The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-05-18
"Hesyso deal WITH me ~ I am true to

~.ij u T." 5:.i %-j-y.,..- II. +, s....&,. .
"Heayso deal With me ~ I am true to
my trust sz.:r,s ..~.,.. ..~, =.
From my Utmost soul !; I said the
woFas,l and then went from the room
leaving tho father and; child alone TO-
getner..aoa ~. 4n.:.iI .2.:i. i r: :; /
The short weeks later, 10 found him
|ia his bedroom chair, cold and dead,
With smile upon his lips, and his face
turned to bis wife's portrait.
Seven long years passed away, bring
ing to our quiet homo no other change,
save that from grave sweet child Lisa
had developed into beautiful. woman
"A woman full Of noble, pure impulses,
quiet and digni6ed always, yet under
her calm exterior carrying . warm heart, |
loving and tender, and a soul tull of the |
Inspirations Of genius. A rare musician.
close student, and poet born, she
seemed set apart from her sex 10 every
pursuit and feeling.
Perhaps the circumstances of Der life
fostered these pecullarities. Her old
housekeeper, who had ruled all house.
hold mstters during Mrs. Chamberlaio's g
'lte' had never resigned one lota of her
authority, and Lisa was as ignorant of
the competition of . pudding or the
mysteries Of household economy rs any
maid. Her mornings we're spent 10
study in the afternoon she walked.
rode, or drove and the evening was
given up to music aud conversation
She made no friends 10 the town and
l bad gradually let my come e,tiou there
die out too. L was independent By the
death o: wealthy relative some two
years after: l came to Jamestown and
Tom had left Lisa handsome compe.
tency. 80 l had seen two new. physi-
/ cians establish themselves uoder my
very nose, With rofouod indifference :
mad only kept up eratutious practice
which the new comers showed no desire
TO. wrest from me.
Seven years Of closest intercourse
with Lisa had not been spent without
fulfilling TOMS charge to me. I had
learned to love Lisa. Not entirely with
the fatherly care Of her appointed guar
dian and her parents friend, but with
the whole force and power of a heart
untouched before, and won now BY
daily, almost hourly influence. The
wondrous powers Of her intellect m.
folded before me in her Intercourse With
me ae my pupil, amazed me, and drew
forth all my admiration her music
charmed me, and her gentle sweetness
drew my heart close into her keeping.
was to her guardian, her fathers
friend, whom she had promised to re-
'peot and obey, and to whom she gave
child's calm, sweet affection she was
to me tho Gun Of my lite.
i 1t was on her eighteenth birthday
that change came to break the mooot.
ony OF our peaceful, happy life. Her
fathers sister, who had sent now and
then short letter to her niece, wrote
now from g, inviting Lisa to
speod the winter with her; and en-
closed was a little note to me, saying
that the invitation was io accordance
with one of her brothers last requests.
Of course there was but one course
open. Lisa prepared to obey the sum-
mons and I wrote to engage rooms in
clearinghouse, where 1 had spent
much # my life before came to Lanes
town.
Once 6er:e temptation came over
me, then memory stilled it.
! l believe, l believe now, that if l
had asked Lisa to be my wife, she
would have accepted me, and given me
the pure Fiction OF an untried heart
but Tom had said once to me-
! "Let her see tho world before she
marries; aud oh Mark, where she gives
her hand, be sure that her heart goes
with it."
And l was not sure. There had been
40 test put to try this s!umberins
heart; perhaps mine was not the hand
to wakeu the music. So drove back
the desire, aud We went to g..
Mrs. Lafayette Gordon, Lisa's .uot,
was tie leader Of fashion iu O.
A gay, childless widow, wealthy and
handsome; she re'gocd supreme in the
word Of hlgh ton and Lisa was to see
the gayest OF gay life in her long win
ter.
"She worries mo dreadfully, Mark"
the child said to me. we.rily after .
week 1t Mrs. Gordon's. "She says I
must not stir from the house till I have
an entire new wardrobe. Aud she hss
filed my room with dry goods; and
has three women sewing their lives
away for my benefit. As if I cared {!
Read to ue sud let me rest," aod the
beautiful head sank back among the
sofa cusI lous to li.ten to . new poem
had found that day.
"You will come early on Wednes.
day." she said, ehen rose to leave
her, ''1t ls1ny debut. Is my aunt calls
it and l want your assistance. Mark
and she laughed shy1y, 81 am afraid
Of it all. lam . very savage, I 67d in
this new world"
promised al she wished, and left
| AnS n>-Y ASs. ~,