Nebraska advertiser., 1867-02-28


+ Dear Arnetle2' breashsd from The
open heart Of the innocent maiden.
'Wilt thou be mine Z"
Her lovely face, which had been radi-
ent with happiness. was clouded now
with doubt and peyplexily. Arneiie saw
and asked again, il deep end subdued
I tones
20 beautiful ope wilt thou be mine 90
The queenly girl covered her face with
her hands, and burst into tears.
Jaleph that moment came upon them,
/ holding IN his hand an Offering Of flowers.
He stopped a moment ia surprise at the
dark brow Of Annette. and the fearful
distress Of his beloved Tamar. He grew
pale, as bis heart had told him the deci-
slye hour had come.
With the frankness that belonged to
/ the age of heroic innocense, before CEN
turies Of selfishness, rapacily, poverty
and crime had marred tie bodies and
/ deformed the souls Of man, he held ont
one hand to bis rival. and the other to
the beautiful one they both adored.
II, TOO. love you, beautiful lamar J"
said the youth with the blue eyes and
golden hair. "God Of our fathers, wit
ness my deep lore. Here we sland.-
/ Choose between us! ~
A pang shot through the heart of each,
but they stood, each nobly resigned to the
fate thatawaited him.
Tamar looked on each. So long had
she loved both, with the pure love Of
sanity maidephood, that the deeper love
now profered only perplexed and distres
sed her. How could she take herself
from either9 How hurt one, when both
were so dear ?''
"Arueue! Jaleph why ask me to
choose Are we not happy So let US
remain"
The young men looked in each others
saddened eyes. and each one felt that II
could be 81 no longer. The happy time
had passed.
AS the group stood, hand-in-band. In
the glow of the sunset, the mother of Ia
mar came, in her sweet malronly dignity,
to greet them.
"What is this, my childernW she asked,
in slarm as she saw their sorrowful faces
and her daughters falling tears.
ssDear mother p cried Tamar. show
can I choose bstween those / love e.
The mother smiled (; but the smile was
not from sadness.
my daughter" she replied, "there
mus, be one whom we love above all 9TH
ers."
"Mo,her, mother p said the poor girl,
as she buried her face in her bosom /;
..both haye been so kind SO noble, so
loving to me all my life, how can | hurt
one or the other :"
Again the sad smile.
"Come with me. my daughter; you,
my Children, 60. In seven days Tamar
shall answer you"
They kissed the mothers hand held
out to them. They looked tenderly al
the weeping girl, and walked away, hand
in hand. There was no rancor or jeal-
ousy in their noble hearts. It is true,
that each one felt that the happiness of
his life was at stake. To fight for the
possession of the object Of their love, how
ever, was a moad Of settling their rival
pretensions left 10 the darkness and fe-
rocily OF Succeeding ages, when the earth
should be stained with crime and blood.
Annette and Jaleph were together. as
ever, in their light labors and their man
" pastines. Two days had passed, and
they were swimming in the river
Whether exhausted by exercise, or weak
ened by emotion, Jaleph could not swim
with his usual strength. Soon his golden
locks were seen to sink beneath the
waves. His sinewy arms grew power
less. A cry from the shore alarmed Ar
peue. He looked for bis cousin, and the
next moment plunged beneath the sur
face. In few moments, he bore INN TO
the shore, where he soon recovered.
Again, they were hunting the leopard
in The mountains. Jaleph, fell, and the
wild beast sprang upon him. The lance
Of Annette pierced the fierce animals
heart, and saved his rival from death.
The seventh day approached. Neither
had spoken to Tamar. They had buE
seen her at distance. Each had re-
Trained from every offering or sign Of
love. Their loyal hearts would not per-
nit them to take advantage Of each olher.
On The eye Of the seventh day, lhey
met IN the assembly that gathered 10
prepare the morrow festival.
lamar had decided. Her heart, ques-
tened IN solitude, declared for the golden
haired musician. Bot her love and pity
for Annette, her appFecialiOn Of his noble
,onalit,es. and her thankfulness 10 him for
twice saving the life Of the chosen one,
made her look at him with such glow Of
admiration and gralitude, thai JalsPh's /
heart sunk within him. He went forth /
and wepl
Ii seemed plain TO him, that the ques-
ton Of his life was decided. He would /
not wait for the morrow. Revealing bis
plan TO one faithful friend, be went forth I
in the darkness, and bade adsen 70 the
happy valley.
When the morning came, Annette re- f
paired 10 the lovely cottage Of Tamar
She was pale, but more than ever beanti-
ful. As she saw Annette, she looked
around anxlously for her cousin. She
grew pale as he came not, and was no
where 10 be seen. Il was the appointed
hour. Annette, too, looaed around with
visible concern.
sArneue,n said the m0ther, "my
daughter has decided. She viii give her
hand 70 him, her heart has chosen. Bus !