The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1870-06-29

stlCSU etiG NO WOIO WIZ. N1S tuO fCly
best one we could consult; but found
he had gone out to grand party the
servants said-and after waiting three
hours, 1 had to come away without
seeing him."
"What is your fathers ailment p
Perhaps I may know of some .skilful
physician" l said; and then curiosity
got the better of discretion, and with
the Witness of the tempter of Eve, |
added-"What name shall ask for, if
l succeed in finding one to accompany
me to your house 2"
80 how good you are!' she cried,
gratefully. "Lister is the name. My
father is an artisan excellent artist;'
and her face frightened up into perfect
radiance as she dilated on his genius.
"Many of his paintings have been in
the Exhibition but since he fell i'll he
has not been able to devote himself to
his art at all, and we have no money
that is" she interrupted herself hasti-
ly, whilst deep flush swept over her
check, 1--WE are not quite so well off us
we were, and we do not know many
people; for my mothers time is so
much taken up with attending on my
poor father, that she is unable to 60
out and see friends.'
0 how my heart bled for the child,
as all unconsciously and artlessly she
revealed in her innocent words the ter
rible poverty and anxiety that filed
her home life!
BY this time we had reached our des-
tination, a small but clean-looking
house in Spa-road. A face looked
hurriedly out of window as we rang
the bell, and a woman's voice exclaim-
ed, "Iti is Nellie at last, thank Godw
clasped her hand a moment as
said goodbye, and slipped into it my
card with ..'Mr. Mark Fleming, 4Arun-
del street Strand" neatly engraved up
on it; and then had to charter a We
hicle, for there were no more trains
that night, to take me home and to
bed, where 1 might dream Of "only a
FACET
i Three days slowly Jagged on their
course, crawling snail-like enough, as
vainly attempted to devote my atten-
ton to my usual avocations. During
the whole of the time l was perpetual
ly haunted by that face-Nellie's face
for already, after the fashion of lovers,
| had begun to call her Nellie to my
self.
r It did not in the least signify what
subject I wrote on, or what interesting
matter studied: a vision stood ever
J beside me with violet eyes looking
5 pleadingly out of their great depths
into mine. SO extraordinary change
: had feverish fancy wrought in my usu
ally prosaic and somewhat matter-of
fact temperament, that my imagina'
ton became affected; and in moments
, of Temporary insanity" to'nse an ex
aggerated term, caught myself actu
ally listening, with a painful tension
5 of the nerves of my organ of hearing
for flutter of starry wings which
might bear away my angel from me.
"Mark Fleming" I said to myself
: team it be possible that any amount o
$ sense you fatter yourself you posses
has been dispersed to the four wind
l at your mature. age of thirty-fve b,
Q only face ? Nothing morei Th
. face, too, of a girl over whose brigh
head not more than half your year
/, have Eolled? Chi bono ?-this insan
: infatuation, this following of will-o'
s the-wisp. Marriage, that usual ulti
: matum and disideratum of feeling
n such as you are INDUCING in, would b
: simply ridiculous mistake. May an
December welded together make bu
a sorry pair. Shake yourself up, Marl
Q and don't be such an egregious fool !
Descend from the regions of shadow
visions, return to earnest, healthy lif'
It and forget-what? Only face al
It ter ALL"
Not so easy. The spirit was willing
: amenable to the mandates of reason
n but the flesh was horribly, terribl
IS weak. Like the anecdote of the oil
: woman and the gin-palace, for thre
W days I had manfully resisted putin
IS myself i'll the way of temptation; Q
the fourth, I was forced to treat RESI-
II luton.
:, remembered the address of an O
,, chum of mine, whom I knew to be Q
re the top ladder in his profession al
at half-past three we were steamir
II away toward Elysium, alias Spa-roa
g Spa-road was my oasis in the deseI
$ the nest that contained my bird OF Pa
ID Ladise, the tiny speck on earthin whit
" blossomed the 1oveliest flower, an Sc
lg otto of celestial birth that should hal
Id only blossomed in celestial air." a
in ready but knew
OF 1.-TWO separate worlds; the one, thatsmi
erl Beloved and consecFated spot
Where Nellie was; the other, all
10 dull sAaS OF yrh nj