Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1865-10-25
TEE TWO ANSWERS.


No, Charles, it cannot be. As frient
L shan respect and esteem you; bat can
not be your wife Have compassion on ms
i and do not press me further.
Mary Granville stood before me as she
thus spoke, with her hands clasped and hei
head bowed, trembling like an aspen, and |
fancied there were tears in her eyes. She
was beautiful girl, aud | had thought heI
as good and pure as she was beautiful: and
further than this | had believed that she
loved me.
She was an norphan, and had been engaged
during the past year In teaching one of our
village schools. OF her early life [ kae,g
nothing, save that she had been well edl.ca-
ted and had moved in good society aud |
had reason 20 believe that at some time, her
parents had been wealthy bat her father
had failed III business, and it had been told
to ne tflat the sad reverse killed him.
had Known that Mary was p0or-that She
was depeniiGt upon her taily labor for sup
portland the thought that L could offer her
comfortable home, with the advantage Of
moderate wealth, had given increase to nv
prospective happiness. But this unexpected
answer dashed al my bright hopes to the
ground
DO you mean, Z Red, yehcmentIy- that
you thus dismiss me? Am | cast off?'
I cannot be your wife, was the reply
Then, said [, with more warmth than
might have betrayed under other circumstan-
ces, Il leave you to yourself, and while strive
to shake on the love that has bound me to
you, MI only hope that ere you lead an
other into your net you will conclude before
hand whether you viii keep HIM
She looked up into my face with pain
tui. frlghtene,, lance, but [ did not stop to
hear her speak further. turned and left the
house.
/ ren arked that under other circumstan-
ces / might have been more cool and col
iected IN my speech; and what do you sup
pose dear readers, the attending circum-
stances were? I'll tell you candidlv
was a little heated with wine | had
drank just enough to warm my blood and
give my brain an extra impulse and my
words were not chosen as | should have
chosen them had the spirit Of wine been
absent As | walked toward my home [
sought to persuade myself that | had fortu
nately escaped the snare Of coquette, and
that | might DC the better enabled thus 70
reason, stopped at the hotel, where [ found
i few OF my companions, and helped to dis
pose OF halt dozen bottles of wine.
On the following morning | aWoke with
he adache, anC when | called to mind the
events Of the preceding evening / was any
thing but happy. l began to realize how
much | had loved Mary Granville There
was an aching void in my heart, aud fairly
yept as contemplated my loss Ii was my
lrst love and Its influence had penetrated
every fiber of my being. The beautiful girl
had become more dear to me than [ could
tell, and groaned in bitter anguish when I !
thought that she was lost forever. | had
resolved that | would feel very angry ana
indignant, but when the sweet face was call !
I'd up to mental view such feelings melted
lway, leaving me sad and desolate.
On the following Sabbath / attended /
Jhurch, where | saw Mary once more She !
played the organ as she had done for the
,ast year, and as her fingers swept over the I
,eys, | fancied that | could detect a tremu
BUSINESS which / had never noticed before. /
Mas 1t only immagination, or was it really I
sadness In the expression of /
Ter music?
To me it seemed at times as though the
rgan moaned and wept. 1t was like the
railing of the daughters of Zion by the riv-
rs of Babylon.
When the services were over and We went
ut from the church / saw Mary's face 1t
fas pale and wan as though she had been
ick What could it be? Was she suffer
~ aS nad suffered Ine tnougnt 1aSneQ
pom me that some one might have told her
omething to my disadvantage. | had enc
lies in the village-enemies who envied
lie because | had inherited some wealth
nd | fancied enemies who envied me the
we of Mary Granville.
Another week passed and [ became more
ad and lonesome. My business was irk-
ome to me, and my books and papers af-
'rded me no respite In fact could not
ead, for my mind was never on the page
efore me- Another Sabbath at church and
saw Mary again. She was paler than be-
re, and her eyes looked as though she had
cen weeping.
During the succeeding week [ received a
sit from my old college chum Jack Stan
m, who had just opened a law office in !
erryvllle After supper.as we sat in the !
'sy parlor smoking our cigars, suggested