Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1868-09-25

shrinking female figures stoq3in the black
shadow of the wide carved doorway lead
ling to the state chamber in the old Cliff
ford mansion one, the pale, broken down
mother, sick with grief, and worried with
weeping; the other, her whose heart clung
with even more than mothers eternal
love to the memory of the lost !!
F"Once more, dear, Mrs. Clifford, y
pleaded the girl in low passionate voice,
while her small hands were clasped in wild
entreaty, ..let me look once more on his
face. before they close the cofin-lid for
everp
''Dear Rose-my daughter in spirit
to what purpose 2" sighed the elderly lady.
''It can only open your bleeding wounds
second time
But the quick ear Of Rose read the mo-
theirs consent in her hesitating tones,
and, passing her arm around Mrs. Clf-
ford's waist, she pushed the massive door
softly open, and entered.
The curtains were closely drawn, but
one red quivering ray of sunset radiance,
streamed through. and fell on the white
and rigid face that lay in the satin folds
that lined the coffin. It was of richly
veined rosewood, studded with silver nails,
and heavy black velvet pail, emblazon-
ed with the family arms, in silver enbroid-
cry, was half hidden by garlands of bright
blossoms All the paraphernalia were
there-tall candles burning in chandeliers
of frosted silver, draperies of black, and
solemn watchers, sitting in the dark shad-
ows Of the chamber
Mrs Cliford's tears rained fast upon
the white and beautiful form of her eldest
born, but Rose did not shed single tear.
She could not weep-the fountains of her
grief seemed parched and burning
''He does not look like dead person"
she mourned, .'Oh, mother has mother
and minel cannot our love call him back
from @rsl the 1ffASfd 1ffdhalaas asnd4datg shafe e
my dearest. you are dreaming! Grief
and anguish, have surely unsettled your
brain %
The strong, irresistible impulse, swept
over Roses mind like whirlwind across
a forest. She knelt down and clasped the
cold hand in her own; she held the cold
frame to her breast, she dropped her face
on the satin pillow until its fevered flush
LAY close beside the pallid cheek of the
dead! 80
''Come back to us, Vane! Oh, Vane,
I will not let you die !" was her wild cry.
Was it that there was mighty power
lin the touch Of love, at which love the an
gel Death quailed and drew back or was
It that the potent draught had stupi6ed
love for awhile, instead of working its
dread mission The contact Of soft. warm
life, seem to thrill through and through
the rigid frame, and long, futtering
breath quivered across the ashen lips!-
Rose sprang up with sobbing shrek:
"He lives! he lives! I felt his breath
on my cheekl AS sure as there is sun
in yonder heaven, he lives"
She sank unconscious beside the coffin,
while Mrs Clifford clung gasping to a
chair. It seemed as if something dark
and liyid shot past her like chill gust of
wind; the fiery fash of baleful eye blind
led her. like sheet Of lightning!
/ arthur ! Arthur, my son p
But when the momentary mist had fad
ed away from her vision, there was no
Arthur there-she only beheld, half re-
clining in the coffin, CHASTITY figure. rob-
ed in lawn and satin, the. habiliments of
the dead!
'Mother, where am L? Have I been
asleep, Or" s=.ss
And then, perceiving the surrounding
insignia of death, he sank with shudder
into her arms! Weak--frail- yet still
alive! Roses infinite love had saved him
from living tomb - ..5e..5...e..=
/ ..And Arthur-my brother p
! Aye-where was Arthur! s.,
Locked in his own room, pacing the
narrow limits with the mad frenzy of des-
pair, he looked fate 10 the face. He had
played desperate game, and he had fail
ed--where was the next move to be? e
! Waiting his opportunity. he crept down
! stairs when all the household was gather
ed in the apartment of his brother who
had risen as it were, from the very verge
of the grave, and stole, like writhing
land wounded snake, down through the
, garden to side gate that led into the
road
Thus he left his home-and forever.