The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-01-19


Don't sigh for him. Go-doubt-
less he's waiting / said
Oh how harsh my voice was, with
the cruel pain and wrath in my heart
And her step glided away from me,
and was alone. | coveted no Elixir
of Lie at that moment; the draught !
longed for was that of oblivion.
So from my mad uncle Otho's lega-
cy had won this To sit blind, help
less and desparingly in my early
youth. / who had dreanptof perpet
uating strength and beauty, might
not even take slow, almost uncou-
scious. leave of them like other men.
They had been snatched from me in
moment; with them love and hope.
A bitter Judgment.
| heard adown tho garden path
laughter and merry chat An the
world was glad but I,--so it seemed to
me CROPPED my way to my own
room and locked myself in. Let that
room keep the secret OF my solitary
agony.
Yet / battled with myself lsaid:
If Malcolm loves her, ana She can
love him, dare / complain Must
she go through the world minated
because | am no mate for her?
Let youth and beauty wed each
other, and thou blind man-viciim of
thy own folly bear it at least in ST.
lonce. Some day death will come"
After that / grew Drawer But l
drove her from me persistently. So
in the summer days it was Harold
Malcolm in the lawn and in the gar
den, and in the porch, with Agnes
and my sister; and in the winter even
ing Harold Malcolm by the fresido:
his clear voice his merry laugh, his
frank ways winning all hearts. even
mine. He was good, he was brave
If she must wed, surely / should be
thankful it was q man ike this. Aud
l had been blind more than a year,
and Christmas tide was upon MS
again; and III the ineuinent / found
myself one evening happier than usual
SO that, after all had been singing
and playing through the Christmas
eve, | said to Agnes Muir, the first
time / had directly spoken to her for
days;
agnes, why do YOU never play now
You sing bur You do not play. She
has brilliant touch, Mr.. Malcolm,
and feels with the composer. Let me
hear. VIII you Agnes
There was q dead silence--a strange,
dead silence, as though [ had fright
enod them all Then in low voice
Agnes answered
Not tonight, OHIO
"Why not tonight? Because l ask
"Otho!'
There can be no reason. Agnes,
You are not bashfu, and Mr. Malcolm
is no stranger l demand the perfor-
mance.
Suddenly hea~d . sob slosd by me,
and, turning, caught my little sister
Z Eve about the waist
"What is it, little ono?'
ooh, Ohio, nothing
What did 1t all mean ?--what could
it mean? Why did I feel terrified?
! repeated;
play anything, only play"
And my sister put her lips TO my
| ear and whispered
For the love of Heaven, do not
| ask that again
Mystery of mysteries, what was MI
! this? Something that cast n gloon
! over all that hushed the song and
r chat-that sent Agnes away from Us
early, and made Malcolm say good
night before the evening was ended.
/ pondered over it, sitting in my
. easy-chair, before the fire, as the clock
was striking twelve, and Christmas
l was born to earth once more
q Then / heard the door open Lights
i were of no use to me, and the room
knew was dark; the fire, too, must
: have smouldered low; and | sat III a
i great chair that hid me from one en-
tering. Whoever it was could not
r. have seen me.
Whoever! all. / knew at once that
I light step--not even Eve irode SO, my
d little fairy sister Eve. II was Agnes
Muir no other. She crossed tn,
d room, and sat down at the piano.
a heard her touch the keys; ] listened
y she was playing the treble part Of 4
e fayorite air. l listened longer; she
L played it through, still only tho
e treble Again. Now" thought ]
It Il shall hear all" / heard the treble
r only for second time Then
n CROPPED out of my chair toward her
d She gave cry;
e "Mho is there q
Only /, Agnes. Play that agail
IS for me-play it with 10th hands
o "Otho-I cannot.
d l CROPPED on farther; | found her;
y caught her by the waist as she trid L
d hy. bl
IA will know"
n Il wanted to spare YOU she said
70 II ment you should never know
IA Otho, that fearful day, one year age
Is when you lost your sight, did not quit
spare me. held something for 50
ie in my left hand, you remelnber7r7
he YES, yes, yes, Hof
lg THE glass vessel was slnyered, an
", oh Otho-the Angegs that held