The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1867-05-01
VOL. 2.
Il became soothed, if not comforted; that
lis, after I knew May was irreyocably


is; after I knew May: was irreyocably
welded. :,
Two months passed. 1 deemed myself
sufficiently fortified with good resolutions
to return once more to my chosen place
of residence, IL was high noon when l
drove .u,o the principal street. a carriage
dashed .Dy me, a light vehicle. In another
moment, it had turned and Frederick,
sMay's husband, was abreast. | involun-
tarily drew in my horse. My friends
face denoted anguish, intense and eoncen-
trated. For Gods sake, Doctor Lane,
nv early friend, do not stop till you reach
Mrs. Kendalls My May lies there-
sick-dying, he gasped., How ashy pale
he was! Ny face blanched. fc4ta sin
gular tremor.. He dashed ahead, neither
speaking, and in fifteen minutes ] stood
by tile couch of the young bride. That
was an awful hour at its close, l press
ed her white eyelids over her dull, glazed
eyes. All, Heaven thoughtI, kneeling
with an aching heart, can such beauty be
dead? And still, for all, there was tri-
umph nthc feeling--triumph until / be-
held the awful grief Of the bereaved hus-
band-saw the big drops bead like blood
his pale, broad forehead-almost forced
him from the inanimate body to which
Ehethung with; the grasp of despair clasp
ing her to his bosom-kissing the white
lips, the winter checks. even the gold
locks thatsslays damp and uncurled over
her shoulders.
And, when / left that house of mourn
ing, was it not str;inge-the calmness |
felt settling over my spirits, Could this
thought, even in i:lintest tracery, pass
through my mind at such a time "Well,
she. is not.mine.; and neither is she his
am glad that, as she could not be mine
only, none but death can claim her now"
I fear had conscience rightly applied her
torch, she might have read those scathing
words written on the crimson portal Of
my heart:
The next day, went over to be pre-
sent at the funeral services; and still |
felt that sorrowful happiness. Poor
Frederick was at times raving, then stu
Did with his great grief. The mourners
assembled; the beautiful dead lay robed
in satin in hcr:cofin; already the large
.parlor, was filed with weeping friends,
I took my station by the head of the
corpse. With unutterable tenderness yet
without a tear, gazed upon that heav-
ienIy countenance.. tt looked not like
stern death: but soft, and smiling slnmber.
There. were all her young companions
present, village maidcns. robcd i'll white,
whose .silvery voices joined in a~sinlple
funeral song But oh how these voices
sswavercd, trcniblcd, until tears and sobs
'cfoked.s ont their music and mournful,
vail sounded through the
room.
Atl.st, the hoary.headed man of God
arose to. pray. Never heard | a petition
so gmonrnfnlly tender, SO simple, SO. pow
-erful How gently .hc spoke other youth
and goodness the circumstances under
which God was pleased TO call her, just,
as it were, standing on the threshold of
her happy life and looking towards the
rose .colored future.
still kept my place at the head Of the
coffin. My eyes, tullof tears now, never
once moved-from that holy place.
s. What is fancy? | thought the dear
features grow dim. My sight was failing,
orr-I bent closer to the corpse; l drew
back, wiped my eyes, looked again. God
of mercy! God of cornpassion!1 what
sent wild shock through my frame, and
struck. my brain as. .with:a a hand of fire?
Ifreeled: l fell almost upon the coffin
There was moisture on The glass--mois-
.ture that, when Iapplied Inysleeve, would
not come i5ff-fnoisture' upon the.insde OF
the glass. As was customary, every face
was bowed towards the earth in prayer.
What must l do? There were fearful
risks to run. My knees trembled and
knocked together; my heart beat against
my side till my body rocked like pendu-
elum. The voice of the pastor whistled IN
my ear. Each moment was an hour; and
vet-the conhict-that horrible tempta-
ton, wearing with my better nature, came
again. 1t was awful awful | kept
nv silence, she was still the bride of
death, and as much mine as another's; if
| spoke, she was again the wife OF my
rival.
I dare not recall some of my emotions
now. / could not have been myself when
that fendish temptation heset me, and
whispered me to- let the dark grave claim
her. if I might not.
The perspisltion welled up from every
pore !; but the agony was passed. l could
have throttled the old pustor, that he did
not cease; yet icnrcd for the life OF the
poor husband, should he know the truth
TOO suddenly. There was ting!ing from
my head to my fingers ends. shook
like an aspen leaf.
.Amen!" Oh, how l thanked God for
that sound! 4 clung to the coffin, for one
moment weak. and helpless as an infant
The chief lGourners were called hrst,
that they might be- spared the shock OF
beholdirg tho dear one borne oat before
their eyes The poor husband tottered
out, supported on each side. What were
my feelings as he passed me Next went
4Ln sohhinIr mother Ncw WIS my limo