New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1872-06-02


: everything as well. He had taken her hand
} in his vehemence, mistaking her stiffness
for acquiescence, and with tremulOus, tear
full tenderness worthy a better cause, was
saying that his whole life should be devoted
to her, when an awful hush seemed to
gather about the room, the hand he had
held withdrew itself, the slight figure, as it
were, waited away from him, and voice
) sadder than sorrow made answer:
~, what have l done that you should
humiliate me with words like these God
forgive you, Harrison Leeds! My cup is now
full"
What passionate prayers for her forgive
ness, what immediate agony of cOntritiOn
| that followed, it is needless to detail, and
even then, though stung to the soul, she
stayed to drop a word of pardon from her
gentle heart ere she lett him.
DOubly alone now, with that cOrroding
memory of his avOwal of passion to bear
her company, she kept a solemn vigil
through the night. certain feeling of
shuddering recOi from herself Overcame
her-a feeling as if she we're some way
touched with some visible wrong. Every
innocent attention and gallant word rose
up, exaggerated into sins by her morbid
Imagination. Days were spent in this fear
full determination, till nature at last gave
way, and long and dangerous illness en-
sued.
| ACluS upon Juo ADVICE OF L06 physician,
MIR. Kay, now for some time the junior
partner Of the firm, wrote at once to Mr..
| Meyer
1t was early in the summer when this
illness first began it was late in September
| when she reused to outward life again.
During the long days of grief and pain she
! was sometimes conscious of % tenderer
touch than others upon her fevered brow
| and burning hands, and the fancy would
seize her that her father was with her;
then visions of her mother, lost in child
| hood, would come, at a gentle soothing
! tone.
One day the duh aching dream dissolved.
| Who was it that sat by her bedside, his
| dark hair stTeaked with gray! Who was
| it He lifted his head. A face burned and
| Drowned by Indian suns, and with a weight
| as of years upon the brow and followed
| cheeks; but she knew it. As he met her
/ glance Of recognition, an expression of
| almost painful anxiety passed into the dark
| face; but she was in that quescent state of
| childlike repOse which follows severe pros
tratiOn, and in a faint, low voice che only
| said:
You were so long away, Robert !"
For moment soft light came into his
eyes, and he just touched her little thin
hand gently
As she gradually returned to life he
gradually retired from her presence, though
Always ready, II n66QeQ-alWayS minister
ing to her in some invisible manner.
One morning when she was so far cOnva-
descent as TO be able to walk about in her
room, TO amuse herself, or to while the
hours away, she took up the embroidery
her maid had left upon the chair. But a
color was wanting, and remembering GER
tain wOrkbOx containing such materials,
she pulled it ont from its corner and lifted
the lid. crowd of recollectiUns beset
A If often this hoy ba1 NOT
been opened for more than year. She
well remem beTed where she had used it
last-On summers day at Newport, and
Mr.. Leeds sat near, reading to her from
Shelley. For an instant her hand paused,
and an expression of pain clouded her face;
then with look Of disdain for her weak
ness, she went diligently searching for the
needed color
But what was tkisl One of her husbands !
letters! And how came it here! Thinking |
thus, she took it up. What the seal unbro- |
ken! Suddenly a forgotten circumstance |
rnshes to her mind. II is the missing letter |
OF a year ago; and she breaks the seal A |
little surprise is in her mind as her eyes ran
over the page, for it is longer than those |
she usually receives from him. Mr.. Meyers !
letters are ordinarily brief and of the most /
matter of fact description. But this one |
proved Of different order, and no poem of |
Shelleys, no remembrance of past days,
ever called such an expression TO her face
as it wore now while she read the fOllowing /
"MY DE&R WIZ Ell have decided that
trip to India is advisable, and on Wednes
day shall sail in the Persia for Liverpool
from thence onward. In parting, there
was something wished to say to you, but
the opportunity did not seem favorable,
and deferred it to writing, which is the
better way, perhaps, 1t is only that if |
delay my return you will understand that
do it for your well. being. For a long
time / have seen that nv presence cannot
make you happy, kate-it never has. You. |
of course, are in no manner answeTable for
this 1t IS only natural result. CiTcum-
stances Of business and education have |
made me IN some measure what / am and
| find too late that am not a fit companion
for yon. cannot utterly repair this evil
now. but can remedy 1t partially by leav-
ing you your freedom as far as possible.
This is no hasty resolve. l have long
considered it; though recently, perhaps, /
have awakened more fully to its necessity.
Again, do not think l reproach you in
any manner for this state of things. l do
not believe that, even to itself, your gentle
heart ever acknowledged its want, but it
is there. Kate, and can not satisfy it. And
one more word. You are young, and too
pure ever to suspect the suspicion
Of evil. For your own sake, then, let me
say that the world is always ready to mis-
take the purest; therefore let me caution
you to be guarded in your friendly assOcia-
tons. If at any time you need me, send
for me, and | will return In the meantime,
Gods peace be with you.
"ROBERTSON MEYER
She covered her face with her hands. 1t |
was too true-tOO trne She had been in
different 10 him And looking into her /
OWN heart, she knew the want he thought
so unacknOwledged stood oftener confessed
to her own soul. She knew, too, how it had
grown and grown, and how sudden COM /
PARSONS had sometimes sprung up. Now the
was reversed. Who was it she
lad thought the more finished gentleman, a t
man, than her husband Who I
out the man whose passion had led HIM to t
violate all rules of chivalry and honor in his t
mad professions and madden hope And I
me Other-the one whose right by every /
aw Of the land and church was bv her side
lad for love Of her condemned himself to |
l life Of sacrifice and exile. 1t needed but /
his to complete the revolution which had a
been going on in her mind since she had l
iTst become conscious of that gentle pres a
nee in her sick-rOOm-a presence that had I
lTawn her through all the mists of fever d
ntO its loving atmosphere. With her ap- t
probation Of greatness, how elOquently did I
his remuneration, given with the humility
Lnd simplicity Of a rarely generous nature,
peak to her heart Filled with these emo
ions, just as she was, in her dressing-gown
md slippers, she stole out of the room and =
Town the stairs to the library, where a few !,
minutes since she had heard footsteps. =
To her light knock his vOice-her bus Il
,and's vOice-answered, Come in;r but I
what was his surprise, nay, almost cOnster- +
atiOn, as he saw his visitor. He sprang to =
ar ugictanan for tho 1Ova1Ir foco No l 4