Delaware Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1843-1874, 1873-03-03

| given him the least crtlnb of encouragement"
"Dld lac TIL you so?
"No, but one could see it with half an eye"
"lou are very clear sighted in such matters,
perhaps
| 81 have lived longer than you, Eleanor, and
know that man cannot 90 all the way to a
woman; she ought to take the least little step
| toward him."
81 could not do that" said Eleanor.
"Oh, know it, and so you have let the best
fellow on earth slip away from you"
".Satnre made him and then broke the
mould" said Eleanor with a smile.
"You did not know him as did"
Il dare say did not"
"But when he comes home again il lie Is In
the same, mind will you try TO like him?"
es, think may safely promise that.
Ihe tears came to my eyes In my earnestness
| aud all at once found Eleanor crying too, like
any other woman.
"Aly dear little stepmother," she said, ''you
have my fathers worries and your own to bear;
! Will not trouble you to carry mine"
Then she left me, and could not hello think
| ing that she might love Haviland after all.
Eleanor came slowly out of her sorrow for
| flughs departure, and we settled into the quiet
routine which seemed likely to last forever.-
Inc Winonn was spoken at sea occasionally,
and very thick letters came for Eleanor, of
which she would read page or two aloud and
Keep all tho rest for her own hunger. Near
| ~ Two years went by, and we began TO speak
of Hugh's return. sweet cheerfulness that
had never seen before in Eleanor seemed to
| crop ont of her glad heart. I was very happy
with my stepiaughter. There was not cloud
as big as mans hand in our sky when Flea
nor pointed out to Inc with trembling finger q
| liae in the newspaper. Her eyes besought me
to tell her that she had read il wrong. Il was
telegram; the Winona had been struck in the
night by an English steamer, and sunk with all
OIL board.
As she rose up and fled away with her grief
| like wounded animal, the lines of her face
we've drawn and settled like those of middle
aged woman.
slow does Eleanor bsari:?" was Mr. Eus.
tacc,s first question, his own grief fading ont
beside heig
"Coine and sec,'' said, leading him into her
room, where she lay, pale and quiet, and able
To speak her loss without tears.
lrfi Them alone together, but it was useless
to hope that they could comfort each other
'She hears il better than | expectcd,' said
my husband, rcionng me after few minutes.
"lf she Mouli only rave and tear her hair, it
would be a great relief to my mind, but this
calmncss is unnatural" l said.
| mot with her. She is not wann-hearted; she
does not feel things as we do"
dill not contradict him. Where would have
been the use? But it struck me all at once that
the first Mrs. Eus.ace. who was said 10 resemble
her daughter, must have had n very lonely life
of it.
/ The ill news was soon verili, ID, but Ele amor
had believed il from the first. She went abou
the house at first as she had always done, but
loss uf appetite and disturbed sleep gradually
told upon her strength She learned to hold
het hand tight on her heart as she mounted the
stairs. One little industry after another drop
ped from ler weak hands, and without COM
ment on my side or hers she soon lay every day
! aud all day on a sofa.
! She never called herself i'll, and would lie for
I hours in silence, with a tar-away look in her
Z eyes ii' il she were gazing seaward. My face
mast have expressed little of the yearning pity
That uNhril'ye,l,ny heart
lis 1t for IN. y1u are unhappy?' she asked
! doubituliy one day.
"ies; find have not foritude enough to
bear o.her peoples misioitunes.'
"l on may easily bear SHINE. | have been
happy since knew that my waiting would be
: Short
! "Iou have had but Il dull, lonely life, Eleanor
cannot wonder at your Indifference to it,"
| a sudden losy brightness transhgured Elean-
! nor's face, and for the moment she was more
/ lovely than can tell.
! "1ou are wrong, believe me-" she said. "I
have bad my share of happiness; no woman
/ could have more. 1t was Ike some great tro-
picl bloom long in coming aai soon gone, but
/ it was unutt,rabiy perfect
bridge of her rcsIve t,ll Instantly. She lay
still for a long time and could hear the thud
of hel heIlt-beats.
j When was leaving her, She showed M 4
key on a chain ilat She ALWAYS wore about her
neck,
''Sometime you will Use this to unlock my
desk" she said, sand find there what | cannot
say to you now" Not many days after she
went ont Of life as calmly as she had passed
through it.
In her desk was large packet OF letters bound
with strip ofpaper. On this strip was writ
ten the precious secret which she could not
part with while she lived. "Bury me with these
letters on my heart, and write over my head only
this Eleanor Eustace, beloved wife of Haval
Norton "
She said on my wedding day that she thought
she mi sht like me very well, and l have reason
to bel rv0 she did so, never any less and never
any more, while grew To regard her with Q
passionate admiration.
. For i .oag tima after her death, life, alone
with ny wilower, was a II affair indeed
GMdry.
Alexander ii. Stephens wa' elected to Con
grcss, on Wednesday, in the Eighth District o
Georgia. The vote WAS small, there being n,
opposition.