Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1864-02-05
THE EVENING STAR.
TIE QUAKER LOVERS,

ing eyes. Every one had lament to make
over the good doctor. / alone was silent.
Letters continued to come bearing the Ohio
postmark. Jobs company had been detained
by illness. He was specializing in divers things,
sent m essengers to my father. read with curl
ing lip. Conscience might sting me for il, but
even his handwriting moved me to feeling
akin ts anger.
I was " orking for the soldie q that summer
with the energy which sometimes accompanies
restless state of mind. One night walking
home with O bundle Of sewing, whom snoIlo
! meet in my very path but job Dean!
o Did thee drop ont Of the clouds !" cried I,
without much welcome in my voice, fear
So glad as he was to meet me again Ny heart
nWhen did his company mean to start!,
"They have been gone week, Rachel"
said he, drawing my hand under his arm,
courage to leave thee Ever since 1 went
away I've been longing for q peep at thy
face. Rachel, it's OF NO use! can'tliye with
out thee l must take thee back with me TO
Ohior'
My heart sank like lead, but answered,
coldly,
Z" Then has thee given up enlisting, Job 2"
al have, Rachel. 1t is not right to darken
two Young lives. / see thee has been sad
without me, my little, ciinging, wildwood
fiowerr
Very poetical, to be sure! dew away from
him.
stIf I'm a flower, Job, thee appears to me
only hard wood trellis; I'd rather lean against
live tree. Art thou a man to be depended
and better than mel Who said the Shirt
called him 10 resist unto blood, striving against
sin -
"But, Rachel, may have obtained Gle rsr
views of duty"
II hee may be coward Thee may be change
abe Why did thee give it up %
{" Don't be uncivil, Rachel, man may change
his mind"
$50 may a woman. I've changed my mind
Cob III not marry thee
What moved me TO this outbreak 1 know
not.
I'm in no mood,for joking, Rachel"
Neither am l, Job. My heart is speaking,
and thee must listen. Our engagement has
been wicked thing. 1t is borne in upon me TO
tell thee so IN all truth and soberness. l give
thee back this ring: it burns my finger. shall
always wish thee well, Job, but if the Lord
had meant for thee to marry true woman,
He would have given thee q different mind"
"Oh, Rachel, Rachel -
IA man who can stop his ears to the calls of
his coun try, and write TO me about music. moon
light, flowers and love Thee never had nv
affections, Job, have deceived thee 1 hum
bly, beg thy pardon-in the sight of Heaven. But
II thee had been true, and honorable, and brave
man, would have kept my promise to thee
though il broke my heart -
Job gazed at me like one in a dream When
he awoEe TO full consciousness of nv met 4
1ng his distress of mind was fearful % witness
What suffered none can agine but the few
haplesS women who have passed through ljlxa
ulals. may have looked like Nemesis stand
ing there with compressed lips, but | am sure I
felt more like a Niobe, whose tear had b,an
forced back upon her heart. Now that I had
spoken such harsh words it seemed thar my long
pent-up anger and rebellion had given place to
remorseful pity. Alas had my fathers sin des-
cended to me! Had too perjured my conscience
and broken a ture heart.
Rachel said father in stern disul,asura
when had told him the story, thee has bro
ken thy faith F.; can thee expect to prosper |
own am disappoin ted in the young man, he
Is too r. uch like his father but thee knows nv
daushter, he had thy pro:nise.''
Yes, father, but it was a false promise,
which was worse than lie Can thee want
me TO keep II when feel that nave Been en-
lightened to break it %
Father remembered his own enbits.red life
think, and wanted 10 save me from ramorse
Between his reprimands and Jobs earnest
Fleadngs l was wretched indeed: vet there
was all the VIII lie a voice al nv heart which
Rachel
Thank Heaven, it was not yet too late
Every time l repeated those inspiring words
1 was confirmed in nv Determination not to
live a lie. 1 would be true to myself for
only in that way could possibly hope for Gods
peace.
But JOB fingered day after day as persistent
as ever.
Friend Dean," said at last, out of all pa
nence, 'Swhy will thee pursue this subject far
Their Thee has used every argument, thee has
worn out thy invention ~
" Yet there is one thing have not said,"
Job burst forth IN voice OF desperation. eff
thee will not marry me am ruined man, I
have sunk full one-half Of thy dowry in spec
ulations -
Inc Whole secret was out at last
Take it, cried I. HKeep it for the healing
of thy broken heart Lo, this is the woe which
had well.nigh crushed thee to the earth
Thee has acted the despairirg lover while thee
has only been the despairing debtor, Thee ia
Deanr' WV
am afraid father was rather glad to find him
so thoroughly unworthy.
" Thee may now have pretty clear con.
science, Rachel tor his heart is not broken.
thee may depend upon that %
i ho Rrct
day. 1t was so plain to us all what had been
the canse Of Jobs restless anguish had tor.
given him the debt 1t was quite as we'll as If
had married him his lacerated affections were
healed on the instant.
Did thank God for my escape2 Yes though
there seemed nothing in the future but long
yet thanked Him for the peace OF life true to
myself. ~
This might have been the end of my story
had written ii Q year and a half ago but now
i must add how DIR. Ehrmann came home after
six months of hospital fever, q mere wreck Of
his old self.how glad was to see him, how
1t, fair reader. was So shocked too, so grieved
6y mis- altered appearance 1t was all l could
do to keep my heart out of my face without
He held my hand in his for a long while.
saying,
"oh, Rachel, what is this7 When went
no welcome either ~
Then feeling Of bitter jealousy gave me
words.
"Patience can greet thee cordially enough tn
cover all my deficiencies"
"Can thee mean little Patience Swan y,
laughed he almost joyfully, sswhy she's to be
married very soon, l hear! Say those words
again, Rachel don't know WHY, but there is
some thing in the tone of thy voice that pleases
me right we'll (my mind is weak yet:) almost
as If thee would be sorry very little il cared
/ locked down at the carpet and stammered
that had only repeated what all the VILLAGE
said there was never any accounting tor
gossip. AVA
THAT is most true, Rachel, but will thee
account for one story have heard Is it mere
idle talk that thy engagement with JOB Dean is
broken 20
" Yes, no." faltered I.
"Does thee mean il is all over cried he
eagerly, verify ended!''
"Verily.''
"Oh, Rachel, then can speak without trea-
son; hen find thee free to listen, though too
late. fear. Many time before have opened
my lips TO tell my love for thee, but have check
ed my self and waited, hoping thee might find
out thy own state of feeling before 1 spoke l
was so vain at times, confess, Rachel, as TO
fancy thee had a latent Spark of liking for me-
II thee did but know it! but was punished for
soeh folly when job Dean came. I'm not CO.