Prescott journal. [volume] (Prescott, Wis.) 1861-1871, 1864-01-09

'bO w WI yOu huiS 40 ~ ''~H~'t - ~
foolish in me e.
No, darlins."I sail, softly, though
m srrow had gone to my heart; "leFl
me all you wlI-let me be to you a
brother, since | can be nothing more
If it had been my lot to be favored with
your love, believe me. your path would
have been strewn with flowers"
She was silent after this till we mr.
rived home; then she instantly retired.
The next morning she was not at the
breakfast table ut her usual time.
what made Emily act so strangely
last night Z" asked Charlotte. {" The
child must have been ill.,
"Yes, l was hal: angry at her for
standing up in that conspicuous place"
said Frank. "If she were my sister /
should talk to her."
! flashed an indignant look at him and
he WINGED under it.
"What was it, Mr.. Hayden e. asked
Lottie Z" don't you know Z"
" She heard some unpleasant informa
tion," | replied.
FOR PHYS sake, from whom Z" said
Miss Houston.
/" From two gentlemen who sat near
u.s." | replied.
"What was it, my dear 2" asked her
mother.
"Why, Emily acted so strangely last
night y said Charlotte, looking curious
ly at me. She sprang up suddenly.
and | almost thought she was going to
jump into the pit. Her face was as white
as sheet"
At this moment Emily entered. She
could not have slept all the long night
through. Her Young face wore hag-
gard look, and her usually slow. grace
FIJI step, seemed languid now. She took
her accustomed place beside her mother.
who spoke to her tenderly, but when she
answered her lip quiveied. Frank APP
pleby saw it. and made hasty breakfast,
excusing himself sooner than was his
wont. /, too. went, but not before !
saw Lottie, with n look of great concern
on her features, go up to her sister ana
whisper to her.
Oh, the heartaches I had to gaze upon
after that that marble face, so color
less $50 wan with the beautiful hope
light blotted out She now seemed un-
easy and unhappy if she knew Frank
WINS 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 muteIy. uncomplainingly and
sightess. she was going down to the
tomb. Every day she grew more saint
". every day more inexpressibly dear to
me, who knew the cause of her NAL
adY.
One evening l noticed peculiar ex
preston on the countenance Of Chariot
tie Houston. Her face was very stern,
and surmisel that there had been some
misunderstanding between Frank Apple
by and herself, and was right.
During Emily's childhood she had
learned TO write, gnided, of course, by an
implement to which the blind have re-
oou.se, and clio wrote ..ish ~eton;oh;nss
accuracy. 1t seems that Emily had ask
cd her sister to bring her certain little
box from her private drawer. Chariot
te complied, but finding some papers
which had been loft. 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 Emf
ly's sorrow.
At first resentment filed her soul, and
then came anguish Had the man
whom she had loved and honoreG with
her confidence done this thing /! Wo'd
any man. possessing spnak of princi
pie deliberately win tho affections of n
blind girl
Slowly passed the agonizing days and
weeks. Frank and l scarcely spoke to
each other; | could not act the hypo-
critic. They told me Emily was grow
ing worse; aid there was no hope Of
her recovery. saw the doctors brong
ham Mt the door carly every morning
Frank Appleby ceased to take his meals
with us.
One beautiful summers day | was
called from my Office. Emily was dy
ing, the messenger said, and had requcs-
ted to see me. | entered the sacred
chamber. She lay like fair marble
image, colorless, yet serencly beautiful.
They stood around her, mother, sister,
two or three friends, and her kind phvsi
clan. They told her l had come, and
she he'd out her hand. Oh, that mo-
nent | threw myself by the bedside
of that dear angel-the only woman
had ever loved. She whispered few
sweet words, very family. " If ! could
live, would live for you y Then a
sudden light, like glory, played around
her ale features, and she cried" | see
Il see J"
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 cemeter y
visit sometimes-she sleeps there
Charley never married Frank Appleby.
He became an inveterate gambler, and an
outcast and wanderer about town.
You know now why, with all my
al l.