The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-11-10
vol. XVH.---NO. %.

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was sure the other was to carry off tin
prize.
And 50 they walked together, he day
t after their arrival, to the little ,ttage
The conversation was begun > eacl
Of the gentleman expressing his con
viction that her decision wasains
him, and offering to retire.
Priscilla leaned her head on hel
hand minute. Then she began: "l
told you, my friends, that / thought
God would decide for me. He has. ]
can marry neither of you"
The two friends looked at one an
other in doubt and amazement.
'"Three sisters, four brothers, and
my father died of pulmonary disease.
OF eight children only am left, nd
in three months my mother wi be
chiidless. God has decided for me.
Why should give either of you pain
by making decision"
For the first time, in the imperfect
light, they noticed the flushed cheeks,
and for the first time they detected
the quick breathing. 1t was a sad
hour, and when they walked away
the two friends were nearer than ever,
for nothing brings souls together so
much as a common sorrow.
And as day after day the two friends
visited her in company, the public,
aud particularly that part of the pub
lie which peeped out of Miss Nancy
MOre's windows, was not little mys-
titled. Miss More thought girl who
was drawing near to the solemn and
awful realities of eternal bliss should
let such worldly vanities as Markusses
alOnel
y singular change came over PIis-
ella in one regard. AS the prospect
of life faded out, she was no longer in
danger of being tempted by the title
and wealth Of the Marquis. She
could be SIRE that her heart was not
bribed. And when this restraint of a
conscience abnOrmally sensitive was
removed, it became every day more
and more clear To her that she loved
d'EntremOnt. OF all whom she had
ever known, he was a companion.
And as he brought her choice passages
from favOrite writers every day, and
as her mind grew with unwoDted ra-
| pidity under the influence of that
! strange disease which shakes the body
down while it ripens the soul, she felt
more and more that she was growing
out Of sympathy with all that was
narrow and provincial in her former
/ life, and into sympathy with Gods
/ great world, and with Antoine d'En-
fremont who was the representative
Of the world to her.
This rapidly growing gulf between
hi own Intellectual life and that of
/ Priscilla, Henry Stevens felt keenly.
| But there Is one great compensation
! for soul like Henry's. Men and wo-
men of greater gifts might Outstrip
| him in intellectual growth. He could
! not add one cell to his brain, or make
| the slightest change in his temper
ameat. But neither the Marquis nor
I Priscilla could excel him in Inat gift
/ of noble generosity which does not al
| ways go with genius, and which is not
/ denied to the man OF the plainest gifts.
He wrote to the Marquis -
"MY DEAR FRIEND:-You are
| coed and generous friend. / have
read in her voice and her eyes what
| the decision of Priscilla must have
/ been. If had not been blind, ought
| TO have seen it before in the differ
/ ence between us. Now | know that
/ IL will bs comfort to you to have
! that noble woman die your wife. /
! doubt not it will be a comfort 10 her.
I Do you think It will be any cOnsOla-
| ton TO me to have been an obstacle in
/ the way? hope you do not think so
nieanIy of me, and that you and Pri5-
/ ella VIII give me the only cOnsola-
| tion | can have in our common sorrow
the feeling tht | have been able to
/ make her last days more comfortable
and your sorrow more bearable. If
1 you refuse, l shall always reprOach
/ myself. HENRY
/ need not tell Of the discussion that
| ensGed. But it was concluded that it
was best for all three that Priscilla
and the Marquis should be married,
much to the disgust Of Miss Nancy
l More, who thought that "she'd better
be sayin' her prayers. What good
would il do to be March-oness and
all that when she 6as in her cOffin.u
y wedding in prospect of death is
more affecting than funeral. Only
| Henry Stevens and Anna POindeXter
were to be present. PT1scilla's mother
/ had completed the arrangements,
| blinded by tears. l think she could
I have dressed Priscilla for her coffin
with less suffering. The white dress
locke 1 80 like shroud, under those
/ Sunken cheeks as white rs the dress,
Once or twice Priscilla had drawn her
/ mothers head TO her BOSOM and
! Wept.
Poor mother" she would say, $50
soon to be alone. But Antoine will
| be your SON."
There was one more at the wedding
than was intended. The family ply
sician was there. For Just as the
dressing of the pale bride was COM
pleted, there came one of those sudden
break-dOwns TO which a eOnsumpiive
is so liable. The doctor said that
there was internal hemOrrhage, and
gave but a few hours Of life. When
the Marquis came he was heart-bro-
ken to see her lying there, so still, so
white-dying- She took his hand.
She beckoned to Anna and Henry
Stevens to stand by her, and then,
| with teaT-blinded eyes, the minister
! married them for eternity Then the
door opened, and the ten little Sunday
school boys from Shutdown marched
in. Each of them had bouquet pro-
vided 0y Henry Stevens for the we'd
ding. When the leader of the file
saw her so sick he began to cry. She
took his bouquet aud kissed him.
| Then the little fellow rushed out,
weeping piteOusly. Esch of the others
followed his example.
Feeling life ebbing, she took the hand
of the Marquis. Then, holding to the
hand of d'EntremOnt, she beekoned
Henry to come near. As he bent over
her she said, looking significantly at
the Marquis, +" Henry, God bless you,
my noble-hearted friend" And as
Henry turned away, the Marquis put
his arm about him, and said grateful
ly, Henry God ,CiU bless you"
Priscilla's nature abhorred any,
thing dramatic in dying, or rather she
did not think Of effect at all. So she
made no fine speeches. But when she
mad ceasedto breathe, the old preacher
said "The bridegroom has come"
And he was more eloquent than he
knew.
She left an envelope for Henry.
What it had in it no one but Henry
ever knew. ] have heard him say that
it was one word, which became the
key to all the happiness of his after
life. Judging from the happiness he
has in his home with Anna, his wife,
it would not be hard to tell what the !
word was. The last time j was at his |
house | noticed that their eldest child /
was named Priscilla, and the boy who I
came next was Antoine. Henry told 1
me that Priscilla left sort of wilP' /
for TIE Marquis, in which she asked /
him to do The Christian work that sue .
would have liked TO do. Nothing I
could have been wiser if she had only |
sought his OWE happiness, for in ac-
tivity for others is ihe only safety for a |
restless and skeptical mind. He had |
make himself the special protector of