The Vermont transcript. [volume] (St. Albans, Vt.) 1864-1870, 1866-08-17

to please me, now, can't you contrive
to lmprovise some slight piece of mis-
chief? 1t would be wonderful re-
lief to me, assure YOU"
laughed ALTERED. s idea, but i did
not promise to work any mischief for
his relief Perhaps he did not know
how deeply was touched by the in
formation he had vouchsafed. He
may not have guessed how highly |
priced his fathers good opinion. If
he had known, he would have known
that all the wealth of all the world
could not have bought it from me.
But he had gained his point. l
promised to go with him; and in half
an hour we were on our way, arm-in-
arm. to the boat. The ride up the
Hudson was not long one, and in
due time we were landed within half
mile of the Hall, whittier we made
the tramp on foot, enjoying the glori-
Gus scenery as we went
Fred. 5 parents were both glid to
see me; and 1 may here say, without
egotism or "a thought of self praise,
that Il was very SOON convinced that
they did regard me as youth whose
companionship would be healthful for
their son. Mr.. Moreton was portly
knd-faced, plain-mannered gentle
man, Of threc-score years. He had
amassed fortune in mercantile pur-
suits, and had now retired to this ru-
raj spot to enjoy the evening of his
days after his own fashion. And his
wife was much like him She had
helped him bear the burden of other
years, and she was now content to
share with him in JOY OF comfort and
repose -repose from the perplexities
of business life, but active all the time
for humanity.
And there was another in the house
hold. They called her Angel. Her
name was Angela, and she was their
only daughter Shall | tell you that
she Vas beautiful? 0 to me she was
heaven itself Yes -she was beautiful
AS beautiful as the fairest marble
that ever grew to virgin form beneath
artists the chisel: and the soul that
warmed her into blissful life was as
pure and true as mortal soul can be-
Do you ask me if | loved this An
gel ? The first time | ever saw her,
during the earlier days of college life.
l fell desperately in love and from that
time forth the passion grew stronger
and deeper, until now it
had become so far part of my life
that to me it seemed love and lite
must go out together. She loved her
brother with a devotion that knew no
self, and as had been her brothers
chosen friend, she had been to me al
ways kind and gentle, lavish of her
sweet smiles, and free to speak her
happy, joyous thoughts. She sang
and played for me, and when we rode
or walked she would take my arm or
Fred. 5, Just which came most conyen-
I lent.
/ Had | ever told her my love? No.
How dared [? | had been honored
and trusted as a friend and brother,
and the kind-hearted, con6ding pa
rent had assisted me materially
through college; and / had recently
discovered that several of the most re
munerative cases that had come to my
docket had come through his instru-
mentality. How dared | tell Angelil
Moreton of my love? |, poor almost
to penury-she, the child of wealth
almost untold How dared /? |, the
humble recipient of her fathers boun-
ty-she, the light and JOY of her faith
ers home How dared ? /, not yet
emerged from the obscurity of my
lowly heritage-she, shining in the
ranks of the foremost of the favored
ones of fortune
Do you ask if I hoped to winher
/ cannot tell If l had been entirely
without hope, | should have been
most miserable; and yet when l asked
myself where are my grounds of hope,
| could give no clear answer | dwelt
in sort of enhancing mist, workn.
out images of hope from the bright
simmer without seeing what of sub
stance there might be beyond Some
times l thought Angel loved me; and
again fancied she only endured me
because | was her brothers friend.
On this Saturday evening she GER
tainly avoided me. She was not free
and social as she had been at other
times; and when we walked in the
garden she came not near me She
left me to walk with her mother,
while she chung to Fred
On the following day we went to
church, and though Angel was kind
and gentle, Yeti could not rid myself
of the impression that my presence
was burden to her. Towards evening
she left the drawing room as | enter
ed. l saw her lay down book. and
when she had gone / took it up. II
was volume of Shelleys Poems
one that | had given her five years
before-when | had been in college
but year, and when she was only tif
teen. AS / opened | found a leai
turned down, and on the page l saw q
sentence enclosed by pencil marks:
II love thee: and feel
That ON the fountain of my heart seal
Is set to keep its waters pure and bright
For thee"
II ever | felt miserable, | felt SO a
that moment. She did love, but wal
not the loved one. 1t was very plair
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