The St. Cloud journal., 1867-11-14

ss'd''' "Do not grieve % for it, my dar-
ing. I Vas: wastiog time here. NJ 90
ing now will only bring me back to you
She looked up wistfally to his face.
! 1.-The future is so dark" she cried ::
I'VE cannot see into it. I feel as if 1 vas
holding the last link Of golden chain :;
and to.night-to-oight, Before l SLEEP
1T will have fallen from me-"
"No; it will not have fallen ~ be
answered, cheefully. "Your hand
grasping one end mine holding fast the
other, it will remain stretched out be-
tween US until the hour that 1 come
back. Margaret, I will WORK for YOU; I
VIII struggle for you; will rise for you.
And you" he cried, "wait for me !! for
no power, bnt the powsr of God taking
my life, shall keep me from coming
back"
She did wrong to keep their engage
ment from her mother. Poor Margaret
knew that, and was troubled by the
knowledge; but she had not courage to
awaken the storm Of abuse which she
knew we'll would follow upon her head
should she divulge it, so she let time
pass on, and told her mother nothing.
She kept her secret for two years, hear.
ing from her tower occasionally, but not
often, and living on her silent trus$ in
hllu. ~, L:t.c'T .:.y.T j.
After these two years, were ended,
one day.. .. bright, Summer afternoon,
Mrs: Morton stood at her cottage door,
shadiss her eyes from the. stronIg sun:
liz Light n; as she looked EAGERLY towards the
fschool house, whence the school chill
dren we're coming pou,iog cut and
swa1ming dowa the road, and whence,
presently, with step slower than theirs,
came Margaret. Mrs. Morton's tongue
was loosed as she drew near.::: ::
"Oh, dear me! what . time that
school does keep youy' she CALCULATED.
"Suoh a state I've been in all da, !: nv
poor beads just worn out with thinking.
Margaret, you will never guess as long
as you live, but what do: you think the
postman brought me here this morn.
ingW .,,.,,,: ~.,
"What mother?"
And as she spoke Marearet's whole
face flushed: ... ',.':';!
20, you may we'll ask what I tell
you you'll never guess. Why, he
brought me letter from your Uncle
Tom, in America,-who might have
been dead and buried, for anything I've
known, these five years,-and he's sent
rs money to go out to him.: Yes,-he
says we're to go out to him, every one Of
US, and he'll keep US as long as we live.
Why, Margaret" Mrs. Morton cried
"margaret.! God bless the girl are you
going to faint?''
Smother, come in. Mothtr, come in
and shut the door,"
I White and trembling, Margaret pass.
ed into the kitchen. She let her mother
join her there, and grasp;ng her hands
tight within her own, she began to
speak hurriedly, in ioE, constrained,
almost hard tone. - .-,>< i: <><-.:
"Mother, I cannot 20; / cannot leave
England" she said. "If you 90, YOU
must 60 alone. -no-don't look like
that attp At re: !, / haze had nsra to- to a.v
suddenly breaking down az she clasped
Mrs. Morton's hands upon her breast,
''speak gently to me, look kindly on me.
Dear mother! dear mother! am go
ing to be Philip Langton's Wife"
Mrs. Morton stood before her daugh-
ter, face to face, and caught Ter by her
arms.
"Iou are going to be ~Aat?' burst
from her lips. :'Going to be what!?" she
cried:
II am going to be bis wife" Her
answer came almost triumphantIy now.
~ promised him long before he went.
he wrote to me to-day to tell me that
he could marry me. And he is comingw
she cried, the light flashing up in her
face.
1t was last fash Of gladness that
lighted that poor face for many day
to come. Margaret had told her secret,
and what followed was storm of. tears
and passionate reproaches so violent as
TO exhaust all the small stock of strength
that Mrs. Morton had, and force her,
before many hours were over, to her
bed, where she lay and sobbed and
moaned oil night, and by morning had
worn herself i'll enough to make Mar
earet unable to leave the teuse.
Throughout that whole day, from morn
ing to night, her danehtcr, sat beside
her Listening to her rcproaches, and self
bewaillngs, and her passionate entreaties.
For years past, indeed for we'll nigh her
whole life long, Mrs. Morton had been
very we'll aware that her strength lay in
her frettul pertinacity, aud her deadness
to every other. creatures comfort but
her own: In former days she bad ruled
her husband by her queruloas selfish.
ness; for years she had ruled her daugh.
ter. by the same means: selfshness Va,
TO- her her armor Of proof, and, as she
had rcsorted to it in countless straits
before, so she resortcd to it now. Mar.
garet had worked for her, and devoted
herself to her, and humored her, and
Mrs. Morton felt that it would be hard
now to do, without this 6lial care; and
feeling this, whatever 4 generous and
noble nature could least bear to have
itself accused Of, these things did thu
mother launch at her daughters head
She hung herself as dead weigh
round Margaret's neck, and then
wrinsing her hands, called every one t
witness how Margaret was about {,
: throw her mother Of.
For two days Margaret bore thi:
} persecution, almost in silence, sittin,
hour after hour by her mothers side
< with her poor heart growing cold ant
! faint within her. What should she do
, They were oil against her-mother
} brother, friends = she had 90 one Il
take her part, no one-not 4 single on
to utter. Philip Langton's name ex
Z cept with abuses and reproach. Whs
should do !? Hour after hour 70
those two weary days the poor girl
{ desolate passionate question went up t
heaven. -.
And slowly aud relentlessiy, As thos
hours went on, the hope that had bee
her torch 50 long paled and died ou
> She fought for two days, ana then tn
!; battle ended. When the evening q
| the second came she knew that 81