Urbana union. [volume] (Urbana, Ohio) 1862-1872, 1871-06-07

est rankness, splotched with blOOd-red
blossoms, and Over-fluttered by small,
songless, sun-winged birds. The furni-
ture in all the rooms was of the Orien-
tai style, and was composed of rose
wood, inlaid with gold and silver, the
seats being cushioned with rarest skins
of widest beasts from weirdes st Jungle
lands. Books, bound in tOrtoise-shells,
their titles incrusted with gems, lay
upon the tables. Matchless malachite
vases stood at intervals in the apart
ment, brimming with goldened Jas
mines and siIvered tuberOses, red came
las and dangling, blue-dotted lobelias.
The ceilings were freseOed with daz-
zTing designs, and pictures, ranging
from sembre Rembrandts to shining
Titians, hung between the many ivory
mirrors. Statues in bronze were STAN
ding indim, dark-lined inches, and car
ried the thoughts afar to other nations
and to other centuries when man was
less matter of fact than he is to-day
Torches of gum fiared and fiickered in
crested urns, and together with burn
ished cassOlets stepped the atmosphere
in a spicy aroma.
Visitors came and went. Men whose
achievements the world had applauded,
women whose beauty the world had
wOrshipped, and moved queenlike in
their midst-winning unasked and un-
wanted homage on every hand.
But my merciless misery had follow
ed me-fOlIOwed me even here; and
sleeping or waking, alone or in the COM
pany of others, it raeked and rended
me, giving me no respite, no relief
Every thought of the past was a pang,
every thought of the future was a fear,
while ever and ever the white, white
face, the wild, wild shrieIs Of the wO-
man in the vault seemed haunting me
to he'll!
We had been living abroad for almost
a year, when, wishing to embroider a
garland, one afternoon, 1 had arranged
my tapestry-frame, and gone to gather
some of my favorite flowers. Leaving
my 6oudOir, I descended the marble
steps that led thereto, and opening a
glass door I entered the conservatory.
Looking down; the dewy, dusky vista,
gorgeous in its gloom-veiled glow, Isaw
Il simmer and glimmer of kaleidO-
scopic colOrs. The lush, luxuriant
bOughs of tropical trees shut out the
that sifted through the crimson
crystal. Lank, umber-leaved creepers,
flushed with fringe-like flowers, twined
and climbed around the slender, milk
white shafts, until reaching the roof
they fell in crinkled iestoons around the
gilded capitals. Reddest roses with
fire-yellow hearts waved their orifam-
mes of beauty. Frosted chalices of
lilies, sparkling with silver wine, trem-
bled upon their slim, transparent stems.
Massive heaps of cactus burst into taper
like, topaz bloom. Honeysuckles and
heliOtrOpes shook and shivered in the
ecstacy of their OdCrs. Both the hem
ispheres and all the zones had given
floral offerings to this collection; and in
the midst of them all there stood an an
tique urn that spilled a flaky, foam
white cascade through its moss-lipped
mouth into tank of twinkling gold
fish. Above it a cockatoo chartered un-
and fiuttered its pearly, coral
lined plumage as it swung ceaselessIy
back and forth in its hoop of twisted
gold and silver. A clump of sapphire
Orbed viOlets had attracted my atten-
ton, and I was about to add one of them
to the green, rainbow-tinted selections
upon the shining salver which held in
my hand, when a servant appeared.
and gave me note from Aubrey, in
forming me of his arrival in the citv of
our sojournment in the course of his
and of his intention to call
upon us that evening. The intelligence
me-it turned my blood into
wine! l stood like the convict OIL the
gallOws, wh0sees a horseman thunder
ing down the street, waving a signal,
"Reprieve! Reprievev'
The day dragged to its close. 1 was
in the court, arrayed in blush
ing tulle and purest pearls, my silky,
hair half concealing my
marble-white brow, and my lustrous,
azure eyes.
1 was singing sweet, sweet Scottish
song:
20 mornin' life, 0 mornin' luve!
o lichtsOme days and lang!
When hinnied hopes around our hearts
Like simmer blossoms sprang!''
Suddenly heard a sigh-almost
turning I saw Aubrey, with an
impassioned look upon his
face, with tOuchingly tender express
sion upon his countenance. He ad-
clasped me eonvuIsively in
his arms-he kissed my brow-he called
me by all his earnest terms of endear-
ment; but stood silent, speechIess,
until the intensity Ofmy emotions over
came me, and sank into swOon.
Thus all our old time life and all our
old time love came back to us both in |
that blazing-hearted land of Cleopatra, |
beneath the grand, immortal skies that |
had witnessed her all-sacrifcing devo-
tiOn and her aspic death; the painful
past was forgotten and forgiven, and
when we separated it was with the un-
that we were to be married
in the spring.
PART V.
We, had returned to England, and
were residing at our town-hOuse in Lon
don.
Aubrey called to see me frequently, |
and to arrange for our approaching |