Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1870-10-20

murderess if Ally died, but that she wa
| innocent that she gave it what sht
supposed to be harmless slcepu!
draugh'. that it might not Immediately
: awake after she was gona; but if Ally
died, she rou not he laorc wrcrchet
, than br4ore life had become II burden
and she must have change, if il
brought deadlcst woe. Then fo.lowel
Il prayer to Malcolm to focgivc her iDl
making him miserable, anrl an entrca,y,
that if Alice lived, he would be tender
and attcctionarc with her.
| read it all and then wen, in search
Of Malcolm. found him stretched oH
the floor Of the library, in an insensible
state, while poor Christopher was hold.
ing his head Oh his knee and weeping
bitterly. Sending him to the Hall for
DR. Ford, ! assumed his station myself
supporting the head of the unconscious
Malcolm on my lap. And o! the wild,
burning prayer, uttered, AS | parted
the hair from his forehead and noticed
the dreadful change which had come
over that face, which | used to think
the perfection Of manly beauty, and the
scalding tears shed, as | reflected on
the mysterious fatality which had
wrecked the happiness of us both.
DR.. Ford pronounced him in danger
Of brain fever We conveyed him to
bed, and he was bled copiously, but
still showed no sign Of recognizing Ell
thcr me or any of his own household,
| could not leave him to none but ser
wants for care, and 50 | said by him
during the three days and nights before
the raging fever and deirinm subsidized
in the least, and had my heart not been
totally broken before, it must have been
now as listened to his self reproachcs,
his incessant calling for Edith, Edith,
begging her to forgive him, and come
t. him once more; until wholly broken
down, prayed that we might both die
then and there.
On the fourth day he sank into 4
sMmber so deep and deathlike that DR..
Ford and | held our b"eaths in appre
hension, as We stood by him; he slept
far into the night, and when he awokc,
weak and trembling as 4 smittan child,
but sane, thinking and recognizing once
more, shrank in the shadow of the
bed-curtains, aud feared to have him
see me.
| summoned Mrs. Duncan to take
my place, and went home; and he did
not know that had watched over him,
that it was my hand which had
smooth2d his pillow and held the
draught to his lips; that my soul had
accompanied him, near unto the unseen
world and received all that his frantic
soul had revealed in his delirium. Bat
0! the knowledge was too much for
me longer to remain in the vicinity of
lIcdgecombc, and as soon as they as
surcd me he was out of danger, | went
to Washington.
My story is nearly done, and hasten
to its close.
had been in Washington six
months, when one day received a note
begging me instantly TO accompany the
bearer. There was no name, but | did
not stop to think-I supposed some enc
in distress wanted my aid
The boy led me to a retired bat re-
spectacle part of the city, where |
found, just gone in consumption, EIur
Gle Wade!
Her first inquiry was for her child
her next, for Malcolm. On my asking
her why she had deserted them, she
cried out,
go! Edith, with your calm soul, you
cannot know the misery endured,
married to one did not love-separat-
ed from one did love. was be
trothed to IN Italian, and we loved
each other perfectly, but an unhappy
mistake parted us, and believed him
false, and welded to another, when
chance threw Malcolm in my way. Il
thought him smarting from some simil-
lar blow. We sympathized with each
other, and did what we shouEd'not have
done, married each other.
Soon after little Alicc's birth I again
met Antoine, who had followed me to
America. He begged for one last in.
terview, and did not deny him, for o
my heart was breaking! | saw him
again and again; until, unable to exist
longer away from him, fled with him
to this city"
"And he betrayed and deserted you ?"
said J.
"'Tis false cried she vehemently, |
her wild eyes flashing, /" He was all
honor, and truth and love. And l.
O, Heaven, how l loved him He was
my breath, my sunshine, myall but he
died, and my heart and life went down
into the grave with him. And 0! !nev
er was storm-tossed sailor 50 sick for
the port of home as I am to rejoin him
once more.
What word Of reproof bad ! .or love