The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-08-07

ing, nc sunrise. they saw ship,steer-
ling for the island, ), signaled her, and
were taken on board. She was the
Zephyr, bound for New York; and in
o little more than two, months she
brought them home. "a
Y When Robinson had finished his
story, Invent out out to see what had
become of his wife. She was in the
pantry, standing before Willie's cup,
and the blessed tears were streaming
down her face. AS soon as she saw
me she fell on my neck, sobbing con-
vulsively:
"Must I give him Willie's cup?
No lips have touched it since he went
away. How can I give it to that
man?" I let her cry until she was
exhausted; then I raised her gently
and carried her to bed.
''Lie there fifteen minutes, dear;
by that time I shall have supper
ready"
She obeyed as little child might.
When went to her, she was white
and still, and her lids closed. Alarm
ed, I called her hastily by name,
and she raised her eyes to mine.
There was still the samed fixed gilt
ter in them. I lifted her from the
bed, and arranged her dress; she was
quite passive under my hands.
It was dreary supper, and more
dreary evening. But ut last it came
to an end.
I lay half the night turning rest
iessly on my lounge. The moonlight
poured across the room in broad
stream. Willie's picture looked
down upon me with an unearthly
expression; Willie's armchair took
weird forms in the dim light. I
thought over the rapid succession of
events, until my head grew dizzy
with thinking. Then the reproach-
full eyes of the young Willie seemed
staring at me from the dark corners
of the room; and mingled with his
youthful traits came the rough fea-
lures and sinister eye of the adult
Robinson. Through this chaos of
faces Mary's came up, just as I had
seen her when she stood at the door
of her room, bidding me goodnight,
her eyes large with terror, and her
hands stretched out to me for help
for help, alas! which how could I
give her? For was he not her hus-
band? And is it not to her husband
that woman must cleave?
Suddenly my heart stood still.
The little womaa herself crept noise
lessly from the bedroom, her face
looking horribly wan in the moon
light-crossed the parlor and knelt
in the accustomed spot. Her hands
were raised above her head; her up
turned face was convulsed with an
agony of appeal; but, for time, no
words came from her lips. She
sank PROSTATE on the floor. "Oh,
my God!' at last she moaned: evil
lie has gone from Heaven! I have
lost him! Oh. where is he?" Then
she glided back as silently as she had
come, but the bitter moan sounded
in my ears the long night through.
The next morning, she wore the
same stony face. I stayed with her
three weeks, and then returned to
my own home, which had, mean
while, been thoroughly renovated.
1 cou.d sit in peace before my fire
place now, without fear of storms or
risks of draughts. I could sit in
peace outwardly, but my mind had
little rest. At intervals of two or
three days I went to see the little
woman. Month by month her face
grew smaller and her eyes larger and
brighter. Their glitter haunted me.
Moro than n year passed. One
cheerful morning in early spring, I
was ironing in my kitchen; pleasant
breeze came through the window;
the blithe birds without made the
orchard vocal with their lively twit-
terings and bed of strawberries in
the garden delighted my eyes with
its white blossoms. Life seemed
pleasant to me this bright morning,
and my hands moved briskly at my
work. A shadow fell across the
ironing-board, and caused me to look
up. There was Mr.. Robinson stand
ing in the doorway. The weather.
beaten face had changed much in tho
year-an unhappy year it had been
to him-but it's events had stirred
the gentler parts of his nature. He
looked even sadder than usual this
morning, and his voice was low and
subdued.
"Miss Jemima, my Mary seems
lower than common; she's clean out