, 1864-07-24

answered.
t. Perhaps" said Benjamin. shut I think
she has bean brought up veil"
lou may have r.va1s,'7 continued.
"1t Ia not consistent with my cloth to be
any man's riv4l,n replied Benjamin. "WhAt
I do, Brother Dove, do from u Ascase ofdutY,
am not governed by carnal passlons and I
hope Jou ere 1ot.H
fious words and spoken with solemn
face. But well knew that under that cloak
Benjamin Bitterworth flung the gauntlet of
denaoce ut my feet. We sala no more, hut
went On toward The stage, tseaaing softly
boots, his thin lips sanctimonious1y pressed
together, his Lack .e1oyed hands folded be-
hind bis back, while l, warm and angry, put J
strong restraiDt upon myself to walk be-
side him decorously. !
After this day We met only under Deacon /
Olnsteal's roof, but We met there often. l j
vent thitber to sec Rose. / made no ditguise /
Of the facs, He, benjamin Bitteryorth, sat |
alouf, talking to her father, rs a general /
thirg,, and OF II now n1M then intcrposed be- |
tween, Us, and then only as it seemcd to !
prove his power: In whatever he did in this |
Olmstcad. could sec that plalnly. But |
also saw that Rose hs gan to like me very |
much, In that trusted; for though stern |
parent, Dcacon.O Olink toad seemed to lore Rose. |
Summer tadtd, and the roses in my das- |
1irg's garden died With it, But there were
scarlet dal.Ias and Queen Murgarets. and
msricolds blooming yet. aud the naples
about the houee grew red In the autumn sun
set in which wulked beside her, mud a
golden hazc lay upon oil things, and through
II l looked ut Rose aud at the future At
last spoke to her, saying something like
II love rou Rose. think love you moro
than nun ever loyrd woman. Can ypu
lore ruc well enough to be 1ny wifc?''
and the golden curls sunk low upon my
r.AS3 yn$t 1Avf
sgainst ny heart. VIC we're In the garden
then, htside great elm, older than the
house itself, ard sheltered By 1t; We stood
together, I supporting her, she leaning on
ms breast; md VIC saw pothlng save zach
Others faces; heard nothing save each 9th.
mine, and slipped d tiny RUG upon the taper
fingers, ore illat lad been ny 1nothtE's be-
tr0tbal ring and which. upon her deathbrd,
she bad given ne, binding me to give it to
the girl loved upon the day she promised to
mhITy NE.
And SO the Sun went down, and the elm
trees shadow lay ulopg aud dark across the
path, and mingled With 1t another Ehldow--
That OF Rose O!msiead's father. He came up-
on us suddenly and found us stanting toyeth-
CT. Rost would have sltuuh Gom mt, tut
would not let her 80.
ssShe las promised to he my wife, air." I
said. "Give us y"ur blessing. t is all We
need to make MS happy. You will give her
to me, v ID you not! lore her very dearly :,
The asasons see vas VA; llke M ssope is sou,a
! ter toward him and stood between us.
"You have done wrong, Mr.. Dove" he
said 'very wrong She Is Jonug and has but
little judgment. | will speak 10 her alone.
| I should have spoken to her before, but
trusted. Good eveping Come Rcee''
And he passed into the house, taking he1
I with him ;'and as left the garden + saw Ben.
ja1nin Bitterworth, with his stately step and
fo4ded hands, n,akIng his way along the
| road.
The next day boy came to my study With
| Dote. It raa troE Deacon 0lmstead and
summoned me to his dwelling. went ut
once, aud In the parlor found Rose, pale as d
! lily, sitting bcsIde her father. She looked at
ME as game In for one moment and tnen
turned her face aside, and hid It with her
! hand. ehr did not speak. Her father spoke
for her. "Were you older, 3tr Dove. might
| be harsher, but regard ron both as very IT,
noccnt and inexperienced. Had known this
! baby play Of couEtship was going on, it should
| have been stopped before. It ls not too llts
! now Rose secs her folly; the has resolved to
obey me. soMc trit'e Of yours-a rlng be-
! liexe-ehe vii return to yon, and then you
| Sue left her seat as lie turned toT1rI her,
| and crossing the room, calmly and sadly
| laid The little Getrothal ring on my hand.
tGoofl hye," she said, II must obey papa.
t is all over between rs. Good-bje, Will
lian."
