The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1870-04-27

Things always happen wrong lin stlia
world Whygwas Gretchen sKoenig ever
born; !onces born why didn't she die
sooner, or not die at all7 I should like
to know; then matters; might have been
mended."e !ss;;aSy,S2k .s.s;;asSsys,S rs
Juliet drew herself up haughtily, al,
this passionate outburst, and replied:
"You ought to be ashamed of your
self to speak in that reckless, unbecom-
ing manner. [ never expected to hear
such words from your lips, nor to receive
such gross disrespect at your hands. It
is unjustifiable presumption-it is worse
than indelicate, it is positively insulting,
to make such insinuations to me- I beg
leave to inform you, had Gretchen died
sooner, and your uncle found me free,
would never have condescended to COM
fort him for the loss Of his beloved"
II have mapgled matters, as usual,
where most wanted to be cautious aud
conciliatory." said Rudolph. "Pardon
me, it is only that am yet q novice in
meant no disrespect, no insult. I would
as soon show either to my mother. You
must believe this, when you remember
my love. my devotion, for 80 many years.
Remember this, and listen with forbear-
ance. Let me bespeak indulgence for q
moment-let ME ask that you will listen
to these words of fire, which burn like
Goals upon my tongue"
ct would servo no good purpose,
said Juliet. "Why discuss this question
between US? why open old wounds? why
live over old sorrows? But if you insist.
first listen calmly to me, Rudolph, while
L speak some words of my own. I will
tell you, with the affectionate candor
which has always characterized our in
tercourse. thut 1 now see the meaning.
not only Of present intimations, but also
those unintelligible expressions in your
letter. Since Gretchen is dead, and your
uncle free, you fondly fancied he might
seek me again, that things might be as
they once were; but in no case could it
ever be SO. In the first place, you are
wrong in supposing he could ever feel
for me the affection which believe he
once truly felt. At one stage of his ex-
istence he loved me-he met mo after
years of study and meditation, and in
the mood, the tone of feeling which such
q life inspired, pleased him. After
wards, when he mingled again with tho
world, the toy became insipid-lost its
charm. Change is one of the primary
laws of nature. The heart expands and
develops with the intellect-sometime it
bows in subsection to the intellect, and
thus the love of one age is not the love
of another"
Trash Trash! Trash!' muttcred Ru-
dolph; but Juliet proceeded
II say you are wrong in supposing he
could ever love me again; bnt granting.
for the sake of argument, that I could
satisfy his natnre, Us far as am myself
concerned, things could never be the
same. Not that there is any resentment
in my heart against him, nor that he is
unforgiven for causing me the mortitica-
tion of unrequited affection in the pust,
but simply because no amount of fire
"an re-enliven into flame the dead ashes
of buried love. I could and would
have loved him forever, had not my ten
derness been slighted, but it is not in
the nature of proud womun's heart to
endure the whitening touch of neglect.
The ivy can cling even to O mouldering
ruin, cling there and there sweetly bloom !;
but 1T cannot cling to pillar OF ice, gra-
dually melting to naught in the clinging
embrace of its tendrils, and ut last, leav-
ing not the shadow of a substance be-
hind. Love is no deity, whose incense
fire burns only on the altar of one heart
its divinity must be twin-b born, it's exist
ence double life. And though it is q
dainty epicure, who requires little food,
take away that little and-Love dies.
The.heart.can starve-starve-Si -Siaruei Ru-
dolph, and then tardy nourishment,
however sweet, can never re-animate the
spark of love put ont. So let this dream
pass from your mind, forever. Were I
free at this moment, Karl Won Open
helm could never be anything to me
again, and as it is-every pulsntion of
my heurt beats true to another
Several times during this long speech,
Rudolph had given evidence of fiery i'm
pntience. When Juliet had finished, he
suid, in a tone of sullen obstinacy--
''But if your heart aud yonr hand
were both free, persist in believing my
dream might be realized. You say it is
impossible to reanimate dead ashes, but
there is such thing rs building up new
fire with new fuel, on the same hearth
where blazed the old 1ame."
''In this elise, it would be out of the
question"
"Of course" s,id Rudolph, elf you
pnt that indomituble pride of yours in
tha wuv Ono ,piuht 10 ,vol1 fr1 ~ NJ