Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1865-06-07
0Rlllp). ID /. S,t;a).tt(esE'1rn1Ia)lllloJ, 81 / | II
LOVE AND GRATITIIDE.

mo, lnueeu, JOilll, WHdU SnOulu HdNe CC
tell you?n .|'' 'l' 'T3J2 10 j'
'fTliat is what i do not know o'ii'I ''
"But you must have some suspicion, OF
you would not have put such question:
81 have a suspicion, because find q
change in your manner" '' aA@ IN"
They were walking home together, these
two lovers it was evening, and the streets
were dark or John Yates would have seer
the deep blush that mantled Nellie's cheek
he did not feel her arm tremble, and as the
door of her fathers house closed after her
he turned away with disconsolate sigh.
81 was wrong to exact promise from &c
young girl; there is the fault; she is moi
to blame; so very attractive, SO pretty Sc
distant; she is not made for the hard, rough
endurance of the world; it was barbarois
for me to exact such a sacrifice. No; she
never loved me; she only promised to be
mine from pity, pity for my lonely con-
ditioh, pity for the atfliction which is hang
ing over me. She has changed, and she has
not the courage to tell meiso; but l will re-
lease her." Hi.dj 1917 iI0I IalA.A'..I. ID
SO thought John Yates, as slowly and
wearily he wended his way home.
"HomeW it was scarcely TOR nothing
is-less like a home than small, cold, sordid
looking room in a second-rate boarding
thy merchant, brought up in every luxury,
to the highest expectation. From his boy
hood Nellie Western had been his ideal, and
when he had attained his twenty-tirst year,
the love which both had understood was
sanctioned joyfnlly by the parents on both
sides, John and Nellie were affianeed.
But change came suddenly upon them.
John Yates father, tempted into some wild
speculation OF the day, failed in manner
that was not positively criminal, but scarce
ly honorable; and unable to bear ruin and
disgrace at once, the old merchant had ter
minated his existence by his own hand, and
was found one morning floating, dead, in
the Delaware. s''
This terrible catastrophe changed John at
once. From the thoughtless man Of fashion
and pleasure he became suddenly a serious
and stern man, to whom life had appeared
suddenly in all its hideous hardness; he
knew that hard battle was before him and
felt he was strong enough to fight it, '
The first step he took after abandoning all
to his creditors, was to release Nellie from
her engagement; but Nellie, with the gen.
erous impulse OF youth and woman, had
staunchly declared that she loved him bet
ter than ever, and that she would wait cor
him ten years if necessary. ''.'" ....
with this love before me, sustained by
the thought that am working for you,and
for our home, you will not have long to
wait, my own sweet, good, angelic Nellie"
Two years had passed. John had risen
high in the favor and esteem with the firm
in which he had occupied at first but a sub
ordinate position, and there were hopes
that before another year he would be taken
into partnership. 1t was about this time
that q great change came over Nellie. An
indescribable change, but each felt that, as
in the story of the Italian prisoner, the wall
between them grew each day higher and
higher"
Sadly on the evening he had spoken to
her, he wended his way home, while Nellie,
rushing through the hall, darted scornftllly
mp over the softly carpeted stair of her
fathers house, and passing her own door,
rushed into her own room where still the
gas was brightly burning, and beside it was
sitting young girl about her own age.
Nellie having bolted the door, dashed off
her hat, bringing down shower of golden
hair as she did so, and then bursting into
tears, she threw herself into the young girls
arms. .i.;,i, .. ..
"Oh! Carrie; Carrie, am so miserable >
Miserable! You, Nellie, with all to
make you happy, and loved as you are? 3,
i
as he does, for Oh! Carrie, cannot love
him, can never be his wifew
Carrie started up; putting back Nellie
from her, she gazed at her with look that
grew almost stern as she gazed. ... ..
why, he isYOur affianced husband; you
have loved him all your life" ~.
{ II Thought so, but it was not love, you
see; there was the mistake; we are insult
ed to each other; he, so grave and stern,
and so beneath him, so utterly unable to
do without the world and society, both of
which he calls frivolous; besides, love
some one else, really love, and for the first
time. Oh! Carrie, tell me what i shall do !"
The girl appealed to thus for advice was
not older evidently than Nellie herself; but
there was a great difference in the appear
ance of the two girls-a difference, which,
perhaps, their fortunes had first created, for
Carrie was that terrible wait on social life,
a poor relation. Nellie's father had taken
her when her parents had died, and given
her the same education he had given his
daughter; but Carrie possessed great dignity
of mind, and understanding her position re-
solved not to begin life under false preten-
ses. She knew, too, that she had none of
the external advantages of her cousin; she
was tall, slight girl, with face that only
escaped plainness by its intellectual express
sion. Therefore had she eschewed all ac-
and on her return from
school had, leaving the ornaments of life to
Nellie, taken entire charge OF her uncle's
house. ,,b,f.i
Every one had got into the habit of look
ing up to her and consulting her in every
thing, and now Nellie in this strait threw,
her troubles on her. a.. h..
iissOh Carrie I know Won think me dread
full, but indeed | couldn't help it, and it
wouldn't be right to marry John, loving
another" .,i.,..'.. 0.. /,
'.Who is the other?"'' .i
"Why, Charles Howard. You know all
the girls are in love with him, and think of
his selecting mer' ..,,,,.,5 '.s .....t,..-, .
a'Charles Howard!' said Carrie, with q
curl of her lip, "well, no matter, you ask
me what you are to do. There is but one
thing. Tell John Yates the truth" g. 5.
"OhlI should never bt able"
''Then will" ..... l....s. 4-,,.
.What a good creature! He will be here
all day-iti is Sunday, you know.
Tell him to come always as friend, for,
you know we are friends" So Nellie, re-
lieved Of her great fear, recovered her spir-
its in an instant, and went on talking long
after her cousin had ceased to listen to her.
: Poor, Carrie! she liked the task little
enough. The intense pity she felt for John
reused feelings in her heart that she had
long resoluteIy buried there but, as she
did in all she had to do, she set resolutely
about her task. ..,f .at,t ...f'ig, suosll4 .
And John Yates was told gently, tender
ly, firmly, that the great hope of his life
was taken from him. He told Carrie that
he had been prepared for 1t, but he left the