Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1871-10-04
A Chapter From Life.

A Chapter From Life.
My thoughts have wandered back, tonight, |
to the friends, the hopes, the loves Of the
long ago All, all are gone
Only the little brown house by the sea-
shore is left, and it, too, is fast going to decay. I
loved it so well in my childhood. l love
it better than anything in life now, aud once
in a long while | leave the world with all its |
glare and glitter and 90 back to dream my
old dreams in the dear old home down by the
sea.
We were very happy there, mother father,
Lulu and |. Lulu was our darling. She
could show you where to find the shadiest
dells aud softest moss seats, where the flowers
bloomed brightest, and the birds sang sweet |
est.
1t seems but yesterday that she left u.s. yet
many years have driited away into the vast
unknown since then.
Lulu was little more than child when
Cecil Clyde came, with his fascinating man
ners, and sweet, seductive aattcr, which
charmed the ear of our woodland blossom,
aud he won her heart
was a skillful physiognomist, aud did
not like the mans face. To be sure it pos
sessed the beauty Of a Greek God but, for
me- there was charm lacking. 1t was not
intellect, for he was gloriously gifted. |
came to the conclusion that intense self-love
marred his character, and had left its impress
on his features.
Mother would not listen to anything | said
against Cecil Clyde; | think she was as much
dazzled as Lulu. We we're not rich, and, in
a worldly point Of view, the match would be
a brilliant one for our darling
why should cloud the bright future
that arose before her with dark forebodings ?"
mother argued. thought perhaps she was
right. Because the waters Of the fountain at
which | had drank turned bitter as those of
Marah to the taste, did it follow that she
would not always sip the nectar of life 2 So
pressed my lips firmly together, and went
about my home duties with a new pain at my
heart.
One bright September morning Cecil Clyde
took Lulu to his elegant city home--his bride.
Letters came often to gladden. our hearts,
telling of her happy life, Of her husband s
/ love aud kindness, the balls aud parties which
she attended, and how she liked his gay friends
to admire her, because it pleased her hus.
band
Then the silence grew longer, and the let
ters were tinged with sadness.
Ere long she wrote for me to come to her
"She piued for glimpse of the dear home
faces
1t was evening when reached their splen
did mansion, and | was ushered into bril-
liantly lighted drawing-room. | will not stoI
to describe il; ; the mirrors, the draperies, tn,
consoles, the paintings, the bronzes, in fact al
the articles Of uertu were such as we find in
rich mems homes, but Cecil had such exquisite
taste, that they were more artistically arranged
than we usually see them.
Cecil came forward to meet me, and welcom
me TO his home. In a moment Lulu entered
her movements were slow and graceful an
her manners those of an elegant city-bre
lady.
= The kiss that she gave me was as warm an
loving as in the old days, but she did no
throw her arms around me in the old impul
siye way. saw that she had toned the mu
sic of her life down to suit the delicate, refr
ed ear Of her husband.
She was dressed for party at foreig
T minister's, and she wore her favoritc colo
= pale blue.
i Her dress was rich satin, with an oyerski
b of whith lace, caught up here and there wit
;. sprays Of Lilies of the Valley. On her nee
8 were rare oriental pearls and sapphires, and
i band of the same precious stones was iastene
amid the cleaning gold of her hair.
o Cecil stopped toward her to arrange Il
Il band little higher, and as his hand touchc
r her forehead deep flush stoleo over her beaut,
II and startled, glad light came into her eye
1t was a slight thing, but fancied from
that Cecil was more chary of his caress
than in the days when his love was young
Lulu proposed that they should remain
i home with me ; but noticed Cecils bro
$ slightly darken, although he was too poll
'e to object. | did not think Lulu had SCI
J. the look, she was always such a careless o
l. server.
u insisted on their going; and when Ce'
Y left the room for moment she turned to II
"a with look of weary agony in her blue ey'
W and said
ns "Ah he knows Miss Earle will be the
tonight saw the look of dsappointme
which came into his face"
Then her husband returned, folded her
mine cloak about her, aud led her to the OF
ng riage. And sat down, amid the empty gra
nd deur of her home to muse about my darli
little sister.
~ Bitter, bitter thoughts were in my het
or that night. 1t seemed so hard that even 4
could not be spared from sorrow.
The next morning noticed how pale a
d weary my sister looked She was as iau
" essy lovely as ever, only the sunny gadn
~ had gone out Of her face.
After breakfast, when Cecil had gone
N. his law office, she twined her arm around 4
So and we went all over her beautiful home.
to | asked her who Miss Earle was2
dc " Oh, she is an enchantress 20
But what is she to Cecil 2" lpersist'
" Nothing she is so magnifcently beau
-, ful, that Of course he admires her. Forl
x what said last night, it was nonsense !"
W. | thought Cecil had whispered in his wifi
3 ear, do not prejudice your sister agaiI
Miss Earle" But | kept my thoughts
llf myself and determined to watch this Ce
rs closely.
he The following evening we went to bI
IT. liant party, and met Marion Earle.
She came late, and every eye was turn
rs upon her as she entered She moved do
a. the long saloon with slow, languid gra
ly bestowed bows and smiles here and the
ito with the air of an empress. As she cal
ne near Cecil noticed her smile grow brig
m or, and she flashed on him tender, drear
H. glance with her brilliant almond.shap
eyes.
watched his face closely, and saw I
- color leave it, and his hand trembed as
"a handed her a chair. Intense passion "
"a written on his face-a passion for the sir
he ha into whose eyes he was gazing Her spar
,s ~ ling, oriental beauty and wonderful fascin
- - tions had won the mans reason, If not
~ heart. was inclined to doubt if he posse
" ed one, since ho could be insensibe to /
y" pure love which his fair young wife ga
him, and allow woman to lead him on
ruin, because her beauty beamed on him
e, radiantly, and her eyes looked love in
his.