Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-06-05
Johns Love.
BY FRANCES HENsHAw BADEN.

BY FRANCES HENSHAW BADEN.
g joint" The bowed head was rails
ed, and the great honest eyes were look
ing inquiringly into hers. /" Be my
friend, John. You know | have but
very few; and no brother, unless you
viii let me claim you as such"
"Oh, Olive don't talk to me thus.
Child, | must get away, far away from
You. You will have him. What more
do you wish?"
The strong frame was quivering with
emotion as John turned away to hide
tear.
f" John, may not wife need a broth
er's affection sometimes? Be my
brother, John. Why must you cast me
off because I've promised to be Willis's
wife?
"Cast you off, Olive? Heaven for
bid! You can't understand, child, how
great my sorrow is. must go away for
while-perhaps to return, and be all
you wish, But not now; not now
But won't grieve you by talking of it.
Now kiss me goodbye, just as you used
to when you were a baby girl and | was
your big brother"
She raised her face, little pale and
sad then, but wonderfully beautiful, to
give the parting kiss. John held the
face moment between his hands, and
said very gravely:
81 wish you were not so beautiful,
Olive. Oh, if you only had plain lit
tie face, with eyes not so bright, and
hair of less sunny hue, | might have
kept you It's your beauty, child, that
he cares for, and John loves Olives true
self, and not the form she wears.
There!"
He pressed his lips to hers, looked
long into the beautiful eyes, smoothed
the golden hair, and with fervent
" God bless and keep you!' he fastened
away.
Olive Newton was an orphan, left to
the care of Johns mother by distant
cousin. Mrs. Wentworth loved the
little orphan dearly; and John, her self
constituted guardian, really idolized his
little charge. He was twelve years old
when Olive came to live in his home,
and Just ten years younger was she, !"
he often reminded her. 1t was sad
day to the little household when a
wealthy relative claimed Olive, and took
her to her own home. With oft re-
peated promises to return and be their
sister again, the little fifteen-year-old
maiden left the companions of her child
hood.
John was almost broken-hearted.
Home was no longer home after Olive
went away, and he could find no consO-
lation there. SO, six months after, he
sought and obtained employment in the
same city where she lived, and surprised
that little lady very much by presenting
himself before her one morning, as she
stepped forth to go to school.
"Why, John, surely the fairies must
have brought you to me-" Olive cried
joyously, dropping her satchel and
springing into his armies.
'tWhy, little onc?" John asked, his
face radiant with happiness:
eWhy, l was just thinking of you,
and wishing could see you, you darling
old John. How long are you going to
stay?"
& Just as long as you do, Olive" John
answered. And seeing her surprised
look, he told her just the whole story.
elbow good you are TO love me so
You are the best brother that ever
girl had" Olive answered, putting her
hand in his, and walking beside him as
she used to years before.
Every day found John caller at Mrs.
Clifton's, Olives aunt. Everybody that
ever knew John respected and liked him.
An old nurse2 used to say that John
Wentworth was like a baby, bringing
love with him wherever he went.
Mrs. Clifton, with an eye to the future,
would have discouraged the intimacy
between Olive and her foster-brother,
had she not feared that if she agitated
the subject, Olive, with the usual per-
versity of young girls, might think it her
duty to love John all the more for the
opposition. So for three years nothing
occurred to interrupt their pleasant
meetings until Willis Mordaunt crossed
their path, bringing to John the great
sorrow that drove him again further
away from home.
John knew that Olives marriage was
fixed for an early day, and he FASTENED
off before it came He was in the far
West when, three months after, he re-
ceived from his sister the following
letter.:
DEAREST BROTHER: want you, just
as soon as you receive this, TO write to
Olive. IF any one can comfort her, it
is you. Dear girl! she is no longer
beautiful. But it is not about this she
needs consoling. 1t is for the loss of
love- The day that was to have been
her wedding one, she was lying fearfully
i'll with that terrible disease, smallpox
God spared her to us. But oh, so sadly
altered Immediately after her con-
vaIescence, she came to as. She wrote
to Mr. Mordaunt, releasing him from
his engagement, and he has accepted it
that is she considered it SO, as he has
never written to her, and never even
called at her uncle's office to inquire
about her. OF course this is terrible
shock to her, You know what loving,
trusting girl she is. Do write to her
very SOON
'EThank God!" exclaimed John fer
vently, CHOW may win her. What
do | care if her eyes have lost their
brightness Be to others what she may,
to me she will ever be beautiful. My
darling, stricken little love! That ras-
cal | knew he was not worthy of her"
Instead of writing, John packed his
valise, bought a ticket, and started home
ward.
Willis Mordaunt really felt quite bad
ly about "having to give up Olive" as
he said; not that he should cease to love
her because of her altered looks, but that
he really had not the moral courage to
marry her. He could never appear with
her in public. So, of course, the only
thing to be done was to give her up.
He had said this only few months
before, to friend in whose editorial
Office he was then sitting While glanc-
ing over the exchanges" his eye was
attracted by this advertisement:
wANTrD-Iufornation concerning the
heirs of Joseph Nelson. Address MessrS.
Ferrit n Ketchem, Attorneys end Counsel
lors at Law, New Orleans.
eff you don't care for this paper, I'll
take 1t with me, he said to his friend.
Receiving permission he soon after
took his departure.
fastening to his room, he wrote two
letters: the first to Messrs. Ferrit &
Ketchem, sending Olives address; the
other to Olive herself, begging her to
renew their engagement, and declaring
it impossible for him to be happy with
out her. He entreated her to grant him