Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-02-21
V oil. 67.-341O. No. 1S.

e NViieVNun ol pressed leaves 70
Pape,, from all the places they visited
Louise bad already great talent for drawing
ana 10 almost every letter came two or tbr q
childish but spirited little pictures, ali Ia
oelled Drawn for papa ~ d" The true mic
turc OF our courier in rage, for mana I,
see.' " The washerwoman's dog. for nan,
etc, etc. Again and again sat by. almos
trembling with delight, and saw John spepd
an entire evening in looking over these iittl,
mlsslves aud reading Ellen's letters. Then
again | sat alone and anxious through an or.
,'re evening when knew he was with Emma
Long But even after such an evening. he
never JAILED TO sit down aud write long ps soos
IN MS Journa-lettcr to Ellon-a practice
"nich ho began Of his own accord. after ro.
ceivlng the first journal-letter from her.
la little Alice" he said. "we'll keen
journal too, for mamma, won't We She
snail not out-do US that way And so no.
tween Alice's letters and his, the whole rec.
ord Of our family life went every week 70
ELLEN and do not believe, so utterly una.
ware was John Gray Of any pain in Euon,s
heart about Emma Long. | do not beliovo
mat ne ever in single instance omitted to
mention vhep he had been with her. where
Emma Long wrote too, and Ellen wrote 70
her occasional affectionate notes but refer.
ring her always to Johns diary-letters for
the details of interest | used to study Mrs.
Longs face while these letters were being
read to her Johns animated delight, his
enthusiastic pride, must it seemed to me,
have been bitter to her. But | never saw
even shade of such feeling in her face.
There was nothing base or petty in Emma
Longs nature, and strange as it may seem,
she did love Ellen. Only once did l ever
see trace of pique or resentment in her
manner to John, and then could not wonder
at it. A large package had come from Ellen,
just after tea one night, and we were all
gathered in the library, reading our letters
and looking at our photographed (she always
sent unmounted photographs Of the place
from which she wrote, and if possible, Of the
house in which they were living, and the chill
dren often wrote above the windows, ." Papa',
and mammals ROOM ETC., etc.)-hour after
hour passed. The hall clock had just struck
ten, when the door-bell rang violently
=" Good heavens ~ exclaimed John, springinp
up, that must be Mrs. Long totally for.
got that had promised to go with her to
Mrs. Wilis's party. said would be there
at nine tell her | am up stairs dressing,
and he was gone before the servant had had
time to open the door. Mrs. Long came in,
with a flushed face and anxious look. Z" Is
Mr.. Gray i'll ?" she said " He promised to
call for me at nine, to 90 to Mrs. Willis's,
and have been afraid he might be ILL.,"
Before could reply, the unconscious Alice
exclaimed
"On, no ! papa isn't i'll; he is so sorry
but he forgot all about the party till he
heard you ring the bell. We were so busy
over mammals letters
John will be down in a moment" addet
|. " He ran upstairs to dress as soon as yor
rang"
For one second Emma Longs face was sad
to see. Such astonishment, such pain, were
in it, my heart ached for her But then I
look Of angry resentment succeeded the pain
aud merely saying, 4" | am very sorry; bu
/ really cannot wait for him. 1t is now al
most too late to CO. she had left the room
and closed the outer door before | could thinl
Of any words to say.
ran up to Johns room, and told hin
through the closed door He made no repl
for a moment aud .ss-- s.ia .---
tdonabie -tudebeshe i yexed. 1t was unpai
once for carriage for me" :" run
In very few moments he came dow
dressed for the party, but with no shadow o
disturbance on his face, He was still think
ing Of the letters. lie took up his own, ant
putting it into an inside breast-pocket, said
as he kissed Alice, d" Papa will take mamma
letter to the party, if he can't take mamma =
shed grateful tears that night before
went TO sleep. How longed to write tC
Ellen of the incident but had resolved moi
once to disregard her request that the wholC
subject be sealed one. And trusted that
Alice would remember to tell it, Well !
might At breakfast Alice said -
"Oh, papa, told mamma that you carried
her to the party in your breast-pocket that
is, you carried her letter !"
fancied that Johns cheek flushed little
as he said -
You might tell mamma that papa carrie.
her everywhere in his breast-pocket, little
grille and mamma would understand"
| think from that day never feared fol
Ellen's future. fancied, too, that from that
day there was a new light in John Gray.
eyes. Perhaps it might have been only the
new light in my own but | think when 0
man knows that he has once, for one hour
forgotten woman whose presence has beer
dangerously dear to him, he must be aware
Of his dawning freedom.
The winter was nearly over. Ellen had
said nothing to us about returning.
H.. n Al 4
writes to him of her health, he thinks il
would be safer for her to remain abroad an
other year" said John to me one morning al
breakfast.
Oh, she never will stay another year =
exclaimed l.
Not unless 60 out to stay with her,
said John, very quietly.
"Oh, John, could you ?" and, " Oh, papa
will you take mel" exclaimed Alice and il
one breath.
Yes" aud Eyes said John laughing
a." and Sally too, if she will 60"
He then proceeded to tell me that he haC
been all winter contemplating this that b,
believed they would never again have so goot
an opportunity to travel in Europe and that
DR.. Williss hesitancy about Ellen's health
bad decided the question. lie had been plan
ming and deliberating as silently and unsus.
pectedly as Ellen had done tho year before
Never once had it crossed my mind that be
desired it, or that it could be- But found
that he had for the last half Of the year been
arranging his affairs with view to it, and
had entered into new business connections
which would make it not only easy, but prof.
table, for him to remain abroad two years
He urged me to 60 with them but | refused
| felt that the father and the mother and the
children ought to be absolutely alone in this
blessed reunion, and have never regretted
my decision, although the old world is yet an
unknown world to mo
John Gray was reticent aud undemon.
strative man, in spite Of all tho tenderness
and passionateness in his nature. But when
he babe me goodbye on the deck of the
steamer, as he kissed me he whispered =
"Sally, shall hold my very breath till
see Ellen. | never knew how l loved her
before" And the tears stood in his eyes.
never saw Emma Long after she knew
Ia n a