The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-12-24

cation of pursuit, and this made his
occasional civilities and manifestations
Of sympathy valuable to- her In her
present isolation. He was the only ono
near her viii, whom she had .ny tastes,
in common, the only one who appeared
70 require that gentb indulgence
which generous natures yield 10 al
form. of inetmity. She wss coz
ssantly making allowances for The hsL
~. en:st and shrunkon figure, for the
look Of pain or wcariness on I'll. thin
face and the .nervou. irrit.bi,i,7 Of
di'ea.e. She had b.ea troubled NOR.
than pPes :by :. male friend b.;ne eou.
'ertsa into: : lover, and it wn i. sres.
e''nfort 70 6nd one, who, b, no rs,i. ,
D'iny could nndergs: .sueh , ehea,,:
80, Mr., TFinz5 Was prespefi,g in hi,
plans, q. he, would have ezmesed il,
F"sp'endidly. He suco.ed.
ed thus MT bJ. assuming > eh.r,,.er
wholly diverse from his own, but BY
taking advantage CT circumstances and
his own pcculiarities to make ell tho
objects Of life false to their seenine,
just as skil!ful mariner by tacking and
turning sails in the teeth Of tic wind,
and as ta!sehood achieves her greatest
victories by forcing truth into her ssr-
vice.
| Al this stage Of affairs Margaret 70
ce;ved letter from Edward str5fyn-
de-, which ran thus:
DEAR, MARaAlEI,-I think i: is ahoat
time Ke we're done with Gil this nonsense.
You pretended you could not. marry ne
because you wanted to take care Of yoar
mother, and now. You have gone OF there,
and she is doing we'll enough: Your be-
ha, 10. lnjn1es me very much. It. appears
| as If had deserted you in your trouble.
| Indeed this is the report oil around. and
people blame me 90 much that more than
one Of my old neigbbess hAss-passsd me
without speaki1g- &Tou hsyes sos Igh: se.
| injure me in this way. l. hurts ny bust
ness; and mother feels very badly aboni,i.-.
II yea cared for. me, or for, nY tesl;oz.,
| you would not behave ~ you DO, going of
amougst strangers. 1t is reported ttak
ysu have hired out As = 'ehanbermaid.
| would not have believed you. could have
acted 50, aud + would not care 90 much #
! mother did not feel 30, but she says she il
afraid you sill fall into bad waye-a lons
| girl And as pretty as yeu are, with SO naEy
temptstions and no one to protect you. I
tell her l an sure you will never do any
| thing WroRG. but it il dreadful, Jour going
of in this Nay.- / Am willing to 20 for goa
and give Ion = good home and hsip your
mother toe We conld Be married there,
and want to see that country 1t any rate,
| and can as we'll 60 a. not.
l want 5oi to snswer Immediately, for
! am tired Of This. Mr.. Smith wants NE to
! marry Mary snodgrass. The old man il
dead, and she falls heir TO Ill his property,
more than dfty thousand dollars but l
told him it would not look well. do not
need her money, aud never will care about
eoy woman but you, sAd it is . little hsrd
] 'oc Wy you use me.
Write soon to
Your ever sffeetionsts
... EDWARD STROFYNDER.
/ As Margaret read, her cheek burped
With anger and modification. TIE
c'arxe suspicion, the judging her BY
this report and that opinion, the ssl6.b-
ness which Only saw her misfer,unss in
their effect upon himself, the w.vering
want. of self reliancs-how p!ainly .h.
cav it all. This WIS her vhilom idol.
the tower Of strength on which she had
| leaned 50 trustinxly, aud by which
she had hoped to climb 50 far heaven
ward. 1t lay At her feet a mass Of
shapeless ruins now, from which .ho
| turned with humiliation and yet, Mar
saret, and yet, there is!no rottsnness. or
dead mems bones thcnc. That is .R
clean clay, With several little nuggets Of
honest gold in it. II Va, :. yer, r.
spectacle idol II circumstances aud
you had not picked it to pieces, you
might have gone o. oil y.or life
adornias it With. th. Leave, Of forbe.r-
ance aud blossoms Of imAginsr, virtues,
and it might have born your weight
right we'll, but that is past, and it is
only vision now, while the torn :eo-
drills of your poor hear. lie tr.;ling. I.
is bad position ; for marx ycu, little
girl, they will lot always lie there.
Natures laws Of growth and decay ,rv
irresistible 4; and the demand cf wire,
and hearts has been .'scn.:h;ng to
cling to-somethins to clasp" ever
since the first hung and beat il the
prineval garden.
will yours turn from its clay supper,
to the piece Of dry rot now 50 pefsever.
iog'y thrust in its way! Thin s IS un-
likely have happened; .nd man, an
unsishtly, rotten stick has been glori-
fed BY the purpl. 'ple odor Ct the ra,-
sion flower. -
This letter was answered, and Mr..
ssrofyuder dismissed from all care for
her future, and left at perfect liberty t,
marry Miss Snodgra.s. That evening
shs felt 4 sense Of positive comfort in
singing "Old Hundred" ':Plainti,e
N artyrs" aud kindred hon. melodies
with the snarliag invalid who never
could be lover, and Was more than
ever glad he hated women.
[ro Bs ooxF1Nusn.l