look told the result.
Invent home to my heart with heavy,
nameeSs pain. l had loved him, and did
love him, more than had words to say,
more than he could ever dream OF, and this
was my return. Only one week before, as
we wandered on the shore one serene
moonlight night, he had told ME he loved
ine, too: a tiny circlct of gold that cleaned
like line of fire on my finger, now recall
ed it all. Loving hm as did, it ought to
have made me very happy; and yet, with
the first shock of joy too intense for
words or smiles, went strange thrill of
namelcss pain and doubt You have seen
mornings that have risen in cloudlcSs
splendor, the whole eastern sky one blaze
of crimson, and gold, and fire, and you
know its very beauty, so dazzling, so
splendid, is transient--it cannot last-that
before long, clouds, black and leaden, will
sweep over 1t and blot oil its beauty out
So it was with me, sleeping or waking
that nameles pain lay small and sore at
the bottom Of my heart, mingling with all
my dreams by night and day. And yet,
l know he was sincere when he spoke; he
thought he loved me and I-oh! was
Outy IOO IeuuE W tuhe Tue tHSel LOT
pure gold-toO ready to swallow the sweet
poison and reject the wholesome btterS,
that felt must sooner or later drain to
the dregs.
That time was at hand. had heard
that in his youth he had loved dark
tropical beauty that fate and an empty
purse had separated him from; but that
night thought he had forgotten her.
She had come North and finding he was
stopping at this deserted seaside hotel,
had dropped at its door as if from the
clouds, one gorgeous October evening,
herself more gorgeous in her glancing,
short silk and fresh young beauty than
tho brilliant sky above her. What was /,
small and unlovely, beside this Southern
belle; his first love, too, who was ready,
to lay her crown at his feet, and "sue