The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-02-25

Self.n
Thank you, dear friend. Shall !
speak for you to Elizabeth ?v
As you will. But profess not tina
/ love her other than kind friend anC
sister. Let her not mistake
Il shall ask her. rs / have askec
you to do this for the love and salts
; faction OF q dying woman, who hold,
, you two dearer than any now OF
earth"
And forth into the damp and chill
spring night the young man rushed
: and wandered for hours, wrestling
with mans strength against his own
; rebellious heart and disappointed
hope.
-Four weeks later Elizabeth called
her betrOthed to the bedside of the
beloved mistress, whom now all con-
!. fessed to be a dying woman. She
held out her thin, hot hand, and look
ed into his face with tender smile.
"Dear friend, be not so sad and
downcast in seeing the day of my de-
liverance at hand. Would you weep
if you saw dear sister welded to the
man she loved? And / 90 to rejOin
the husband, dearer than any BRIDE
2
of this life follow us even TO the gates OF
the neXt--first, / fain would my see poor
Bessie happier than she is. John, you
do not love her over much.
''I strive to be kind to her, Rather
inc: and 1 did ask you to tell her at
the first that was no lover" repli-
ed the youth, struggling for compOs-
ure.
'rBut, John, that is but keeping the
word, and breaking the spirit of your
promise.to pleasure me in this matter.
l would see you love her, as well as be
kind to her."
'0h, Katherine, you are very hard,
very cruel with me! You know that
your word is as law to me, and you are
pitiless as the grave ~
"JOhnw
i'Nay, pardon me! I am but a saw
age to speak thus, and you lying there;
but oh, Katherine, if you had bid me
die for you, it had been easier"
"Yes, dear friend, for it is easier ofall
to die when one is called to prove a
great love; and so because your love
was yet greater than enough for the
test, I have put it to sharper one,
and asked you to live for me-yes,
and to be happy, and to make anoth-
er happy, and all for love Ofyour poor
! he2rtIbroken sister, who can do
naught for you. John, did count too
far upon that love ofyous? ?"
"Dear lady, if it may be that the
blessed spirits look down from heaven
upon this sad earth of ours, you, so
looking down, shall see your friend
Elizabeth a happy and an honOred
wife-yes, and beloved one in time,
if love will grow by time and Will"
~ would fain see the beginning
now, if it might be. Will you not wed
her here at my bed side this very
night, for doubt me if see to-mor-
rows sum-"
John Rowland reverently raised
the wasted hand he held to his lips. 1t
was the first approach to the woman
he so passionately loved, and it was
made of that forbidden love. Then he
said:
sI will speak to Elizabeth and to
the magistrate, and all shall be ap-
pointed rs you wish. will this mo-
ment; but"
~ will not depart before you return,
dear John," muTmured the dying wo-
man, reading his thought; and with
one glance ofanguish this man, whose
love, as Katherine herself had said,
was greater than that of him who
dieth for his friend, went out to do
her bidding.
When he returned, Elizabeth, pale
and silent, sat beside the bed. Katha-
rine lay with her eyes closed, yet not
asleep, and, rs he entered, gently ask
ed:
''Has Master WinslOw Gomez"
"Yes, mistress; he is waiting in the
outer rOom."
"And is all in readiness, Eliza
beth ?"
"All, dear mistress, so far as I am in
question"
"And you, John"
az am ready, mistress"
'HThen hasten, for the time grows
short"
HOwland, without replying, snm-
mOned the magistrate, and in few
minutes more he had become the hus-
band of Elizabeth TiIlie, who, pale
and silent, looked rs little like bride
as he like q bridegroom. The ceremO-
ny over, and WinslOw gone, Rather
inc called the two to her bedside, and,
giving q hand to each, whispereda few
words of thanks and love; then clos
ing her eyes, lay still and silent, un-
til, as the beautiful light of the pure
morning broke over sea and sky, |
touching the sOmbTe forest and the |
rugged hills with glory, and transfor-
ing the Wilderness of wastes to gold |
en- highway leading straight from
earth to heaven, Katherine Carver's !
faithful soul went gently forth, see
ing reunion with her mate, and enter
ing as who shall doubt, into that |
eternal joy of which the purest and
the happiest earthly love is but dim
reflection.
John Rowland and his wife linger-
ed beside her grave when all else
were gone-she weeping, he still |
and self-contained. All at once she |
said:
"You love her better than me-
John, and you married me to pleas
ure her."
The husband was silent for while, |
then passing his arm around his wife's |
waist, he softly said:
"And as we both of us loved her, |
and she loved both of us, that love |
shall be holy tie between us, Eliza
beth, and out of it shall grow a happy |
and loving life, if you will help me to
cultivate it."
"And all for love of her?" persisted |
Elizabeth.
'She is now an angel in heaven,
and you are my wife, and all that 1 |
have on earth to love me or to love-
Elizabeth, will you love me, and help |
me to try to make happy life out of /
this our great sorrow ?''
And the young wife laid her hand |
in his, and they too went |
down the Burying Hill together, and |
home to the lonely house.