Vicksburg weekly herald. (Vicksburg, Miss.) 1868-1883, 1870-06-25

AHA AA&HA as ANMA AAAH 8H 4N
other gods before me-
Tie season Of asins and anoEs
had passed che time 81 praises and
flowers was waning, when 3 shock
awoke Alene from her ideal life.
False tongues. the whispered more
than they knew, whispered of his
devotion 70 others charms. IL was
enough; she wa herself again.
0verrating her own poweFs she
sain,-
sIf he does not love me, even a.
7 love him, these chains must break
lt once and forever
Then the hot, i%npOtuons PRIDE
that had ever been a characteristic
Of Dare blood, burst into life not
in its infancy, but In fnll.grown
stature. She hastily penned few
lines to the effect that their c0rre-
spoudence was at an end. DE was
astonished aud gFieved, and haeten-
ed to her for an explanation but
she could motor would n0t-lay
before him her maddened jealousy ;
so she babe pride keep the citadel
Of her heart and dictate the words
Of her lips. And he left her unsat-
isfied as he came, only distrust had
usurped the place of hope.
AS Tor her, the sun that last rose
on a warm-hearted, generous girl,
would in It's next rising, shine on a
cold, cynical woman. She review
ed the past year, knew Ito promised
fruit had turned to ashes on her
lips knew that the stars had disap-'
peared, leaving 0 darkness than
which no Hades could be blacker.
She babe farewell TO every sweet
dream, shut down the coffin-lid over
her dead hopes, left pride to guard
the charnel house; and with q
false strength, born of unsanctlhed
sorrow, took up the burden Of life.
God pity those-and their ranks
are numerous-who walk through
the fiery furnace alone, as Aleno
didl
There was one more last linger-
ing look at the picture, then hold
Ing it in the blaze she watched 10
, slowly crumble to ashes. AS its
last lineament disappeared she MUIR
mured,- Il.
$50 Perish the last hopes OF
Youths dream! And the future
she shuddered-'1f | wonld paint
| a device Of il, il would be q dead
: heart chained to a golden chariot"
e Then her head dropped low on
the table, aud her soul seemed to
grovel in the depths till she drank
| the very dregs of the bitter cup.
!. When she again raised her dis
/ pairing lace her eye rested on
{, small package her betrothed had
sent her that morning. In be-
: cold indifference she had laid !
II down, aud had not even thought 0
y it since. Scarcely conscious o
what she did, she unbound It, am
unclasping a beautiful Bible 1t fol
K open, displaying a photograph O
DIR. Hall. His eyes seemed almos
10 trying to speak TO comfort her II
% her travail Of soul aud g~lancinI
Of below she saw, underlined, tn
IN words "PeaCe be STILL"
e. Listlessly she read the narativ
ofthe storm, and her mind wander
ed in a visionary way TO Lake Gt
nesareth. She saw the wild wave
90 the fearful tempest, the little Bhi
1t tossed, and heard the desparing q
lll of the disciples. And through
all the kindly eyes seemed fixed
err saddened love upon her, till hnall
ct she felt herself alone on the littl
ii vessel, ready TO sink, aud graspiD
'k the Bible and the picture, she presl
IS ed them to her heart and fell on be
knees, crying
"Saye, Lord, orI perishi"
Was this only the phantasm Of q
lp excited brain? Or was II the spir.
freed for a moment from materii
d. connection, gazing on q true spiril
ual scene?
But here we leave her for awhilI
Ii The reconciliation between q sol
IS, and its God is too sacred for III
r. novelisr's dissection.
i. > y = y =
Y. When, an hour later, Maud tap
IL ped on the door, Alene opened
a. with DR.. Halls photograph in be
l. hand aud a new light Ia her softer
n ed eyes. AS they crossed the roof
IL aud seated themselves, Maud lOOi
ed at her little curiOusly and ft
1t ally sald,--
"What has transformed you
'p Why, You look just as you did 81
ID years ago. When we were yOunI
er Tom"
Is "Ah, Maud, hush Between sue
friends as we are fiattery Is yer
o. much out of place."
''But am not ~hattering. ! didn
D. say you looked just as young I
5. yon did then-or, | don't mean thu
'. but there's something's don
r. know what is the matter. Is It Ii
I'd light in your eyes, Or your smile, {
~ what Is it?-witA which time be
TO rolled backward six years? re
me what fairy has been here sine
&c | left?'
ar Alene said nothing, but merel
Id smiled a happy smile, while Mau
unbound her raven tresses ; leanin
over her Maud looked again In he
e. happy face, aud then stopping i
front Of her asked
re "Was it not that pompous lord {
wealth and style, Mr.. Awhile, VIII
Is said you were beautiful as the gil
Q. tering iceberg in the sun, but at th
same time, il possible, even MOI
Up cold and heartless ; that, like 1t, 70
~ drank In every ray Of warmth, an
I'd love around you, but still, like !
nc you were unimpTessible p
eyes; and as his verdict Is Ii
i" verdict ofthe world,as fer as / kno'
- "a - aA L. lA IT..