The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1864-11-10
ksOg Gsz'T AND SOLD.

gasp for breath. and then the lady stood
very still locking down on the disordered
drawer and the letters that lay on the top
Little bundles of muslin dimity, aterna-
ting with knots of faded ribbon aud old
lace, were scattered all around, for their
owner had been searching among them
for an old embroidery pattern; and so she
had come suddenly upon the pocket of old
letters she had slowed away there more
! than two years bef re.
The letters we're written by Mrs. Flem-
ing's old schooimate Amy Norris. and the
soft giriish handwriting spoke to her heart
4 whisper faint and tender rom the olden
+ time
Dear Amy; She had been married
three yeas before, and her sta ation in life
was far below that of Mrs. Fleming :;
but the lady eyes grew dim, as she un-
/ fastened the ribbon which, for two wears,
had held together those half dozen epis-
ties Amy's sweet face seemed leaning
up close TO hers once more, and she saw
the old brick houses, with their sloping
roofs, where they had lived in the days
that would never come back again But,
as the pocket fell from the loosencd rib
bon it disclosed two other letters. and
these called forth the exclamation, and
brought the sudden palcness 10 Mrs Flem-
ing's face.
She thought those letters were all turn.
ed to ashes long ago-that she had burn
c them on that terrible night when she
buried away all the past Bat now she
saw how it was; in her haste and anguish
she had mistaken the letters, ana burned
two Of Amy instead.
There was no one oi all Mrs. Jennings
admirers 10 see her as she stood by the
open drawer. her little fingers moving
carressngy y over those two letters; aud il
seemed almost pity for hardly ever had
she looked more beautiful. There was So
much unstudied grace in her attitude, 50
much mourntul pathos i'll her yonng face;
and yet II was not best the world should
read the story that until that hour had
teen written and rolled Up and laid away
in her own heart.
She had not seen his handwriting for
two ye;rs: and vet how natural il looked !,
/ he bold graceful capitals, tho free. run
ring hand. all had language fer err
She KEW, too, by the ro,t mark, which
.cttcra these, were, and when they were
writt2H-lhc FIRST. 50 tender and loving
before he learned that she Was about TO be
married 20 anoi her--the e.last, 'wiI, and re-
rroacniul. altervarA, How she had 10, cd
.hat i.ar how the past came back to
;cli her of It. The old rcd brick house
how ii loolned UP in the distant lcrspec-
tive, amid he cool Summer nights, when
she sat under the old portico al crown
over with sweetbrier. aud he sat there
TOO
But clearest ami brightest and dearest
of all, stood up. in that worli OF old msin-
cries the new home which they were to
have. |, Was to be 4 little white cottage,
with green ~indow-blinis and d small
Garden in front How she had dreamed
about t-and Of the flower border run
ming ~ to the step5 What happy,
loving Uifc she expected to be in hat dear
little cottage heD.e-eoing every morning
through Il round of delicious household ia
ties fer Harry could only afford to keep
one domestic And in the late afternoons.
when the table was all laid. with is snowy
cloth. ther she aould put on Il white mus
lin dress Harry liked white muslin. and
few rose buds III her curls, and she would
20 cut and wait for him at the ear.ien
/ gate.
How his handsome face would light up
rs he came round the corner and caught Il
glimpse OF her. and Il moment later his
strong arm would be around her waist and
his low, deep, My darling Laura :" would
be the sweetest sound earth held for her.
And, as that quiet domestic picture came
up to confront her. the proud elegant Mrs
Fleming bowed her head on her hands
aud sobbed Ike a child.
Then she laid her fingers on the letters
with nervous, timid glance around the
room, for the ladys heart whispered that
she was doing wrong--that now she had
no right TO read them; and it was better to
lay them in the CRATE yonder, where The
fire was leapins up to fold them in It's long
red arms.
There cant be any harm in reading
them over" she whispered. for her con
science needed narcotic; lit is so long
ago. and we shall never meet again"
So Mrs Fleming opened the letters and
read them. cannot tell how they wrune
her heart, particularly the last one, with its
wild, frantic reproaches, and the love and
the suffering so apparent through all
Il was hot So much to blame as yea
thought me, Harry she murmured, as
she laid the letter in her lap. Our prop
erty was all melting away, and they told
me that you had grown cold and worldly
and | thought | must, too. If the letter
had only come the week before. | should
not have been-what | am now"
And then she looked around that elegant
chamber. and thought what she was now
"a wife. bought, sold and paid for in
gold and lands and earthly grandeur How
the thought burned and iesteredin hei
proud soul as she sat there
wife. loved by her husband as he
loved his horses, his dogs, and his houses
loved. but only because her beauty and her
grace were the crownirg glory, the chief.
est ornament, of that magnificent home
which was his souls delight.
The lady looked around her luxurian'
chamber that morning with sinking