Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1871-08-31
terness about her mouth but she an.

terness about her mouth but she an
swered, TRANQUILITY,
"I have discovered him to be kint
and generous, and fond of me-. Tha
seems IS a good foundation for the low
which Mr.. Welch says comes afte
! marriage to most people.
j "It came before marriage to me,
and the old wife looked across to tn
husband, who had shared almost fort.
years of her guileless life, with blu
eyes not SO dim yet that the light Q
the dear old love could not brighter
them. qtMy heart misgives me, Ag
gie-I believe love ought to com
first, Just as preparation of hear
comes before the Supper of the Lord.
81 have made up my mind, tn
girl said. slowly, pausing to kiss tn,
placid face which love and "trutl
made so beautiful under its silver
hair; " and you must not frlghten M
at the outset. y"
No, child" it was the voice 0
father Deering which answered, "w'
will not say anything to, give yol
pain. We must not be selfish thougl
when you go you will carry our sun
shine with you.
"When 1 go, you will go. Die
you think I was going to leave you il
your old age; you who have sheltered
and cared for me all my life? Mr.
Welch understands that [ will never
go into any mans house without you
90 with me. Tell me, are you un.
willing to leave this home? for i
you are, I shall.rstay with you ii
it."
"Nay, child, nay, we cant keeE
you here against your will, and vel
cen shut up the old house and &c
with you for awhile; though vel
keep it to come back to, when Mr.
Welch gets tired Of seeing such ole
faces round. Only, darling, think o.
it well, and make pretty sure thai
the love will come before you try
it."
a Mr.. Welch may as we'll get tired
of seeing my face when he gets tired
of yours" Agnes answered, proudly
taking no notice of the last part o.
father behring's sentence. Then she
kissed them both, and went away to
her own room. -.
She had never loved any man in
her twenty-five years Of girlhood
but she had come dangerously nea,
it five years before. If Giles Hamp-
ton had asked for her heart he would
have won it; but she was too proud
to give it quite unsought. He went
off to China, where some friend o.
the family was ready to put him in
the way Of making his fortune, and
he had remained ever since among
the queer people at the antipodes
She thought then he had left hel
heart-whole. But she knew, in the
silence of her own soul tonight, that
she cared more for one curl of his
chestnut hair than she ever should
care for this man, who was going tc
buy her with such royal bounty.
She took out the slight relics O.
that fve-years-ago summer few
flowers, book, a scrapor two of ten
der poetry, cut out Of newspapers
only such trihes, and yet she felt as
if she were burning something more
precious than all Solomon Welch's
gold could ever buy, asshe held them
one by one, in the flame of her can
die, and watched them shrivel away
into white ashes. Then she thought
she was free of Giles Hampton. She
was going to be her own mistress
and never think of him again-why
not?
1 cannot stop to chronicle the de-
tails of Mr.. Welch's days Of betroth'
al. The purchase-money was dis
bursed literally. The three months
between the engagement and the mar
riage, began with diamond ring o
matchless splerdor and ended with
bridal-veil, which was at once the
envy and the despair Of every female
eye in Bloomfield.
And SO, at last, Agnes Deering
married. I write the word reluc
family of such nuptials. To my mine
she fell from her high estate Of puri
ty, almost as much as though no mar
riage ceremony had been performed
for marriage, where no love is, ceases
to be sacramental.
It was the proudest day of Solo
mon Welchs >life-the day he lee
her to the alter; the proudest day h'
ever had seen, or would see. Sh'
looked wonderful, with her white
silk and orange flowers, the misty
splendor of her bridal-veil falling
about her, and the diamonds he hung
that morning in her ears, and fasten
ed at her throat, glittering through
it. If she looked as cold and prouc
as she was fair, that did not suit hin
ill, either; you know it was his the
ory that love should come after mar
riage.
He took her home, when their bri
dal-tour was over, to his splendic
house, the princeliest mansion in al
Bloomfield and then, when they set
tied down there, it appeared on hi
programme that she was to love him
He had begun by this time to be tor
mented with devouring thirst for sucl
a return for the worldly goods
with which he had endowed her
Father and mother Deering had beer
established, during the absence of th'
married pair, in the Welch mansion
ana when the master of that abod,
saw his wife greet them; saw the
swift color on her cheeks, the sudder
light in her eyes, the eager smile, h,
knew what the language of lips ant
eyes might be, and never had beer
for him and root ofhate was plant
ed in his heart, which would bear bit
ter fruit by-and-by.