The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1869-12-25

could manage to see the twelvcmonth through,
and go back to Cornboro, without becoming
absolute beggars. She would allIide to their
joint wardrobe, and would confess that there
w0uld not have been pair Of boots between
them but for that twelve guincas; and in
deed she seemed to have stretched that
modest incoming so as to cover lc-
gion of purchases. And Of these things
she was never ashamed to speak. We think
there must have been at least two gray frocks,
because the frock was always clean. and never
shabby. Our girls at home declared
that they had seen three. Of her irock, as IL
happened, she never spoke to us, but the new
boots and the new gloves, land ever SO many
things that | can't tell you about. which we
really couldn't have gone without" all came
out of the twelve guineas. That she had
taken, not only with delight but with tri-
umph. But pecuniary assistance from our-
selves she had always refused. 1T would be
q gift" she would say.
T'Have it as you like"
"But people don't give other people mo-
neyn
iDon't they? That's all you know abont the
world.
Eyes; to beggars. We hope We needn't
come to that" 1t was thus that she always
answered us-but always with something OF
was q joke. Now, when the demand upon
her was for that which did not concern
her personal comfort, which referred 10
matter felt by her to be vitaly important.
she declared, without q minutes hesitation,
that she had not money for the journey.
''Of course yon can have money" we said.
II suppose you will go at once?'
"Oh yes at once. That is in q day or Two,
after he shall have received my letter. Why
should wait ?" We sat down 10 write cheek
and she, seeing what we were doing, asked
how much it was to be. "No, half that will
do she said. Mamma will not co. We have
talked il over aud decided it. Yes; | know
all about that. am going to see my lover.
my dying lover; and have to beg for the
money to take me TO him. OF course am
yollng girl but in sllcn condition am to
Stand upon the ceremony of being taken care
of? A housemaid wouldn't want to be taken
care of at eighteen" We did exactly as she bade
lis, aud then attempted to comfort her While
the young man went to get money for the check.
What consolation was possible 1t was SIM
ply necessary to admit with trankneSs that
sorrow had come frem which there could De
no present release Yes" she said. Time
will viii cure it-in a way. One dies in time, and
then of course it is all cured" Zone hears or
this kind of thing often," she said afterwards,
still leaning forward in her chair, still with
something of the old expression in her eyes
something almost of humor In spite OF her
rrlcf: 'but it is the glrl who dies. When 1t Is
the girl, there isnr, after all, 80 much harm
done A man goes about the world and can
shake it Off; and then, there are plenty Of
girls" We could not tell her how infinitely
more important, to our thinking, was her life
than that Of him whom she was going to see
now for the last time; but there did spring up
within our mind feeling, greatly opposed TO
that conviction which formerly we had en-
deavOred to impress upon herself-that she
was destined to make for herself successful
career.
She went, and remained by her lovers bed
side for three weeks. She wrote constantly
to her mother, and once or twice to ourselves.
She never again allowed herself to entertain
rIeam of hope, and she spoke Of her
sorrow rs thin. accomplished. IN
her last interview with lis she had
hardly alluded to her novel, and in
her letters she never mentioned It, But she
did say one word which made us guess what
was coming "You will find me- greatly
changed in one thing" she said; $50 mlch
changed that need never have troubled you.
The day for her return to London was Twice
postponctl but ut last sue was brought 10 leave
him. Stern necessity was too strong tor her.
Let her pinch herself a. she might, she must
live down in Dorsctshire-and could not live
on his means, which were rs narrow as her
own. She left him; and on the day after her
arrival in London she walked across from Eus-
ton Square to our office.
Yes" she said, 'itis all over. shall never
see him again OH this side Of Heavens gates.
do not know that we ever saw Il tear In her
ewes produced by her own sorrow. She was
possessed of some wonderful strength which
seemed to suffice for the bearing of any bur-
den. Then she paused and we could only SIT
silent. with our eyes fixed upon the rug. II
have made him promise she said at last.
or course we asked her what was the promise,
though at the moment we thought that we
knew. twill make no more attempt al novel
writing"
"Such promise should not have been ask
cd or given" we said, vchemcntly.
1T should have been asked, because he
thought lt right she answered. land, OF
course. IL was given. Must he not know bet
ter than do? Is he not one of Gods ordaln-
ed priests? In all the world, is there one so
bound to obey him as | - There was nothing
10 be said for it at such q moment as thai:
There is no enthusiasm cqua!. 10 that produced
by Il deatll-bed parting ~ gricve greatly,
she said. 'that you should have had so much
vain labor with poor girl who can never pro-
fit by it,"
ii don't believe the labor will have been
vain." we answered, having altogether changed
those views OF ours as to the iutlity of the
pursuit which she had adopted.
81 nave ucSlTO!cu IL I'LL, SHc stiiu.
s'What; burned the novely'
"Eyrry scrap of it. | told him that would
do 50, and that he should know that r;rl
done it. Every page was burned after got
home last night, and then wrote 10 h:m be-
fore went to bed"
.Do You mean that you think it wicked that
people should write novels p we asked.
.'lIe thinks it TO be u misapplication OF Cod )
Gifts, and that has been enough for me. lie
Shall Judge for me. but will not judge for
others. And what does IL matter? DO NOT
want TO write a novel now"
They remained in London till the end OF the
wear for which the married clratc lad TAKEN
their house, and then they returned 10 Corn
boro'. We saw them frequently while they
were still in town, and despatched them by
the train To the North just when the winter
was beginning At that Time Tie young clergy
man was still living down in DorsetShlrc, put
he was lying in his grave Wien Christmas
came. Mary never saw him again, nor did she
attend his funeral. She wrote TO rs frequent,
ly then, and did for years Afterwards. IL sll0iild
have liked to have stood at his grave shG
said; but it was q luxury of sorrow ihal
wished TO enjoy. and they who cannot earn
luXurics should not have them. They were 90
inm to manage it for me here, but knew was
RIGHT to refuse it," Right, indeed As far
rs we knew her, she never moved single
pont from what was right.
All these things happened many years
ago. Mary Grcslcy, on her return To
Cornb0ro', apprcntlced herself, IA IL were;
to the married curatc there, anu caile,l
herself. | think female Scripture read
or. know that she spent her days in work
nil nl