The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1873-08-23
A CRAVEN IMAGE.


THE doctor had finished reading the
chapter, and, folding his gown around
him, sank back into his seat, casting at
the choir resigned glance, which seemed
to say. ssNow do your worst" The tenor
had Just begun to praise and acknowledge
the Lord, in the style Of Sir LeOline's I
mastiff with I" sixteen short howls )" Mrs.
Hassan braced herself in her pew to en-
dure that long disconnected noise to
which the choir was wont to wed the no.
BILE words Of the ''Te Deum," when her /
attention was diverted from her weskly |
agony by an apparation which had at |
least the good effect of closing her ears to |
the howls, roars and shrieks which the
four musicians above thought proper to
attribute to the prophets, apostles and
martyrs.
This apparation was pretty woman in
half-mOurning, coming up the aisle with
Mrs. Vale and her daughters, who came in
late, as was their custom.
A chill, and then glow Of anger, ran
over Mrs. Hassan, and her husband Won
Gered what it was that brought such
sudden flash into his wife's eyes. am
afraid that Mrs. Hassan's mind during
the prayer and sermon of that morning
was not in Christian frame. Every one
ing greetings going out of church; but,
to-day, Mrs. Hassan slipped away from
her friends, and went to her Bible-class
in the Sunday-school room.
The girls wondered why she spoke SO
emphatically about the duty and difficult
tv of forgiying those who, having injured
rs, never think of needing or asking tor
giveness; but girls are creatures given to
curiosity and conjecture, and fear their
minds were rather occupied with guess
ng at Mrs. Hassan's personal experience
than in making practical application Oh
the lesson.
~ What's the matter, Cassy?" said her
husband as they walked home together,
Mrs, Hassan's hand trembled on her
husbands arm, as she said in low voice:
I've seen ghostv'
'sThat is nothing. Ghosts, as you
know, run in the family, but they 90 no
harm.'
But it's not that sort, james. ia
rather have seen every spirit that ever
walked in churchyard, or even Wehr'
wolf. than that woman VINO came lh1,
church this morning with the Wales" !,
s'She was pretty woman enough,
s,is Mr.. Hassan "What is the matter
with her?o
She is Mrs. Armer. She is widow
now: she was Anna Clayton"
Mr. Hassan looked as if he were goin1s
+o whistle, But, being in the street, III
refrained, and only said: .
tThe deuce she is J" which was per
haps no Improvement on flrst lhtentions e113
~ suppose, of course, she knew Syd
new was here,'' said Mrs. Hassan, bitterly
She might be satisfied with the mlscme
She has done, and let him alone" -,
DO YOU think he cares for her yet =
He cares for her so much that ne car
not care for anything else. ohe run rui,e
his life. l can't understand II can ',
can't'' said Mrs. Hassan, quite passioi
alely. ,a+,,,a ,yh.
makes any one care for any one e1se
WHIT made YOU care for me?'' SAID ID
uassan irving to comfort his wife.
,nn, You ~ returned Mrs. Aassal
~ most ,Inwonted state of excitemen
;..Famlcs. As if there were any compai
SON, She is cold hearted and coar
minded, and utterly selfish"
And Sydney, being the exact rever 81,
of all this. devoted himself to her, a., al
loved her with all his heart and SOU :: =.
He didn't love her. He loveu Iie a !,
aye in his mind which he someWay IN n,a Ia
aged to pin upon her personan.y @I har r
I Shouldn't wonder if he marrlea her
ter all. and was utterly miserable; a.
There is no war for him to 60 away
now.o A. uaseo,
Mr.. SYDNEY Devine was Mrs. Hassal
only brother. When quite young III l,
he had thrown away upon MISS an
Clavton love as sincere and intense
any man ever gave to woman. Wny
did If I cannot explain, for Anna WAS
that Mrs, Hassan had pronounced ne nel
be: and. at nineteen, was assWoriuty'
selfish. and as calculating as tnougn IL
had not been blessed with q pretty ngu
fine eyes. and pink and white skln:
E Svliney I so so to speak, put all his eggs
to ono basket: hut Miss Clayton, nKe
prudent young woman, preIeaI!leu pNaE!a sba " - )
Two strings to her bow. While sne
been engaged to Sydney, she hao % %
CARRYING on Irritation, by letter, VIZ.
gentleman old enough to be her 1aI.aei ~ :
good man, who was no wiser ,a,,tu ~ n,7
fhan if he had been one-and-tWenCy.
Matters had cone so far between = y
Clavton and sydney, that the expec.
bridpnroom had ordered his Weddlhs = 3
Miss CLAYTON went down to New L
10 make her last purchases, marrleu
Amer, and wrote the day before ne. " ',
DING to break off her engagement
It IS to be supposed that MI. Ar Al,
,t.yer knew of Mr.. Devine's eAislel Es
and Anna did not at all mino Va:
which she oceasoned, but rather enJo
her uotoriety. ,,.oho
\ few weeks after the war broke
cnd sydney threw aside his law RIa1 :.
.a.,5 vent into the rank and file. ne
...,.7 .,,,, end of the struggle to tne y.
,-rl his epQu1ets, and rose 20 oe