St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-11-26
A DEArn.BED PROMISE.

From the darkened chamber where
Philip Stourton's wife lay sick of a
mortal disease, the doctor had taken
his departure, after gentle but ~omin-
Gus words, and husband and wife were
face to face in "the valley of the shad-
ow Of DEATH" Buoyed up to the last
with hope, that might ebb and flow
but had never wholly forsaken them,
the doctors warming fell heavily In
deed on their hearts; and the panar
of parting came upon them, with pre-
mature and unlooked-for bitterness
II could have wished to live little
longer with YOU" said the sick lady, in
momentary lull of tears, "and MOTTO
leave the bonnie little children so soon
with no mother, to care for them; but,
Philip, you will promise NE this, it Is
my dying request-do not put them in
the power of a mother who is not their
own such are always cruel. For the
memory Of me, dear Philip, and fov the
sake of the children, promise me not to
marry again" .i ~j
Philip Stourton was silent; he felt
all the onerous conditions which prom.
ise of this nature involved. However
much he loved his w,fe-aud he loved
her evotcdly-yet he saw what his
partner could not see, that in depriving
himself Of his frcewill to act, he might
be creating for himself a lifelong bur-
den and sorrow. But his wife renewed
her entreaties, and clasping him round
the neck in passion Of tears, bcsought
him not to refuse the request Of ono so
near to the grave. With those dark,
besceching, dying eyes upon him, he
could not deny the petition he prom
ised. Nay, she begged him even to
swear shat he would BE- faithful to her
memory, and never we'd a second wife !;
and Philip Stourton took the oath, his
reluctance vanquished by an importu-
nity which it seemed almost cruelty to
resist.
The nurse who tended Philips wife
was woman Of peculiar temperament,
strictly upright, but fanatical in her
notions Of duty, and with a strong self:
will. She was an old servant, had
been in the family of Mrs. Stourton' 8
father many years, and had been select
ed to acoompa1y the young lady at the
marriage. She had sincere attach
ment to her mistress, who trusted and
favored her, and when the fact became
known that Mrs. Stourton could not re.
cover her grief vas violent and tncont
trollable. On the day following the
scene above described, Philip Stourton
walking almost noiselessly into his wife's
sick Iehamber, .dbserxed tho Nurse bend
ing over the poor invalid, and taking
from her hauds ! letter; whilst; some
whispered instructions we're being CIV
en- as to its careful delivery. His en-
trance seemed to disturb them some
what; but he was too heavy Of heart
70 heed anything except the pale face
which looked wistfally y Hin from the
pillow. 1t was a sorroWfql day, &xlbe.
fore it closed his young wife died in
his arms. -.. ,-.-.,-.,, ,, ,,7..,,
Daring tn. months 1h. of desol.to soil:
tude which followed his, bereavement
the circumstance of the promise, he' had
given never once REQUIRED to his mind.
The great grief swallowed up ail minor
responsibilities Of life.z His loss was
irreparable, his sorrow inconsolablei;
With his heart sealed up, ,as lie faqcicd
and wished, against consolation, ;hae went
onshis ehecrless way.lr Butisthe binau-
cnces which nature brings to bear upot,
I'M Y '.i isIgaf liiii Rttqpss though slssMI.pd \
!, ~ M