The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1871-08-31

orrow as this was beyond the reach of
loctof,s stod. His he4rtrw4s broken.
as had an illness of two. months or
more !; slow, sure sickness that never
1uctuated, but day by day certainly
ragged him nearer to the grave. He
knew that he was dying, but he never
mentioned his son. 1t was bis bitterest |
reflection to feel that the gamblers CAL
'ulation had been lucky, and that his
death would shamefully enrich him.
Magdalen hardly ever left him. No.h-
ing could exceed the devotion, the ten
aerness, with which she pursed him.
If love could have saved him he had
not died while she had been with him
She had the rare power of embellishinp
sick-room making it rather a beau
titul cradle of weakness than the ante.
chamber to the grim tomb: that power
which comes only by a xoman's love.
The friends who camo to see them re.
marked On that exquisite order and the
melancholy beauty she had given ; and
many CT them said that Miss Treyelvan
had changed her fathers sick. bed into
a throne. The old man appreciated her
now Tor the FIRST time. He had never
loved her as he had loved his son in.
deed, he never loved her much at all,
She had been born after that terrible
night''-~hich no one but himself and
his God knew of-when his wife's
dreamy lips, Franccsca-like, muttered
the secret kept for so many painful
years, and told him that she had never
loved him. Msgdalen had always SEEM
ed to him to be the ratification of his
despair, as Andrew mad been the full
tllment Of bis hope and it was only
now, for the first time in life, that he
acknowledged be had been unjust. The
poor girl had felt the difference made
betweeo them both, but she believed it
arose from some fault in herself. She
knew there was but little virtue in
Andrew. Now she had taken her true
position in her fathers love, aud had
become really dear to HIM. Before, ho
had been coldly proud Of Ter beauty,
and he had respected her character :;
but he had never loved her. Since his
illness 1t was different. He was only
happy when she was sitting at the foot
OF the bed where he could see her.
only easy when she was in the room
and before his eyes. Once che heard
him say, "BhDd blind y and "Aveng.
ed !" while looking at his sons por-
trait, hanging against the wall just
above her head, as she stood by the
table. Blind yes, as too many of US
a'e blind, both in our loves and our
Interpretations.
= At last he died. He had been sink
ing rapidly for some time, but still his
death wssssudden at the very last.
Magdafen was alone with him. She had
given him his medicine, and had just
shaken up his pillows and smoothed the
coverlid, when she saw his countenance
change. She went closer to him and
asked him if be wanted anything she
thought he was feeling faint, perhaps.
His lip slightly moved, but she heard
no sound issue from it; his eyes grew
fixed, and that terrible film came over
them; she raised his head, again he
slightly smiled "a sigh and then she
was alone.
Andrew did not know of his fathers
illness. More than once Magdalen had
entreated Der father to allow her to
write to him, but be used to answer,
"No, my love, not yet-not till l give
you leave" in tone and manner 80
DISTINCT aud positive, that she felt moth
ing more was to be said. And in his
state of weakness she was careful to be
obedient to the utmost, fearing that he
should think her undutiful because he
was unable to be authoritative. So the
old man had sickened and died in
peace; and Magdalen was not sorr1
that his death.bed had been uudisturb
ed by the mockery Of her brothers pre-
tended love. But when she was lef
alone she wrote hastily to Andrew, tel
ling him what had happened, saying
that her father would not allow her t,
write to him to inform him Of his i'll
ness, but that now he was the head O
the family, and must take everything
on himself begging him at the end o
her letter to come down Immediately
and manage all as he liked, Andrew
gave long whistle j.; "What !" he said
"gone so soon! That little jade ii
she had only told me he was i'll, l coul'
have got ten per cent. more. I'll pa,
her out for this J! Well see Who will b,
master and who mistress, when I've 60
things into my own hands However,
can't go down tonight, 50 they ma,
middle away by themselves Is the,
like" ~. -. 49,. - .l, -.x..
The reason Why he could not go down
that night was, that he had made no .
whist-party with cards 80 cleverly mark.
ed that no one could detect them; and
Is he expected to clear nearly . hun,
bred pounds by this coup, he was no.
disposed to lose such a good chance be-
cause his father was lying dead at home
and his sister did not like to be alone
He wrote, however, : few lines ex.
pressing 'his surprise It the news ; not !,
word Of grief: he md nd iiaed now ID