Whig and tribune. [volume] (Jackson, Tenn.) 1870-1877, 1872-07-13
CLARIBEL.
BY W. J. COBB, ia.

.
ed Claribel Wayne. She looked
! beautiful with her long curls hang
/ ing gracefully down her neck. Her
light airy form well delineated by
I the loose flowing robe she wore aud
| her face radiant in its wealth OF
/ girlish beauty. Her left hand held
| her upgathered skirts, the other
I contained a bunch Of field yiolets
( surrounding full blown lily
| scarcely as white as her little hand.
/ As she entered the grove she unfas-
I tened q little gate which led into q
Z garden, the sound OF merry voices
| greeted her hearing. aud Nastcr
| Livingston, Ciaribcls brother anC
! Paul CrOsbie, the pale, grave organ
ist Of the village church, soon reach
/ ed her side, greeting her with a cor
! diaiity which her aimability aud at
/ tractlveuesS ever won from the most
/ careless acquaintance.
lUu truaut.' exclaimed Mabel
I tapping her playfully on the cheek.
"We have been looking for you over
an hour. What beautiful nowers1
| Where did you got them?'
Claribel looked up brightly.
"Ok, down in the meadow. The
! fields are fairly strcwu with them.
did not expect you would come 50
soon" she added apOlogeticRlly,
! "and wandered Of" her eyes foll
/ full upon the earnest gaze of Mr..
| CrOsbie, and she hesitated, colOring;
Sin search OF flowers" she added IN
u subdued tone, for no one knew,
/ save hsrself, that il was in hopes OF
| meeting him, that she had crossed
the meadow, a favOrite walk of his
when he came 10 call upon her.
The company r0traced their way,
/ Mabel and Mr.. Wayne were some
steps in advance chatting merrily,
the grave, sad organiSt and Caribel
lettering behind, the latter tearing u
violet in pieces as che listened TO Mr..
| Crosbie.
az have wished to see you, he said,
/ quietly, "and l do not know but
that will condemn me for presump-
] tiOn, but" and then as Miss LiY-
ingstOn tHTned with a pert inquiry
I to Claribel, lie pressed a note into
her hand and finished his sentence
with the whispered words, Eau
swer me at the rehearsal tomorrow
evening"
Claribel like half frighted bird
Joined Mabel, and a few moments
conversation at the gate and a PROM
ise TO be early at the choir-meeting,
she bid farewell to her friends, Ma
bel and Mr.. Crosbie, who slowly
wended their way toward their
homes.
Her heart beat high when upon
reaching her room she read Paul
CrOsbie's note. And she smiled
tearfully as she answered his declar-
alton of love, placed the note in her
pocket, and wished the hours would
pass more quickly towards the fol-
lowing evening.
1t came at last. Congregated in
the dimly-lighted church, surround
ing the organist whose anxious gaze
was turned upon every new conner,
Claribel Wayne found the members
of the choir when she entered. She
tremulOusly replied TO Mr.. Crosbie's
salntatiOn, and joining in the re-
hearsal with greater enthusiasm than
usual TO hide the confusion she felt al
being in the presence Of the man
she loved. The meeting was over
AT last, and the choir moved down
the steps she took the note from her
pocket and placed il in one OF the
Organists music books, a foolish te-
merity overcoming her first resolve
10 hand il TO him personally.
PurpOsely II was evident, Mr..
CrOsbie drew near TO her, even tOOk
her hand. ClariD be- saW the curious
gaze Of Mabel Livingston turned
upon them as he did 20, and hurrici-
ly withdrew her hand from his IL
was interpreted by the organist as q
mark of disapprObation. 4 spasm OF
pain crossed his pale face, and when
they reached the door, and Claribel
Wayne had the courage and oppor-
tunity TO observe his features, they
were stern and cold. As he bid
them a quiet constrained good
night, she was half impelled 10 20 up
20 him and tell him Of the answer
10 his letter; but, at that moment
Mabel caught her by the arm, and
tripped quickly along bauteringly
questioning her as the significance
OF the secret hand-clasp in the organ
loft
Pau CrOsbie went home with d
bitterness OF spirit which rendered
life distasteful, and all its motives
vapid, prOfitlUss, almost uneudura-
DAt- ~ AlE b1-SEu AAAE 0DDI OF e
house near that in which he had liv-
ed since coming 20 RivcrtOn, his
name on the lips Of one OF two per
sons, members of the choir, fell up
on his ears, and the words: "Yes,
but, then, he is so cross, and ugly
aud old ~ distinctly enunciated, en-
chained for q moment his attention
The words cut deeply into the
r,nurafU hnarsH NIa e. g.
own house and entered his room
The careless remarks had completed
his misery. With an emotion of Mt
ter abandonment he flung himself
upon his bed.
And thus ii was that the next day
Paul CrOsbie quietly announced 10
the pastor of the church his intcn-
ton Of resigning his position as or
ganist after the following Sunday
All the Intervening time he scarcely
met Claribel Wayne, and their meet
ings were as are ordinary between a
man who has been rejected by a wO-
man whom he believed loved him,
and woman labTing under Sc
rious error.
The Sabbath mOrning-the last OF
his labor there-dawDed brightly
upon tIO5Dlt, anu hlNeELOn IN gen
ersl. The pastor, in q few appro-
pirate remarks referred 10 the ap-
proaching departure of Mr. Crosbie,
and the regret that all must expe-
TienCe at his resignation. Mabe!
Livingston looked sad and regret
ful, and PauPs heart warmed as hc
witnessed how highly he was es-
teemed by some members OF the
congregation. \ single glance from
beneath his bent eyebrows at Clari-
bel Wayne, who sat far behind the
rest, revealed the fact that she was
pale and sad, almost fearful: but he
Interpreted this aS the sympathy of
u tendcr-heartcd woman for one
whom she had rejected, ana his
heart rcbelled against the seeming
patronage and pity. Finally, the
pastor rave ont a HYMN FOR the choir
10 sing. Paul reached over for the
book containing the hymn-Oue not
in ordinary usc-bUt Mabe. Living
-r0u anticipated him, and while he
was playing an lmprOmptu prelude.
spread the book before him.
4 moment later the eyes of the
wLu'- rguE.cgcuon were uphftcI
-a tLg uT-iu.st. rs The Instrument
Wa abruptly siieDGCd.
There N H4U CEoSbic staring