The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1868-12-03
WESTMINSTER MD, THURSDAY MORNING, DE(IsMBER 3

1 feel that it is so. Well, / struggled
on-no, fought were the better word, .
she continued, with the lines about her
mobile mouth suddenly becoming hard
81 fought for life, sometimes teach
ing, sometimes obtaining little sewing;
inshort, doing anything that my strength
permitted, until sickness came. Still |
gave not away to despair. Truly was
bound to the stake-a sweet one-my
darling sister. OF the insults re-
ceived while seeking work, shall not
speak. They must remain forever
locked in my own breast and the palid
face was flushed TO scarlet, even at the
thought. @
"And found no employment Z"
"None =, Piece by piece ] parted
with the little furniture I was the pos
SCISSOR of, until what you see. was all
that remained" sge R3e
"My poor child" FL ,a
q Il is true" l saw that she was
nervipg herself to tell me something
that was painful, very painful, and would
have stopped her, but she resolutely
continued-'sIt is true, some money
was offered me by more than one man,
bu. / instantly and Indignantly hurled
it back in my insulter's face. Then,
great Heaven ! upon this bitter night,
with all Of hope gone, determined to
sell my body to some surgeon sqs
What, in the name of heaven, could
have put. su h an idea into your head!'
eI don't know, cannot tell. Some
where / had either heard or read of
something of the kind"
"You must have been very dcsper-
ate ?" t
"On the verge of distraction | had
but one dream-one desire-to save my
darling even a single hour Of pain"
"IIave you no relatives p
"Not a single one that I know Of.
Both of my parents we're only children
when til -ir parents came from foreign
lands" @'iss
She paused, aud turned to smooth
the hair of the slumbering Bessie, and
imprint kiss upon the curl-wreathed
and snowy brow; and | thought what
/! desperate trials one like her must have
passed through in order to bring her
mind to look caialy upon giving her
self to the knife aud the ribald jests
of the dissecting-room! And / thought,
too, of the sterling truth of her young
heart that could resist the allurements
of gold when SO hedged Ly want and
pin in their most terrible shapes.
thought, too, but she interrupted me
with: a2 ~
"My kiud-indeed, [ might say my
only friend-whom God raised up to
me in the hour when all was darkness
and misery, aud black death, and a
pauper's grave were staring me in the
face. My kind frieud-but l am-have
been keeping you from rest" a
"Me. A physicians life is one that
is constantly broken in upon, and
will you pardon me? / have never
had my heart SO deeply touched, or my
feelings SO much interested, in my life. "
A faint rose blush crept up from the
exquisitely nodded throat, and mantled
the soft cheeks. She took my hand
and pressed it to her lips, leaving a
warm lingering kiss upon it. Did l
suddenly build any castles in Spain?
When the morning light broke again
over the gay city the storm had ceased,
and nature smiled-cold, it is true, but
brilliantly. There WIS peaceful break
fast served in that little room, but the
dinner was taken in far other quarters.
As write these lines, ] with some,
at least, of my dreams of wealth and
position realized) sit in cozy study,
=
and listen to the wrathful storm with
out. There is beautiful brown-haired
woman sewing near-a sprite of a girl
decorating snow-white kitten with
crimson ribbons, on the rug in front OF
the glowing CRATE look up suddenly
from the book I am reading, at the
former. Our eyes meet. Are we both
thinking of the past? It may be so.
She steals softly behind my chair, and
twines her arms around my neck. t
aDarling, do you remember such q
night as this scarcely year ago 7" she
asks.
eyes. I was thinking of it.
aAnd of what brought me to 7"
uYes.o
She bends still nearer to me. | feel
her warm breath upon my cheeks. 1
feel her fervent kiss-such one as on
ly a young and lovely wife can give; I;
and hear, as it we're, whispered rather
by spirit than mortal lips:
sNow, my darling, / am yours, body
and soulV