Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1866-12-22


too 'elf-willod and headsif fong 10 take
liking 10 one OF her own nature. Can
you SOC that Robert is her pel'' fsnciet
a bitter tone IN II all, and perhaps she fcl
i too, Tor she asked, softly;
"Bu, you don'I caro- lor hor as you d.
for met"
And he laughed out and sad
"lf ! did, you would not have been m,
conisssor, lew moments since, you 90
queer ideas in your lIllo head"
The world seemed skipping away iron
me, and saw in fash my dreury lif
pass before me, bu. something held me
still and kept mo from going crazod, anc
when came TO Robert was saying some
thing, and | only caught these words: "you
are 80 still Matte; has this surprised you
.or shall | take il that silence gives con
senti"
! answered, Eyes, silence gives con sent
and my voice sounded lar off and strained
TO me, and then saw what had done
when answered, "silence gives consent, -
for he kissed me.
But | kept back The bitter thoughts and
only thought sit is better 60"
Then Robert asked father and mother
if he might be d son to them; and he
pleased their eyes and they blessed us
both, and fathers voice shook so when he
said:
"Mat, guess mother and shall mis-.
you; we must not keep you always here
when you can gel finer quarters"
And sat and prayed 10 God 10 let me
die and end 1t alI-since it had all gone
wrong. Then the city folks went back TO
their homes, and Gilbert went with them.
met him half way, coming to say good
bye, and he said, "Robert has told me,
Mat; ne will be true, honest husband"
And | sald, "yes-lhank you," and we
both forgot to cay good bye.
Robert was 10 come with the New Year
and We were to be married. His letters
came often, and he sometimes spoke of
Gilbert, and then il was so hard to answer
them, so the wickednsss in nv heart
should never be known. Oue day the
Willard carriage wen. by, and the neigh.
bors said ii was going 10 Gllbert's weddIns
IN the city. Tha, night how tried to
turn him out of my heart and forget the
psal! an sight my eyes never closed.
and IN The morning my face was white and
haggard; but mother never knew-she
though! me aiIing, and told me | must pe,
back my roses before Robert should come
When the New Year came, Robert and II
stood up, and my lying lips said over the
holy words, and there was nothing IeftI
'ut 10 make The best of my bargain.
We went away to The city, and father
md mother threw an old shoe after us.
for luck" they said, and at that We tried
laugh, but it choked US. | never loved
ny country home as did when took NV
Goodbye look at il; with father and moth.
+ standing In the door looking after US
had'ng their eyes with their hands.
In my new home sometimes mai Gil {
ett and Mary; and she seemed so light
earted and merryi but ianced GiIbertI I
semed growing old fast, and his ewes had
ISL some of their oIden sparkle.
Ten years went by, and Robert was
ind, and loved him much a, /, mjobt
ave loved an elder brother; But had no,
rgolten Gilbert nor the old times. Some. Il
mes iound him watching me with
'methlng IN his face | could not pnda,. ,. a
and' only 1t was look of loss. and |
onId be kinder TO him, so he should never Il
lss the whole love could not give him r
And then Robert was sick, and grew 81
eaker, and the doctor said he must leave
g CITY and 60 where he could oet
cath OF lresher air and bit of war mer
nshine.
We went 10 FIorida-to ST. Augustine III
How soft and warm the air was! bat i,
~ seemed to strife him. We would Of
" all day in the house, with the curtains m
avn close to keep out the scorching air, al
d only alter the sun had dipped down in
o The sea would we leave our rooms auo l.,
into the sweet-scent nted air. There was hs
'tone wall, shaped like a hal moon. and an
II We took our walk, and CAV crowd an
ssed up and down, while the band plav- an
I'll midnight. The stones of the wall ga
re worn smooth with the dashing OF the fill
YES against them for more than three lie
ndred years. lon
don't know which was gayest, the sz
ght ieathered birds, or the flowers ,hey Or
lng IN! Rober, loved the great mag ed
ia blossoms, and | would put one in OF
D. and The room would be so sweet with or,
y one. in
'ut the air seemed TO shorten his brea III the
clog up his life. and one day he called ter
and said: se,
Matte, will you be lonesome when ga
in
'h ever loved him as did when he to