St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1864-04-14
G;"Ne,'' said Millicent; 81, couldn't do it !;
nothing should induce me to do it,"

-f''Ne," said Millicent; 81 couldn't do it $
nothing should induce me to do it,, -, ,,-...
She was glad when the servants brought
in lights and drew the curtains and Sir
George, her brother, came and took her
down to, dinner, hia wife following with
Master Carl, who had absolutely refused to
60 to bed before the dessert Appeared r.. (,
1,jEven; dinner was q little change+7a "a little
something to Do and TO talk about, She
knew perfectly we'll that this perpetual
dreariness was wrong; that she ought to
have been able to occupy hevself al, other
people did, Instead Of hankering after the
round of gayeties into which she was about
To- plunge; but, knowing q thing to be
wrong is very different from knowing Low
to remedy it, or even wishing to do so.
And Milliccnt went to bed that night 10
dream horrible dreams Of being shut up in
dismal country houses with stone terra oes
in front, and bare melancholy branches,
from which rain dropped necessarily. ,..
In the morning when she drew; aside, the
curtain all. was lair. The sun shone, the
birds were singing; the great numbering
fog had lifted itself away; and up above
her there was the blue sky with tiny aecks
ofwhite dancing over it like the petals of a
}shaken.rose. Milliecnt opened the window
aud leaned out, confessiug to herself that
it was very fair. But what of that? To-
morrow the fog might come back again {;
and even if it did not, ofiue weather was
poor thing for happiness to depend upon.
I, lamorous voices reached her ear as she
went down stairs; latter Of tiny feet
along the hall, rosy lips upturred to kiss
her, fat hands thrust out in riotous glee to
display. the treasures of the letter bag.
'My valentine )" screamed Carl .sLook
at mine first. Never mind Bertie's: mines
the best ali roses and paint and little
boys with wings, and checks like blowing
n trumpet. 'y.,.>. ...,, ..rv.:
''And mines nicer" vociferated. the 9th
er nephew: .i"Come on, come on papa's
got one for, you, too-he said SO. A valen
tine for Aunt Alilly >" '-',.- - z. . '.''.. 3
She went on into the breakfast room
| with the two children clinging to her
She locked at the letter lying beside her
plate, and felt all at once, with a great
pang of sorrow, and shame, and anger
II know from whom it comes, and what is
IN it" '.'.' -. ... --e'~ 81. "a
Sir George looked at her ;fresia: his own
| letters, and Sid, !'.Good morning." Lady
Rochelle gave her The usual kiss; and the
children buzzcd round her like bees, eager
to pounce upon the supposed honey in that
envelope and cri'icise it.
''lt's not as good as mine, l know" said
Carl, eying it jealousy. "why, she hasn't
opened it! She's put it IN her pocket !.
Mamma, Aunt Nilly won't op>n her valen-
tine"
Then Sir George calle!; them of, and
said, looking at his sister, Il met Archie
Stuart last night at the gate. He comes
here rather often doesn't he?"
To which Lady Rochelle responded, "was
he here last night {? didn't see him..
, ''He stayed just ten minutes said Milll-
cent, shortly, "and came,, should think,
partly to play with Carl, for that was what
he did most Ct the time"
And then she made her escape to open
! that valentine, which indeed was not so
good as Carl's, inasmuch as whilst his had
produced only noisy glee, a few bitter re-
Worseful tears rose, against her will, to
Millicent's eyes, as she read what Archie
Stuart had to say. i
''His wife! Oh, never, never!"
She folded the letter and leaned again
out of the window; but not to look at any
real feature Of the landscape. Instead Of it
she saw house Of many gables, standing
in its own grounds. She Looked in at the
windows upon room warm with ruddy
light and flowing drapsfy but silent, dull
-unutterably.. A solitary figure walked
UP and down from fire to window and
wrung its hands: That was herself. Be-
low rose up smoke from other houses and
many cottages; and amongst them stood
the tower Of the village church. She turn
ed from the prospect and it vanished. Mil.
licent Rochelle was herself again, instead
Of that solitary silent figure, watching in
vain for an absent husband III
81 could not do it,'' she repeated. II
am not mad enough to care for him; it is
fancy only--sorrow that he should be hurt
through: my gmeang. oh, if were, back
in 3tewl out Of it all !" -. :t..,
She could not do it. Even for such, love
as that which he told so quietly, but which
she felt in every throb of her heart to be
SO true and tender, was it not possible for
her to give up the other, sglories calling. to
her from afar, with music sweet but hollow?
Archie Stuart s.'. J., ..,;7.. r ~
lii4gau: [coSoIupEp NEXT 4wEEK] "72l
WHAT "CorrzhunnzAAp'' uzA MBANN;ss.-Foor the
benefit Of those who do not find Copper.
head in the Dictionary I'VE give the follow
ing analysis :L :ae5u.. 9a. VA .,..
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r nmity to the Union.