The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1872-06-27
DR.. SEMPLE'S OPPOR,
TUNITY.

TUNITY.
CONCLUDED FROM LAST WEEK.
HI wrapped it around her, and, with.
out another word, they left the house
When they emerged from the hall doc,
and went down the piazza.steps to the
gravel.sweep in front, the night seemed
to them fairly alive with briliiance.-
The moon had risen above the tree
tops, and was flooding the whole land
soape with silver light, the blue haze Of
the day had changed to shlmmering
mist, and tho gravel beneath their feet
sparkled like precious stones. 1t was
almost like walking in fairy-tale and
it was hard to believe that fairies were
not dancing over the sh ort greensward,
and playing el6u gam3ols on the moon.
lit leaves. II so, they must have look.
ed with strange wonder at the two SO.
date figures that walked amid all this
lavish beauty, apparently quite I'M.
moved by it; who said nothing, until
they had left the house some distance
behind them, and then broke into Gen.
versation which had no allusion to the
silver moonlight, or tho quiverlug leaves
or the delicate tracery Of shadows
thrown acrot! their path, but related
solely to the trifing matter Of thei,
own affairs. 7&*
"Mona," Semple was saying, in his
quiet way, "do you think that people
come into this world to consul,
their own wishes and secure their own
happiness, or to learn some things
which can only be learned by sacrl6c'
iug both wishes and happiness, if need
be, to the good Of others ?"
81 don't know, I am sure," Mona
answered, coldly. II am not good at
abstract questions" she went on, with a
slight tone Of excitement in her voice
"but I don't see why people should
have wishes, if they are not to crafty
them ; or why We should feel a desire
at all, if all our feelings and desires ore
to be sacrificed to somebody else !"
"Not to somebody else, but to the
good of somebody else," corrected Sem
pie, quietly. "All our duties are Of a
relative Importance, ond sometimes FER
haps, our chief duty is to ourselves
but generally, I think, we 60 right
when we put ourselves wholly out
Of the question-or at least, try to do
Co."
"If you are talking for my benefit y
said Mona, still eoldly, II wish you
would speak plainly. 1 never could
bear to be talked At in my life"
"My dear, 1 was not even thinking
of you," said Semple, gravely. II was
thinking of myself. The truth is," he
went on, looking not at the girl beside
him, but at the moonlt paih as it
stretched away to the broad iron gates,
"the truth is. that I have been misera'
bly, undecided all day ; and I don't
see my way quite clear yet. All my
life," said the young mao, with simple
earnestness, II bave been thinking that
if I bad an opportunity, ] could sacri.
fee my own happiness for the good oi
others; and now, that my presump'
tion has been answered, and the oppor.
tunity has como at List, 1 End that it il
a very hard thing 10 do-harder, Mona
than you would believe. But that doe.
not matter. 1t was not that which
began to say. The difficulty is this
whether, in taking myself out of you,
path, I do it for your good, whether ir
surrendering my own happiness, Sc
cure yours.
"What do you mean :" asked Mona
with gasp, and she stopped and look
ed at him with the eyes of startled
fawn.
Hitherto they had been walking apar
but now Semple took her hand, ant
drew it within his arm.
II only mean that have been YER,
blind and selfish, my DEAR" he said
kindly. "You have been thinking mt
your worst enemy. Mona-think of mt
now as your best friend, and tell me !,
you honestly believe that Barry, poo'
fellow, can make you happy?"
Well as be knew the many impul ses
Of this girl, and the quickness with
which she acted upon them, be was no,
prepared for the effect which bis words
produced. FIR second, Mona looked
at him ineredulously; then, as she
might have turned to her own brother,
she threw her arm over his shoulder,
and burst into tears.
30 George my dear, dear, good
George !" was all she said.
Semple left her to herself for a mo.
ment or two-that is, he suffered he,
TO weep unchecked BY; word OF. move
ment from him. Indeed, how could it
possibly have been otherwise 7 These
wer. not tears which hesoouId Jsymp..
thize with Or console. They were tears
born Of iey .t;her release, together with
. faint sorrow for his disappointment,
and . faint self:sspsoeeh for her ova 10.