The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1863-11-20

"What was it, Mr.. Hayden 2" asked
LOttie; "don't you know"
"She heard some unpleasant informa-
tion," replied.
8 For PHYS sake, from whom ?" said
Miss Houston.
From two gentlemen who sat near u.s. -
replied.
"What was it, my dear?" asked her
mother.
/ "Why, Emily acted So strangely last
night" said Charlotte, looking curiously
at me. "She sprang up suddenly, and 1
almost thought she was going to jump
into the pit. Her face was as white as a
sheet.
At this moment Emily entered. She
could not have slept all the long night
through. Her young face wore haggard
look, and her usually slow, graceful step,
seemed languid now. She took her ac-
custOmed place beside her mother, who
spoke to her tenderly, but when she an
swered her lip quivered. Frank Appleby
saw it, and made hasty breakfast, excus-
ing himself sooner than was his wont. /,
too, went, but not before | saw Lottie,
with look of great concern on her fea-
lures, 60 up to her sister and whisper to
her.
Oh, the heartaches l had to gaze upon
Ster that that marble face, so colorless
so wan with the beautiful hope-Gght
blotted out! She now seemed uneasy and
unhappy if she knew Frank was near, and
equally unhappy if he was absent.
At last she did not come down to her
meals. Her strength seemed to desert her,
aud mutely, uncomplainingly and sightless,
she was going down to the tomb. Every
day she grew more sanity, every day more
inexpressibly dear to me, who knew the
cause of her malady.
One evening l noticed a peculiar ex-
preston on the cOuntenance of Charlotte
Houston. Her face was very stern, and 1
surmised that there had been some misun-
derstanding between Frank Appleby and
herself, and was right
During Emily's childhood she had
. learned to write, guided, of course, by an
Implement to which the blind have re-
course, and she wrote with astonishing
accuracy. 1t seems that Emily had asked
her sister to bring her certain little box
from her private drawer. Charlotte COM
piled, but finding some papers which had
been left, and also some scraps of poetry
of peculiar character which she read to
her sister, Charlotte felt herself justified
in opening the box, and there she learned
the secret of Emily's sorrow.
At first resentment filled her soul, and
then came anguish. Had the man whom
she had loved and honored with her con.
-fdence done this thing? Would any man,
possessing spark of principle, deliberate
10 win the affections OF blind girl?
Slowly passed the agonizing days and
weeks Frank and | scarcely spoke to
each other; could not act the hypocrite.
They told me Emily was growing worse;
that there was no hope of her recovery.
saw the doctors brougham at the door
early every morning. Frank Appleby
ceased to take his meals with US.
One beautiful summers day was called
from my Office. Emily was dying, the
messenger said, and had requested to see
me. | entered the sacred chamber. She
lay like a fair marble image, colorless,
yet serenely beautiful. They stood around
her, mother, sister, two or three friends,
and her kind physician. They told her 1
had come, and she held out Ter hand. Oh,
that moment! I threw myself by the
bedside of that dear angel-the only wo-
man had ever loved She whispered a
few sweet words, very family, eff could
live, would live for you!" Then sud-
den light, like glory, played around her
pale features, and she cried-"I see-I
see!"
Wonderful! she turned to each of us
with dying recognition. In that last hour
the Almighty had opened her eyes.
Well, there is grave in the cemetery l
visit sometimes-she sleeps there. Char
lotte never married Frank Appleby. He
became an inveterate gambler, and an out
cast and a wanderer about town.
You know now why, with all my wealth,
I live in state of single blessedness, as
you are pleased to call it. I am blessed in
being single, for l am welded to the
memory OF Emily Houston, the poor blind
| girl.