Charles City intelligencer. [volume] (Charles City, Floyd County, Iowa) 1864-1866, 1865-11-23


At last she noticed my cold, unrespon-
sive silence. Shall ever forget how
she looked at me, with her great dark
eyes full of sad upbraiding--the look
Of one who had been wounded in the
house of his friends.
"Essie,' she said, IL had not seen
Won for six weeks until to-day, and
you are not glad to have me again |!
I'VE had never been separated so long
before in our lives, and thought you
would feel it as l did"
was not moved or softened.
said, with cold irony" had not
thought anything like that could
trouble you. | thought your sole
grief would have been when you had
no more wOrlds--or men--to con-
quer."
Again she looked at me with those
eyes Of sad reproach, and now the
tears gathered in them slowly and
dropped unheeded.
Essie, you are not yourself--you
used to love me !"
did I?nI muttered. felt, just
then. as if l hated her, and always
had remember how she had lured
Crawford Lindsay away from my side.
God pity us women-how weak we
arc How passion and impulse rule
Us How, with such "rebels Within
can we work out our own salvation
After that we undressed and went
TO bed in silence, and after awhile |
knew by Madge's soft, regular breath
ing that she was asleep. l got up and
lit my lamp and looked at her. Her
long, curling lashes, on which the
ready, childish tears still glittered
were shut over the dark splendor o.
her beguiling eyes but she had new
er looked lovclier than sleeping thus
with the clear, bright color on hel
checks the unbound hair falling into
rings about her face, and trailing in
rich luxuriance over the pillows the
lips, bright as a scarlet flower, hall
parted and one little hand, with q
diamond ring on it which | had never
seen before, thrown up in sight The
thought flashed into my mind that she
had found lover at Newport, and 1t
only made me the more bitter. She
could not be contented, it seemed,
with her own treasure trove, but must
come to stand in my sunshine. put
out the light and sat down at the win
dow. The late moon had just risen.
saw its pure white face in the east
its soft light was silvering the hill
tops, and making the mist rising
densely in the valley below look like
a shimmering, silent sea. Outside all
the peace of night and nature-with-
in, my heart with it's wild tumult Of
envy and unrest.
The next morning Madge arose, as
bright as the new day, with the last
sadness all gone from her eyes, ready
to rejoice in the days of her youth, to
shine and to dazzle l had scarcely
slept, and my vigil told on my appear
ance. looked wan and haggard.
held myself aloof from every one in
my envious discomfort, and then re-
pined because was unloved and neg
lected. Now and then caught Craw'
ford Lindsay's eyes, fixed upon me
with strange earnestness, as if they
would read me through but he lief
me mostly to myself. do not know
that he was especially devoted +
Madge. She was so followed and sur
rounded by all, that you could scarce
" single out one who admired he
more than another but, whether j
were his fault or mine, my own walks
and talks with him seemed to be over
and l found out Just then how dear h
had grown to me-this man who ha'
never asked for my love.
For almost q week, matters went 0
Just as at first, with perhaps a Sigh
increase of the GOODNESS betwee
Madge and me. Sometimes she trie
her caressing ways on me, but me
them with cool satire which kno,
stung her.
At last, she began to complain {
being ILL., For day or two, she mo,
ed round quite unlike herself, listles
and languid, and then she gave up CT
tirely, and sent for a physician.
had ever fancied I hated her, kne,
better now, when, with no thought O
care for anything else in the world,
waited, in a perfect anguish of ankle
ty, for the doctors verdict. l way
laid him in the hall, after he had beer
in to see her with Mrs. Lane, and ask
ed him what he thought of her.
"She has typhoid fever" he replied
with a slow, deliberate utteranct
which made me frantic but she
young and strong, and with good nurs
ing, we will hope for the best-hop
for the best, young lady"
Good nursing yes, she should hav
that. felt, in that moment, as If
would lay down my life to atone TO
the hard thoughts of her of which m.
heart had been full. Envy and MAJ
ice, and all uncharitableness, wer
gone utterly, scattered as strong
wind blows away fog. In my spasn
Of repentance aud establishment.
hought l would be only too glad tt
die for her. / went into the room
where she lay burning with fever.
wonder if you ever saw patient il
Just such state-not quite in he
right mind, yet with enough Of it LEI
to understand and answer clearly an,
questions, though with not enough t
retain the proud reticence which sell
love and self-respect imposed when j
health
"Why didn't you love me, sister ?
she asked, with such pathos in he
voice as | had never heard in it be
fore" why wasn't you glad to se
me 2"
"God only knows l" l cried, wilt
with shame and sorrow. think al
evil spirit possessed me. Was it tina
made you sick, Madge z"
No, not that. Ii was a cold
took in Newport. l neglected it, an
I've not felt well since | came here
Perhaps it was because was gettinI
i'll that wanted to see you 80 much.
How her words pierced me. Sh
had come to me for bread and | ha