The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1868-01-16

answered, "Stay;" and strong indom
table will, ehimed in j, With tho ,rcspopse
and said, III will stay, whatever the con
sequence; I am free agent, and ca
choose. I see two paths, and I tax
my choice deliberately" So free-wil
conquered, and the Yarning.voice wa
unheeded. ~ - y
The struggle had commenced, righ
against wrong, the spirit against tn
flesh, the light against the darkness
the god-like against the dcvilish,-tht
struggle that goes on in human soul.
for all ages, the old yet ever new stru g
gle known but by mans own individu
al experience. No tcnets handed down
relieve him from its discipline it is
the battle each must fight for himself
unaided, the ordeal through which each
one must pass alone, and woe to him
to whom the fiery trial never comes:-
Alone, unassisted, as far as human help
is concerned, for soul to soul is an i'm
penetrable mystery, a secret inyiolably
kept, for it is secret beyond the e]pow-
er Of man to reveal.
Adriana did not blind herself now
she trusted to herself to be able to play
out bravely the dangerous part she had
undertaken. She trusted to keeping
her foot firm on the slippery precipice
| she was about to tread: The smother
ed feelings that had lain dormant but
unsubdued for SO long burst forth like
smouldering volcanic fires that do but
bide their time to leap up into flames.
The night was far: advanced, but yet
she felt no fatigue; her cheek was
bright, and her eyes showed no sign
of weariness. She unlocked a trunk,
aud from thence drew out carefully
folded parcel; her hand trcmbled
slightly as she united the knot, and
there was moments hesitation ere she
opened the paper. e:
Seven years since she made up that
parcel! Tits open now, but she does
not yet see the contents, her eyes turn
away, she remembers so we'll tie night
that she last wore that dress, those Or
naments. The past is coming up be-
fore her, that night in particular she.
shivcrs slightly, involuntarily she quails
before the memory of the bitter grief
that followed that night : her seyc1ids
droop, her heart beats faster and faster.
Oh for burst of tears But none come
The momentary weakness is past. Her
glittering eyes are fixed upon the black
dress Of soft gauzy meterial She;
shakes it out, and with the zest of
milliner examines it, notes how it may
be altered so as to accord with more
modern fashion without entirely depriv-
ing it Of its identity. She clasps the
crescents Of jetin her cars, and observes
their effect upon the delicate white
skin: She twists, the curious cable,
chain round her slender throat, sand
fastens it together with the paddock
clasp. :,
Can it be seven years. since slesun-
clasped it? In: the dress in which he.
had last seen her, should he meet her
after that lapse Of time. How we'll the
soft folds hung; there was' but slight:
alteration needed. She could scarcely
bring herself to replace the dress in her
trunk, or to take off the ornaments
But the night was wearing on; slowly
she drew the earrings from her ears,
and as she laid by each well-remember-
ed article, it seemed as though she,
could scarcely bear to lose sight Of
them. There was a strange confusion
in her mind-regret and triumph, j, sor-
row and revenge, Injustice, Justice, sell
ishness, pride, and humiliation, She
felt the conflict, but she let it rago dis.
regarded; trcewill had chosen hef des-
tiny, and intended to carryit out. No
not her destiny, only the present path.
Ffce.will was "rough-hewing her
course" but could not quite shape it. &
Gro BE CONTINUED. =.