The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-11-19
TWO LIVES IN ONE.

an old now. My life has been as placid and
uneTentful as l Coud have wished; but there IS
one memory possess, known to but few which
my fami wish me to put before the world. In
my old age l learn to submit to ysuugcr iudg.
-ments, even as in my youth l submitted TO my
elders. In some cases extremes meet | ask
attention TO my story only because IL is true
Whether it is strange or not hardly know; IL is
strange enough to me.
More than iifty years ago my bro her Stephen
and lived together In village about ten miles
south Of London, where he was in practice as a
surgeon. Stephen was thiTty-twO, / eighteen. We
had no relations but q sister, live or six years
elder than myself, ana wei married In London
stephen WAS Oliary aud studlOus man, living
What apart IRON bis ucghbOrs and staud-
ing almost in a iaherly position towards
me- through the years we bad lived together
no one had thought of his marrying.
Thus it was when the events l have TO tell
began. The house next to ours was taken
BY Mr.. Cameron, u tCeblClOoking man, rather
past middle age, With one daughter MagiOu by
name. How shall / describe her tue most
beautiful creature 1 ever saw She was
perhaps twenty years old never knew pre-
csCly. tail, Slight form, far complexion.
dark chesnut eyes and hair and an expression
mere like that Of an angel than a human beng
Though | was much struck with her appear-
ance, st phen did not seem to notice IL and
We might have remained un acquainted with them
forever, but that lie was required to helo
Mr.. Cameron over an awkward sule opposite
our house Acquaintance once made, they soon
grow familiar Tor they had two feelings in COM
mon, a love of tobacco and SyeleuOOrgiansm.
Many summer evening did they pass, smoking
the one and talking the other Marion sometimes
joining in, for she generally walked with them,
while my chest, which was weak at that time,
kept me at home. One day they quilted Stephen
at tue gate, and as he entered the door l said 20
him.
"liow lovely Marion is am never tired of
looking at her"
Look at her while you may" s'd he; "shc
has not three years TO live"
IL was only too true. She had some dread
full mplaint-ancurlsm, 1 think il was
which must carry her off in the dover of her
days. stephen tod me th.t he had consulted
the most eminent doctors without getting any
hope; and the emotion, rare enough in him,
that be displayed, told me he loved Marion.
said no word 10 him about it, 1 knew better; but
saw With what deadtul doubts he was pcrploNed
Excitement might shorten MIriOn'5 iifc-suCh an
excitement as a declaration Of love from him
might Dc Of material injury and even if 1t did
not prove 50, how could he condemn himself 70
tic prolonged torture OF seeing the life
OF beloved wife ebD away day by
day Besides, he did not think she cared
Tor him. /, who had watched her Ceaselessly,
knew that she loved him with her whols
heart lie struggled with himself dcTcely; bu.
he won the fight. lie lett home for some weeks
and returned, looking older and paler; but he
be bad learned 10 mention her name without his
voice quiy6ring, and to touch her hand with
away unicr the Influence Of his changed mau-
ner, and dared not help my two darlings to
be happy An unexpected aid soon came. Mr..
Cameron, who wa, in bad health when we first
saw HIN, died suddenly. Poor Marious grief
was enible TO see. Her father was dead,
Stephen, rs she thought, estrlnged; and there
was no one else in the world who cared whether
she lived or died, except myself. l brought
her home with Inc, ana was with her hourly
till Mr.. Camerons funeral. How we got
through that time ! hardly know. Then came
the necessary inquiry into his Affairs He had
died, not altogether poor, but In reduced cir
cnmstances, leaving Marion an annuity that
would scarcely give her the luNuries her state
OF health required. And where was she to
live, ard what 10 do Stcpten was the sole
executor, The one adviser TO whom she could
look. lie took two DAYS and nights 90 con-
sider, and then offered her his hand and home.
At first she could not believe that his offer
arose from lanytbiug but pity and compassion;
butWhen he had told hCrthe story OF the last few
months and called Inc 10 bear witness TO il,
great light seemed % come Into her eyes, and
wonderful glow oi love, such ss / had never seen,
over her face. | left them TO themselves thar
evening, till Stephen tapped at the door OF my
room and told me a.l-notling, in fact, but what
knew long before. In their case there was little
cause for delay. TrousseluN were not the im-
portant matters in my dgy that they were in my
gTandchidIens; and Marion was married to Ste
pheD, in her black gown, Wi,uu month Of her
fathers funeral.
The next few months were q happy time for all
of us. MarOn'5 health Improved greatly. The
worried, righteuCd lCOk she used to wear
LETT her face as she rec Ivered from the deprcs-
sion caused ny her constant anxiety about her
father, and the loss Of rest she suffered In at
tending upon him at night. Ii seemed as II
she was entirely rCceyCriugi and Stephen, il he
did not lose his fears 40 least was not constantly
occupied with them. How happily we used 20
look forward 10 the future, for stephen was be-
ginning to save money; aud how many were our
day dreams about professional emnenCe for him,
and tashiCnablei life in London, partly for
Marion, but mostly Tor me. have tried fashion,
able life in London since, but never found it 80
happy as our days in that dear Old Surrey village.
Well, our happy time did not last long.
Marion caught cough and cold ss the winter
came on, and was soon go III as 70 be taken tO
London for advice. Stephen came back alone,
with q weary, dGathly-looking face. Marion
had broken small bloOd-vcssel on the Journey
not anything serious in itself, but ominOus
enough. They were 20 go at once to q warmer
climate-not a DAY 10 be lost Sorrowfuliy
packed up the necessary things, and went with
Stephen TO London the next cay % say good
bye 10 Marion, who had been forbidden 70 60
home. The same afternoon they were On board
trading vessel bound 20 LeehOn. Luckily,
Marion was good sailor and well used TO ships,
for she had made more than one voyage 10
Madeira with her father. Much as / wished 20
go with them, and much as they wished Il too,
Il was out Of the question Stephen had saved
but little money, and could hardly see how
he and Marion were 70 live unless he could
make himself practice somewhere among the
English abroad, and his taking me also was not
to be thought OF. Twas 70 live for the present
with my married sister, II vas very sore TO
part with Stephen, with whom had lived all
my life; II was almost s0rer still 70 part with
Marion, who had been more than a sister 70
me ever since saw her. Stephen and were
nearly overcome with emotion; but she was calm
ana silent, With an intent, Wistful look about her
lovely race that has haunted mo all my life since.
can see Il now when / shut my eyes, though ii
again?