The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1863-05-07
PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
JOHN A = 4.
HAPTE [.
BY cATHARNE HAMILTON.

hH@'~ S-'h EAF-A w. a. aAA C+-A A4-AA ~ al HUI
finite number OF years. The expected event
creates quite a CONJUNCTION in our hitherto quiet
household. My mother says, .. What can [ do
without you? Vino Will make TIE pastry and
cake-and see to the dinners and the chiIdrcn's
clothes And nv dear father, whose dark hair
begins to be sprinkled with silver. says mourn
fully, - cannot spare my Margaret, - though |
think that he is secretly pleased that his pet
Maggie Is 70 have such a noble husband, after
all. Ny rOguish brother Tom goes about the
house singing
shell fnd some homes. ganier for her mate
And all this seems very strange 70 me. can
not make 1t real that the bridal dress Of snowy
satin, with the gossamer vail and wreath Of orange
flowers, can be for plain Margaret Hudson. But
the strangest Of all IL, that ! am to marry John
Grant-John Grant whom / learned to love
years ago, but all thoughts of whom 1 strove,
with Gods help, to put far from me.
IL Is five years now since that morning in
early summer, when we walked together thrO'
the green woods, the leaves stirred by Il gentle
wind, and the birds singing their morning songs.
We were i little apart from the rest Of our party,
and when we had gathered our hands full of the
sweet wild flowers that were scattered in prOfu-
sion at our feet-we sat down upon a fat rock
To wait for them. | was happy on that June
morning, as | sat on that messy rock by the side
Of John Grant, while he wreathed the buds and
blossoms and the dark green leaves Of the trail
ing arbutus among the braids Of my brown hair.
we dli not talk much thdJ morning. and we
had sat IN silence several moments, when John
suddenly said, Margaret, / want to tell you
something - it was not the words that made my
heart beat 81, and the hot blood rush 10 my
cheeks and forehead, for we had known each
other for u long time, and ne had often made a
cDutdant of me-but it was the low tone, full
of ne" and strange tenderness, that thrilled my
whole being. / do not know, but perhaps my
voice trembled a little, rs ! said, - Well, what is
1t, John ? 4" Maggie, dear but the sentence
was not tinished-just then the rest Of the party
made their appearance and etFectually put an end
to all confidential conversation.
The next day John Grant left town on bust
ness, which required his presence in u distant
city fox several weeks. | did not see him for
sometime after his return, and when he called at
last there was something in his manner, undeiin-
able, but yet a change, a restraint, which told
me that those words once on his lips would not
be spoken.
Weeks came and went, and again ne left home
Ostcnsibly on business. but it was rumOred that
Il beautiful young lady of B, whose acquaint-
ance ne had made, was the real cause of his fire.
quent visits TO that city.
In Il little while it was said, and upon good
authority, that John Grant was engaged to be
married to Mary Wallace of B, and it was
also said that she was very young and very beau
tiful. Never till then, till | knew he was to
marry another, was the secret of my own heart
revealed to me but Hen, | knew how | had loved
him, how all hope, all joy, all earthly happiness
conferred in him. Even now | shudder when
| think of that fearful time. when life seemed
such a heavy burden, and | IOnged for a time to
lay it down in the grave but | could not Il
thOrny path opened before me, and | was to walk
In 1t. though my feet were pierced and bleeding
at every step. | had hoped before that | was a
that my will had been subdued to
Gods Will, but now my heart was filled with
murmurings, and days passed ere that
stubborn spirit obeyed the voice of its Father,
md aCaS StiH. But, thank God, the time did
come when | looked up through tears and said,
Even so, Father, for So it seemeth good in thy
CHAPTER II.
John Grant returned to town soon after his
Engagement, and in a few weeks Mary Wallace
anne To Elm Wood, on Il visit To his sister. Soon
after her arrival 1 was invited to a party to be
given for her. | dreaded to go. and yet L could
lot stay away how plain | looked as | stood
before my looking glass that night, in a black
nix, with Il few scarlet ycrbenas in my hair.
Did | wear them because he said once they con-
well with my dark hair? l was early,
md the rooms were filed when they arrived.
Oh, Mary Wallace | do not wonder ne loved
were beautiful, as you came floating
ntO the room, in a dress of light blue silk, COW
with a cloud of gOSSlmer lace. your golden
urls falling over your sweet. childish face. and
-uur blue eyes running over with happiness, and
1 dared not look at him long, for | was
rot very strong.
In the course OF the evening | was introduced
o hex, and strange rs it was, from that moment
he seemed To cling 70 me she was u child III
rtlessness, and soon commenced talking of
John" asking If / knew him, etc. How
TRANCE, he never mentioned you, ne told me Of
o many of his friends. John-JOhn, She call
q, rs he passed Us, - why didn't you tell me
bout Miss Hudson, you spoke of 50 many
theirs - Our eyes met for an instant. and then
said, plying his embarrassment, " He has 80
many friends. il isn't at all singular that hc
hould have forgotten one, but | knew then, as
do now, that he had not forgotten me.
just then, looking up. | saw in 4 mirror Op-
,Osite the reflection of our little grOup-and-
I1hn Grant when | saw the contrast between
larry Wallace and myself. | fOrgave you fully, if
had not before, not that | was 80 very plain-l
10 not think | was-but she was 50 beautiful, so
1utiding and loving. no one could help being
with her. and | could not blame him,
or he had always been u great admircr Of the
.eautiful.
Mary Wallace came to see me frequently while
ne stayed in town sometimes. not often. accom-
,luied by John. 1t was an autumn afternoon,
nil of clouds and sunshine, when she came 10
her farewell call. lie was with her, watch
NJ her every movement with loving pride. and
-et II seemed 70 me that he regarded EcI some
THAT as 4 beautiful pIIything. winding her vel
DIV cuTls around MS fingers, and calling her pet
We went out into the garden 70 yet
JUquets of the bright-hUed flowers. and rs she
an about. laughing and talking, picking flowers
nd wreathing them in her hair, or decorating
hat with garlands. she seemed 4 lovely
nd bewitching child. John had gradually lost
Is cOnstraint and embarrassed manner when
nth me. and. cxceptiup that we never approach-