The herald. (Smyrna, Del.) 1870-1871, 1871-02-18
wanted to part.friendly.with all my pu-
pills, so I won't and sat down.by Joe. and

|
"What's the matter, Joe?" .a
She looked up with great calml eyes.
| I started in spite of myself. They were
no longer the eyes of a little girl. They
were the eyes of woman. ~--.-r...-,. =, .
"I never will forget your ungentle-
manly cruelty ,lnevcr, neverw sic said,
sternly as a man might have spoken.
tried To reason with her, telling her
had done it for her own good, but she
only shook her head and compressed
her lips. Ia .Htra
\ Well, J. went away from that neighbor-
hood never to return. Fortune favored
me and 1 became wealthy. Ten years
had made mo wiser man as we'll as a
richer one. Nor was 1 unknown 10
fame.
j a certain city whittier. I.had gone to
deliver course of lectures to young
mems society,sI got acquainted with a
young woman, Josephine Milroy, by
name, whose father was a millionaire
1 With this young lady fell desperately
in love. o, sir, she was superbly, regal
ly beautiful. She was finally. educated,
graceful,and the finest singer / have
ever heard in private. Her conversa
tional powers were charming, and
withal this she was tender and woman
ly. =" '
pressed my suit, never dreaming of
the little girl 1 had whipped in the coun-
try school-housc. She gave mo her
heart and the wealth, woman's affection
it contained, and I, Igavo her my very
soul.
| How happy was only a true lover,
who feels the glorious influence OF u gift
ed woman power, can know.
One ovenirg my afIianced bride and
/ took stroll together in the park OF
the city. We sat down ON tho grassy
brink of miniature lake, in the centre
of which great sea monster in bronze
threw up strong jets of flashing water,
while all around him lay green, fowery
slets bosking in the rich glories OF an
early June day.
We talked of our love and our coming
Z 4lnuptails, of the sweet, bright future that
lay beyos, l,srT Ts,-. az. vss.a blissful dream,
, a tender trance, d thrilling interlude be-
: yond the stern realities of life.
looked into the soft, dark eyes of the
. glorious woman beside, and down over
the full, round, queenly form, all, all
mine, and my heart swelled with pride
and thankfulness. Truly, 1 was blessed
beyond the common lot OF manl
What demon wandering over earth
entered me and my memory back to
the little log school-house in Pensylva-
mia? What tempted me to speak of lit
tie Joe Milroy? All, who can toll? No
: sooner did l mention that school house
and snme of its associations, than /
saw pallor chase the flush of love from
my companions face. Her lips grew
cold and firm, her eyes flashed.
"Are you that school-teacher, that mis-
erable wretch whose memory love to
detest? she asked, almost Iiercely.
saw my dreadful doom at once. 1
fell at her feet and plead ms only an elo-
quent, despairing man can plead, when
the wild, sweetSdream of his love is pas
sing from his vision forever.
"No, SIR" she said firmly, almost
cruelty. II can never marry the man
who beat me. My heart burns within
me whenever think of those shameful
blows. No, sir, no, never, l never can,
never will marry you ~
What I said cannot remember.
plead wildly, despairingly, groveling1
there at her feet.
It WAS all useless. She was as cold
and relentless as she had been warm
and affeetionate.
We parted forever. And now, sir, il
seems to me that of the acts of my life
there is but one l would wish to blot out
and that is the act once thought so just
and beneficial. o, ifI could suffer a rod
hot dagger through my heart for every
blow gave her, would gladly bear it
fit would give me back the pure love
of her glorious womanhood.
Now that can look coolly back over
the past there are many things in the
simple but bitter story of my love that
appear strange. The father of Josie Mil. |
roy was one OF the fortunateimen whom
the discovery of oil made suddenly rich.
he had become great financier and a
successful speculator. His daughter
and met after the ten years of our sep
aration under such vastly different cir
cumstances, that neither recognized the
other until that fatal evening. Some
times / still hope she will repent, but
have no proof that my hope has reason
able foundation. l will wait.