Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1869-02-26
PARIS, MAINE, FRIDAY,

that made the JOY and glory of our lives
that were as wings, lifting us above the
earth we ,rod on. All these things are
brought out from the storehouse of mem-
ory and thrown on the pile, making ii
blaze with inextinguishable fury, or what
seems TO us so, and we feel bitter relish
in the anguish. and seek to make it
more, rather than less, as we stir the
heap into tiercer con6agration.
All me, All me! what miserable fool
| had been, and how was punished
had thought. when in my hopeful
ness that morning had contemplated
the whole affair, that l had been pre-
pared for this possibility, and could bear
it. But, strangely, it had never entered
into NV calculations that if Loisette were
not for me, il could be that she was
promised to another; there was the sting,
the thing so impossible to endure without
every fibre of my heart being torn by the
agonies of jealosy, in addition to grief.
Loisette engaged Loisette with no love
for me. all her love for another! Loisette
thinking of him, writing to him. calling
him all those tender names that lips like
hers seemed made to utter And in Au-
cust-in three months, he was coming
back. doubtless to claim his BRIDE
At that thought | sprang up, rs II
serpent had arisen from the green turf
and stung me. | started away 80 tar
that il was not until dark that, utterly
worn out and exhausted, reached home.
| shall never forget that night, nor the
waking in the morning. after couple of
hours dead sleep.
That day wrote to my cousin, Sir Ed
ward. lIaldane, who had just been ap-
pointed governor Of New-Brunswick, TO
offer my services rs his private secretary
"A post he had suggested my taking
when his nomination to the place was
first talked of The answer came. He
would be delighted. In less than fort
night left England.
Il am so grieved," Loisette's sister had
written before this, $50 grieved erery
way had not been wrong, then, In
fancying | had her good wishes. 81
should have been so glad to have hidden
vow God speed by word Of mouth before
YOU went. but feel ought not TO ask
Won To come. Anyway, you have our
best wishes. now aud ever" Not word
from l.oisette Well, better 80. What
could she say?
often look back on my own soieurn
in tha. black. miserable raw colony, ice
bound for half the year, suu-scorched for
a few weeks, with something like shud'
der
The great staring barrack of a Gov
crnmcnt House, with its flat unshaded
gardens, the unpicturesque village that
was the seat of government. and rrlded
itself accordingly; the country that was
nothing but dense forest, bare clearing,
studded with blackened stumps or quak-
inc morass, The interminab'c winter,
white. still. silent, fetcred with a frost
that was unrelenting as death, that chill
cd the blood and nipped the flesh into
blaius. and checkered the current of life
in the veins of childhood, OF age, and of
all tender beings,
Oh. the desola,ion OF those winter
forests, No tongue can tell it! No breeze,
no voice OF bird, no rustic of leaf, no
! color. 4 broad white floor, hard blue
roof. black stiff iron trees, standing up
motionless and stark All so like my
own life in desolateness, only this nature
felt no pain
staid there till the sickly tardy spring.
often driven back by fresh snow-falls,
came 10 loosen the spell that winter had
laid on the suffering land, and then l re-
solved to bear it no longer, and come
what might, To return 10 England, and
learn tidings of Loisette. 1t seemed to
me that ANYTHING would be more endura-
bic than this dead silence regarding her.
So | turned my back to New-Bruns-
wick for evermore, and reached Eng
land in March-March, wild and gusty,
but N least alive with birds singing, and
grass and buds upshooting in fields and
hedgerow.
went at once into Hertfordshire. ]
dared not 90 to Mrs. Hamiton's; / dared
not ask anything about the family, lest |
should learn what | had come there to
know.
| wandered about among the lanes
where we used to wander, hoping dread
inc, longing, oh how intensely! At last !
came upon l.oisette and hcr sister. |
did not meet them, but turn of the
road brought me in sight of them, walk
ING slowly before me. Loisette, Loisette!
Just as of old, the undulating figure, the
head bent pensively, now poised lightly
on the white flexible throat, the shining
masses of hair coiled below the quiet
little black hat. o Loisette, Loisette!
How my heart went out to you! Loisette,
nv love, Loisette, my darling!
| FASTENED my steps. must see her
once more, must look into her eyes, must
hear the tones of her voice, let the cost
be what it would.
As / approached, she turned with
start, a look half expectant, half alarm
ed: she felt who was coming, and the