Rapides gazette. (Alexandria, La.) 1869-187?, 1873-04-19
81 WILL If YOU WILL,

The Kay House is pleasant little hotel,
standing half way up the side of mount
ain in New Hampshire.
In the parlor there, one July evening,
were four peopfe-Mrs. st. John and her
daughter Ely, Miss Emily May and Mr..
Millburn. As ELY st. John went TO the
piano, these two last slipped out on the
balcony, and stood listening as ELY sung:
Gould we forget, could we forget!.
Oh that Lethe were running yet,
The past should fade like morning dream,
In single drop of the holy stream.
Ali we know what you would say,
But we are too tired TO hope or pray;
For, hurt with ceaseless jar and fret,
Body and soul cannot forget.
'Can they forget, will they forget
When they shall reach the boundary set,-
When with the final pang and strain
They are parted never TO meet again9
Ever to them shall rest be given,
Senseless in earth, or happy in Heayen9
That which has been it might be yet
five could only learn to forget;
But the stars shall cease to rise and set
And fall from Heaven ere we forget. -
ELY sung with an intensity and pathos
which borrowed none of its force from
within, for she was a good-natured, in
consequent sort of girl, who had
never had a trouble in her life. The
gift of musical expression is often quite
Independent of feeling or experience.
Ely's music hurt Emily cruelty, and
stirred and reused the old sorrow which
had but just begun to fall asleep for a lit
tie. She had loved deeply and fondly
man who had grown tired of her and left
her, because he was greatly her inferior.
Much as she suffered. L rejoiced when
her engagement with Lewis Leighton
was broken. / had known Lewis from
MS earliest childhood, and had always
dlslike6khm as a selfish, conceited prig.
Had Miss Mary married him. her disap-
pointment would have been unspeakably
greater than it was. AS she leaned over
the balcony while Ely sung, and looked
out into shadows and starlight, her heart
was wrung as with the first anguish of
loss, the sickening sense of her own blind
lntatuation. "Oh God 20 she said to her
sell, when will the bitterness of this
death be past?'' Then she became con-
sciOus that Mr.. Millburn was speaking
70 her; but he had more than half.finished
what he had to say before she realized
that he was asking her to be his wife.
lie spoke at a very unfortunate mo-
ment. He and Emily had been very
good friends that summer. They had
wandered in the woods, ascended Mount
washington, and been to Glen Ellis to.
gether. She had liked him, but she had
never dreamed of him as lover, and
Mneh ne presented himself i'm that light
ti cue was shocked, and startled, and a lit
oh hush!' she said sharply. SIT
never can be-never ,''
DO you then dislike me so much ~,
suu hvert Millburn, trying very hard to
NO, she said, making an effort to
0oliect iier thoughts. 81 have liked Won
kyoq nave been good to me but all the
rove mad to give is dead and bnri 4 and
mere is no resurrection, ''''O-
ne made no answer; but she felt that
Fhe had hurt him. i0 iei' 'iia'
er meant-n 'eieu' new
understand he said quickly. ssIt
no ones fault but INV own Cod
mght;" as And they touched hands and
hFert went up to his room. where his
Fn;siN Fn1i;eiiu, DICK Bush, was sitting in the dark.
1ieS was boy of nineteen. He had been
rying to work his way through colleoa
li1 naa % worn himself out in the effort.
ma Mr.. Millburn had brought him to the
mountains Tor his vacation. Dick made
Zero OF Evert, and he had been r,ortailv
'al9us of Emily May. i'
Dlck," said Mr.. Millburn. after a little