Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-12-01

purpose, how honorable you have been
In all your acts. And / feelT-oh, how
lkeenlyl the force OF this blow, which
now so cruelty separates ,us. But
Charles, il is our destinyl" ""N
Her lover could not reply. He had
no words with which he could consist
emily combat the determination OF
Emily's parents to bring their aeqnain-
tance to an end. He was powerless now.
Does not this plan, after all, said
Emily, seem the best2 Is II not better
for me and for you? Let us wait. Let
us hope. We care young. We can well
wait for while. We must part for the
present. do not bring my mind to be-
| llieve it, as you hint, forever"
| A groan escaped her lover lips, as he
briefly responded, Nay, Emily, do not
deceive yourself in this. You are de-
stined for anotherl Not for mel "
II am aware of your fears. know
that my mother urges this. But as j
now feel, Charles, would rather seek
my grave than become the wife of Mr..
Warton. Do not doubt me, Charles
Have no fears, indulge in no specula-
tions upon this score. Take courage
begin anew. Establish yourself in some
honorable calling somewhere. Continue
TO be a man, as you have thus far shown
yourself to me. And permit no adverse
fortune to dampen the hope that you and
| / will yet entertain, that we shall meet
hereafter happily, when the barrier to
our present intimacy shall have been
removed by favorable fortune. Rely on
me, Charles, as | will rely on you. But
for a tinie-it is inevitable-we must be
separated. Wait and hope"
The young man had feared it would
come to this He knew that Emily had
long been urged to discard him. And,
notwithstanding her assurance now, he
felt that this parting was to be final. He
hoped, it is true; but it was against hope.
He believed in Emilys truth and good
intent. But he felt that she did not real
ize the power that her parents possessed
over her. NA
And so he said: Dear Emily, your
words do not surprise me. / have long
been prepared for the results Of your
parents opposition to me. | cannot
control events. ! am too poor, and too
wretched in spirit now, to offer scarcely
a word that might SAVIOR of resistance to
this command on the part Of those who
have the right to control you for the
present. I am grieved, but | will be re-
signed will wait and hope, as you
suggest, / trust that you have well con-
sidered the future, dear Emily. But, in
all candor let me tell you what must in
evitably follow this act ON your father s
part. i sec that it is but the beginning
Of the end, alas for me! But / am still
powerless to avoid it or prevent it. 1t is
| the design Of your parents to unite you
in marriage to John Warton. Sooner or
later, this will be the result And mark
what now say to you. 1t is but a ques-
ton Of time. If you live, you will be his
wife; though he is more than twenty
years your senior, and this idea may be
very distasteful to you tonight"
iF'Oh Charles how can you suggest this
possibility exclaimed Emily, warmly.
81 know it is at this moment disgust
ing, and you may experience astonish-
ment at these words, dear Emily. And
now farewell, until we may meet under
more promising auspices for you and for
me-" iea
He kissed her, embraced her, and left
her amid her tears And, within five days,
young Hemmenway took passage in a
vessel to the West Indies. He at once
found a situation in a shipping house,
where he succeeded very handsomely in
business for time. He then went to
Valparaiso, where he was still more for
tunate, and where he remained some
years.
The above events occurred in 1856 and
81. No communication passed between
the parties for long period The sum-
mers came, and the winters passed away,
year after year. And Emily reached
her twenty-second birthday John
Wharton had been constant visitor in
her fathers family for three long years.
John was very respectable man, and
his wealth increased as he grew older.
The mother of Emily had been unremit-
ting in her efforts to bring about the
union between her daughter and this
exemplary man." And Emily at last
yielded, and made John 'eternally hap
py," sohe declared, by finally becoming
Mrs. Warton. l.l
Charles Hemmenway prophecy was
thus fulfilled. Emily had never heard
one word of her former ardent lover from
the night he left London; and she did
not know whether he was alive or dead,
fortunate or unfortunate, married or
single, happy or unhappy.
In the meantime the young man pur-
sued the even tenor of his way, but never
heard. of Emily's fate during his long
absence from home and kindred.
And so some seven years passed away.
Emily had been a welded wife FIVE years,
and was the mother of two blooming
children. John Warton died, and left
Emily heir to his handsome property,
which proved ample for her generous
support and that Of the two little ones.
The blooming widow went to reside in
charming villa at Reigate, keeping
herself aloof from society, and ignoring
all advances she encountered from the
opposite sex, although she still retained
her beauty and was now a matured and
elegant woman in every respect.
One morning in the early part of 1864,
Mrs. Warton was returning from visit
10 her parents in London. She sat
alone in the railway carriage, until the
train reached Forest Hill, where gen
tleman, apparently thirty-two or thirty
three years Of age, though somewhat
older in fact, entered. She was attired
in plain black, and veil fell from her hon
net oyer her face, The gentleman was
a stranger, and he did not observe her
troubled countenance for a moment.
Mrs, Warton thought she recognized him,
however, and she threw aside her veil,
to see what might be the effect, perhaps.
As she turned toward him, he started,
peered into her face anxiously, put out
his hand, and earnestly exclaimed,
Emily, is it your"
q "Charles Hemmenway,n responded the
fair widowr''is it possible you have re-
turned aliye2
ut seems like itl'' he said, smiling.
And the two old friends were quickly
in converse.
Emilys former lover had Just returned
from South America, where he had re
sided for the last four years, and where
he had amassed pretty fortune. He
had now come home TO enjoy it. He
had only learned the day before that his
Emily had became Mrs. Warton; that she
was, NOV a widow; and he resolved to
eaek her ont and learn rhathar he had