But could not be go calm. / caught her
hand, aud turned toward the stern Old man
With his Iron lace.
do ,ou remember your own youth -
cri.t.. DO you know what Eoa arc do
Ing W
And be answered. "My duty. I hope, ]
my daughter. 1ou will craze to urge til.
| ONT when you lear that abe Is to mars TIT
| Sundn,.''
MARY him!'' cried. "Rcsc, have yot
consented to- this: Are you falsc to tie
| he checked me with solemn waye Of Bit
"You have done your best to fill n5 dnngh
ter'e lead with foll,,"n he sud. "ou. yot
this 1omanric talk abont truth, falsebood
aud love, and so forth, Is not III ,or real life
Ut t modest or 1nsidenly. She h1s chose1
for her protector one Of more mature ju4g
mtnr, and am very glad otit'' ..,.-7
"Rose,' cried. IL this trues Have you
Of your OWN free will, chusen him -
| "sty father has cou,manded nc" was tn
answer, ''and must obey
turned iron, her ;nd He'd from the room
ard Tie house, mad and blind with grief AM
indignation.
has lost her to me-
TIT loved her still, and the world seemet
tark and deeolute. I hated The broad sun
light and the calm, twilight and the hon
when the moon broad anu yellow, arose be
Lind the purple bills. had Wild thoughts 0
wund. ring away ana hiding myself from th
exc Of u.pItal usan, mid WIS thankful that ex
element made ME really SO Ill that, On th
sunday Of the wedding Ind ample excuse 10
dcettting my pnlpit, and, having procured
rubstltute, spending the day In my owl
room This at least was my Intention, but
ae the huurs crept on, an incuencc which
found 1t impossible Tor me to resist, urEet
me to le..ye the lonss and 80 across the field:
and through the village to the church wher
RoEe was to he married, and witness tn
cerelaony. i think was fsysrisb, almost de
liruus. Surrly ] n ise Judgment would hav
led nc to any other spot in the universe
But ! went.
1t was winter dag, and the snow la
thfcLly On the country path trod. It whit
ENID tic roofs and c,ung to the tall sp're
! from which the bell rnug clear md sharp up
on the frosty air. listened tot "Snrely,
! kaid, "6onlt uTl Nizd land Is at That rope
ltia more like the zeal tolled for the den
than that runE tor d merry wedding" Bu
thing looked dark to me that way. / kne7
. this Fas so, fur as sat In 6 sheltered part Q
| the gallery looking down, those WHO came i
seemed to Wear SD countsuances and to es
! change mOurnfW whispers, ret et1ll IN
; thought that it was more like funeral thai
/ ! & wedding would creep across mF mind
) "Aud 50 II is,'' thought, "the funeral Q
| the brightest hopee-of every 1nouEntu
drea.u which have cherished"
; ! Then theie was Whtsper-a stir. Th
I bride was coming. I should see her again
| Gould bear IT.. s1rnIned M eyes. Ho.
| slowly they eane--hoW gfaye1y there head
E | were bent; aud they were dressed in black
, | in b1ack-in black, every ons OF them. Wa
J. going mad. faw old Deacon Olmstead-
saw Benjamin Bittsrworth. And what wa
tb1s: Oh; merciful Heaven! the bride wa
3 comiug, not In bridal wreath and very b1ust
ing and beautiful, but cold and white a. ma
, BILE, laying beneath that sable pail, motioE
j | less, deaf to words OF earthly lore foreye
. more. Rose Olmstead was dead.
I They who lifted me from the floor where
= had fallen, told me that she had died th
t night before; that she had been falling #
r the last few days, aud that On that night sh
? had risen and knelt down to pray, It was b
t i lieyed, for they found her hnee1iug, with hf
RI face upon her hands quite dead "AeT heal
Is broken" tha doctors sud, nnd believe
!, vas very Ill after this-so III TINT the
9 thought n,nst die. But death chose saos nos
e yho we're happier, and left me; and ~ awe
t 1ow In the fame old place, Whefe fe,,ssht IN
n beside my dar1ipgfs grave IN INC & ~ 11E;i, II
d the Sabbath eve; au old man ~ xa5nv ar aoo;
d weight OF years. Yet shalt % {9ung @ ~, 9,
= some tfmeEyours and happy In Heaven VII
% % !. iga Pienses Mise, Dr.. Dove eays he's made
:. .,..tare This here's the sermon On prede
t;n.,,o,, nd ttat'e shthlnE else"