The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1870-09-08

why Sne nau talkeu VI TTcueTlck. YIN, 100
that was not to comprehend before! Sh
had smiled on me because I was his coleg
mate-because had ever some sweet recol
lection to tell, some comely virtue of hi
praise; and, blinded by my own fondness,
fancied she loved me.
i How I stood there, weak, passionate, AM
painting with the violence of my emotions
even till I learned the day when the weddin
would take place, | know not, for every nerv
in my body seemed changed to an instrumen
of keen torture Fortunately they did no
pass me, but retraced their steps; and [, ben
ding low with an almost breaking heart
slowly left the pleasant graveyard, now onl
valley of dry bones to me, and walked to
wards my boarding house. too wretched tt
think deliberately, or feel all the crushin!
weight of my disappointment.
TIE next day, before sunrise, | was on m,
way to neighboring city was in a strang
tumult, thai knew not but might prove ia
tai to me- was ready for almost any des
perate deed, and had, more than once
shudder as I think of t-contemplated sci
destruction. But I called philosophy, nay
something higher holier, to my aid-relig
| ion and in time [ became soothed, if moi
comforted that u.s. after knew May was il
revocably welded. M
Two months passed. I deemed myself suf
fcently fortified with good resolutions to re-
turn once more to my chosen place of resi-
dence.. It was high moor, when drove up
the princip,l street A carriage dashed by
me, light vehicle; In moment it had
| IL,
abreast involuntari1y drew in my horse
| My friends face denoted anguish, intense and
concentrated. s'For Gods sake, Doctor
Lane, my early friend, do not stop till you
reach Mrs. Kendall's; My May lies there
sick-dying," he gaspcd. How ashy pale
he was My face blanched. I felt a singular
tremor. He dashed ahead, neither speaking,
and in fifteen minutes I stood by the couch
Of the young bride That was an awful hour
At its close, pressed her white eyelds over
her dull, glazed eyes All, Heaven thought
II, kneeling with an aching heart, can such
beauty be dead? And still, for all, there
was triumph in the feeling triumph until I
beheld the awful grief Of the bcrc!t husband
saw the big drops bead like blood his pale,
broad forehead almost forced him from the
inanimate body to which he clung with the
grasp Of despair. clasping her to his bosom
kissing the white lips, the whittier checks,
even the golden locks that lay damp and I'M
curled over her shoulders.
And, when left that house of mourning,
was it not strange-the calmness [ felt set
Ting over my spirits! Could this thought.
even in faintest tracery. pass through my
mind at such time? '.Well, she is not
mine and neither Is she his. glad that,
as she could not be mine only, none but
death can claim her now" | fear, had con.
science rightly applied her torch, she might
have read those scathing words written on
the crimson portal Of my heart
The next day, | went over to be present at
the funeral services and still felt that sor-
rowful happiness Poor Frederick was at
times raving, then stupid with his gre t grief.
The mourncrs assembled the beautiful dead
lay robed in satin in her ccfin already the
large parlor was filled with weeping friends.
took my station by the head Of the corpse.
With unuterable tenderness yet without a
tear, I gazed upon that heavenly contenance.
It looked not like stern death, but soft and
smiling slumber There were all her young
companions present, village maidcns, robed
in white, whose simple voices joined in flu
neral song But oh how those voices waver-
ed, trembled, until tears and sobs choked out
the music and mournful, heart rending walls
sounded through the room.
At last, the hoary-hoaded man Of God
arose to pray. Never heard petition so
mournfully tender, so simple, so powerful.
How gently he spoke of her youth aud good
ness the circumstances under which God
was pleased to call her, just, as it were, stan
ding on the threshold Of her happy life, and
looking towards the rose colorcd future.
still kept nay place at the head of the
coffin My eyes, full of tears now, never
once moved from that holy face.
Was it fancy? thought the dear features
grew dim Ny sight was failing, or-l bent
closes to the corpse; drew back, wiped my
eyes, looked again. God of mercy God Of
compassion what sent wild shock through
my frame, and struck my brain as with a
hand of fire (? I reeled 1 fell almost upon
the coffin There was moisture on the glass
moisture that, when [ applied my sleeve,
would not come off-naoisture on the inside OF
the glass AS was customary, every face was
DOWe0 TOWARDS TIE cdgLu Ia ~ H"o
must do ? There were fearful risks to run.
NV knees trenbled and knocked together !;
my heart beat against my side till my body
rocked like pendulum The voices of the
pastor whistled in my ear. Each moment
was an hour; and yet-the contlct-that
horrible temptation, warning with my better
nature, came again 1t was awful! awful !!
/ kept my silence, she soas still the bride OF
death, and as nauch mine as anotAer's; ii /
spoke. she was again the wife of my rival.
I dare not recall some Of my emotions now
could not have been myself when that fend-
ish temptation hcset me, and whispered nae to
let the dark grave claim Ter, if might not
The perspiration wclled up from every
pore; but the agony was passed. | could
have throttled the old pastor, that he did net
cease yet feared for the life of the poor
husband, should he know the truth too sud
denly. There was tingling from my head
to my fingers ends. shook like an aspen
leaf
"Amen !" Oh, how thanked God fol-
that sound chung to the coffin, for one mo-
ment weak and helpless as an infant.
The chief mourners were called first, that
they might be spared the shock Of heholdine
the dear one borne out before their eyes
The poor husband tottered out, supported on
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