The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-09-18

sank down, almost felt more Tor the sor.
row in her face than for that in my own
soul
aForgive me. "she said. al am 90 griev.
cd. ought to have told you. i did not
know that you-,hat you cared for nc that
way. have been engaged these two
years. He Is in India, and coming back
in August. Oh, you don't think vo been
coquetish-that I have been knowingly
lending you on to ihis-do you" In her
eanestness she laid her hand on mine, and
lifled her face with trcmulous mouth, and
eyes brimfll Of teap.
II had died for il, must have snatched
the consolation the moment ofiered-the
last, the only one. drew her on my
heart, holding her close; and stilled the
quivering Of the lips with twenty kisses.
When ! released her, she turned her back
to me, l.id her face in her hands, and sob.
bed till her frame shook.
"i.oisette, Loisette, forgive me ] could
not help it! swear could not help It,
Loisette 7"
She shook her head.
"Loisetie, think how love you; think
what ! feel in knowing all the hope had
Of you is gone-gone forever! Loisette, l
am going away, where I can never offend
you more. Think that what have dine
was done in parting with you fof>+k6 last
time-a last farewell, Loisette.'
She tried to speak, but sobs made her in
articulnie still knew she was bitterly re.
proaching me.
eyes; know have no right to expect
forgiveness. will 90. wont distress
you farther. But We have ut leas, been
friends, dear, and you cannot think Of that.
and let me 60 forever, without ono word"
Still she was silent. paused and wait.
ell, then I fluug up my arms, as man
does who has lost oil and with a great
groan I turned to leave her. I heard her
move. Ihcarh her attempt to speak. and I
looked back. Her face was still averte,l,
still covered with one hand. But the 9th
er was held out to me, and springing back
I took il revercntly, and bent my lips upon
il.
"God forever bless you, Loisette. the
one and only woman in His earth for
me :"
"And God bless you, and comfort you,"
she said. wish could have been bet-
ter friend to you-I meant to he. Always
believe that"
81 will, I do"
And 80 Loise,te and parted. The May
morning was ,larkened as passed through
the garden gate again. turned my steps
knew not whither- away, away, where no
one could see me. That was the only wish
or instinct had.
walked miles, seeking rest, and finding
none. At last ! stopped ut gate, and lean.
ed my arms on il, and looked blindly over
the wide landscape spread before me.
As l gazed n dull numbness fell on my
sorrow, and my perceptions Of outward OBJ
jccis slowly returned.
watched some children gathering bios.
SONS Of the May, and thought what pity
il was they should tear the boughs down 90,
and destroy 30 much to secure so little. l
watched stealthy cat creeping through the
long undulations OF the grass, on the hunt
for the poor little tender young rabbits. Up
sprang u lark, bursting into ripples ofsong,
and my eyes followed him rising, hovering'
rising again, pausing, balancing on the wing
soaring up once more, darling away Oh.
!iquely, resting awhile, but always singing
singing as if he could not cease for his
life-,hen dashing down like stone and
vanishing.
And then my great grief seized mo once
moro and dropped on the turf and hid my
face in my arms, aud cried as l had never
cried since was boy, when my mother
died, and when thought the world held
no moro happiness for me.
When our gficls fall on us, wo treat them
a, boys 10 bonfrcs. It seems that they
canno, burn fiercely enough: we heap on
them everything that comes to our hand In
the way of facl-all the tenderest recol'ec'
tons, all the sweetest hopes, ull the most
h,....J on,;cipat;ons, that made the Joy md
glory of our liyes-that were rs wings III.
iup MS above the earth we trod on. All
these things arc brought out from the store.
house Of memory and thrown on the plIe'
making !, blaze with uuez,inguishable iury'
or wha, seems to ms so, and wo feel a bit
ter relish in the anguish, aud seek to make
!, more, rather than less, sswe stir tho heap
into fiercer conasgration.
All me /! All mo what miserable fooi
I had been, and how was punished!
had thought. when In my hopefalnes
tina, morning I had contemplated tho whole
affair, that had been prepared for this pos
.;b;lity. and could hear Il. Hut, strangely,
4 had never entered into my calculations
,ba, II Loise,te were not for me, Il could be
,ha, she was promised to another; m'r
was tho sting, the things SO impossible to
endure without, every fibre Of my heart DO
inr torn by the asonies Of jealousy, In ad'
dition to grief. Loi.e,te engaged, L0''s.ie
with no love for me, oil her love for sno'h-
err! Loiseus thinking Of him. writing 10
him, calling him oil those tender names
,hs, lips ike hers seemed made to utter J
And in August lin three mon.hs-he was
coming hack, doubtless to claim his onoe !
AT that thought sp1ng up. a. II se',
pent had arisen from the green turf anu
s,uns mo. started away % far that u We
not ill dark that, utterly worn out and e1'
haus,ed, I reached homo. shall never
forget that night, nor tho waking IN the
| morning, afier n couplo of hourS' dead