The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-12-31
BIDDEFORD, ME-, FRIDAY

What do want with Miss verinder |?
She has told me with her own lips (his,
dear lady, Is between ourselves) that she
loves another man. and that the only idea
In marrying me Is to try and put that 9TH
or man out of her head. What horrid
union is this Oh, dear me, what hor-
rid union Is this Such are my reflections
Miss Clack. on my way to Brighton 1
approach Rachel with the feeling Of a
criminal who is going to receive his sen.
tence. When find that she has changed
her mind too-when l hear her propose to
break the engagement experienced there
Is no sort of doubt about it)a most over
powering sense of relief. A month ago
was pressing her rapturously to my bosom.
An hour ago the happiness of knowing
that I shall never press her again intoxi-
Gates me like strong liquor. The thing
seems impossible-the thing can't be.
And vet there are the facts, as / had the
honor Of stating them when we first sat
down together i'm these two chairs. l
have lost beautiful girl. an excellent So
cial position, and handsome income |;
and have submitted to it withouta strug-
gle. Can you account for 1t dear friend !?
II is quite beyondm me-
His magnificent head sank on his breast,
and he gave up his own mental problem
in despair. .....
was deeply touched. The case GfI
may speak rs n spiritual physiciam was
now quite plain TO me. IL Is no uncom-
mon event, in the experience of us all, to
see the posessors of exalted ability occas-
sionally humbled to the level Of the most
poorly gifted people about them. 1t was
now-to my mind-easy to discern one of
these s;,lutory humiliations in the deplor-
able proceedings on dear Mr.. Godfrey's
part, of which had been the unseen wit
ness. And it was equally easy to recog;
nize the welcome reappearancc of his own
finer nature in the horror with which he
recoiled from the idea of n marriage with
Rachel, and in the charming eagerness
which he showed to return to his Ladies
and his Poor.
| put this view before him i'm few SIM
pie and sisterly words. His JOY was beau-
tiful to see. He compared himself, rs l
went on to lost man emerging from the
darkness into the light. When answer
ed for loving reception of him mt the
Mothers Small Clothes, the grateful heart
of our Christian Hero overhowcd. He
pressed my hands alternately to his lips.
Overwhelmed by the exquisite triumph
of having got him hack among us, let
him do what he liked with my hands.
closed my eyes. felt my head, in an &C.
stasy of spiritual sclf-forgctfulness, sink
ing on his shoulder. In a moment more
] should certainly have swoOncd away in
his arms, but for an interruption from the
outer world, which brought me to myself
again. A hOrrid rattling of knives and
forks sounded. outside the door. and the
footmnn came in to lay the table for lnnch-
con,
Mr.. Godfrey started up, and looked mt
the clock ON the mantle-picce.
.IIow time flies with your he -cXclaim-
cd. Il shall barely catch the train
Iventured on asking why hc was in
such hurry TO get back to town. His
answer reminded me of family difficulties
that were still to be reconciled. and of
family disagrcements that were yet to
come.
Il have heard from my father he said.
Business obliges him to leave Frizinghall
for London to-day. and he proposes COM
ing on here either this evening or tomor-
row. must tell him what has happened
between Rachel and me. His heart Is set
on our marriage-thcre will be great DIFF
ficulty. l fear. in reconciling him to the
brcaking-off the engagement. / must
stop him, for all our sakes, from coming
here till he is rcconciled. Best and dear
est of friends, we shall meet again y
With those words he hurried out. In
equ:f haste on my side, ran up stairs to
compose myselfin my own room before
meeting Aunt Ablcwhite and Rachel Mt
the luncheon-table.
1 am well aware-to dwell for mo-
ment yet on the subject of Mr.. Godfrey
that the all-profaning opinion of the outer
world has charged him with having his
own private reasons for releasing Rachel
from her engagement, Mt the first oppor-
tunity she gave him. 1t has also reached
my ears that his anxiety to recover his
place in my estimation has been attributed
in certain quarters, To mercenary eag-
crness to make his peace (through mel
with a venerable committe-woman mt the
Mothers Clothes. abundantly bless
ed with the goods of this world, and n be-
loved and intimate friend of my own.
only notice these odioiis ISLANDERS for the
sake of declaring that they never had u
moments influence on my mind, In Ubcd-
ience to my instructions, / have exhibited
the fluctuations in my opinion of our
Christian Hero exactly rs find them re-
corded IN my diary. In justice TO myself
let me here add, that, once reinstated in
place in my estimation, my gifted friend
never lost that place again. | write with
tears in my eyes, burning tO say more.
But mol am cruelty limited to my ac-
tual experience of persons and things.
In less than u month from the time of
which am now writing events In the
money market (Which diminished even
nag miserable little income) forced mo in
TO foreign exile, and left me with nothing
hut loving remembnlnce of Mr.. Godfrey
which the slander of the world has assail-
ed. and asSailed in vain.
Lot me dry my eyes and return TO my
narrative.
went down stairs TO >luncheon. natti-
rally anxious to see how Rachel was af-
fected by her release from her marriage
engagement.
ltappcared to me me-but own am
poor authority in such n,,ltters-that the
recovery Of her freedom had set her think
Ing again of that other man whom she
loved. and that she WAS furious with her
self for not being able 10 control rcvul-
sion of feeling of which she was secretly
ashamed. Who was the man? had my
suspicions-but it was needless to waste
time in idle speculation. When l had
converted her. she would. rs matter of
course. have no concealments from Me.
l should hear all about the man; l should
hear all about the Moonstonc. IL had
no higher object in stirring her up TO n
sense Of spiritual things, the motive OF re-
licving her mind of its guilty secrets would
have been enough of itself TO encourage
me to so on.
Aunt Ablewhite took her exercise in
tha afSerponp In ,,, ipxaIid ch,tr Racbcl