The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-04-01
II WILL IF YOU WILL"

were four people-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 {:
"Could 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.
All we know what you would say,
But we are too tired to hope or pray;
For, hurt with carelessness 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 again 2
Ever to them shall rest be given,
Senseless In earth, or happy in Heaven
That which has been 1t might be yet
If we 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 good-natured, incon-
sequent sort of girl, who had never had a
trouble in her life. The gift of musical ex-
preston is often quite independent of feel
ing or experience. Elly's music hurt Emily
cruelty, and stirred and reused the old
sorrow which had but just begun to fall
asleep for a little. She had loved deeply
and fondly a man who had grown tired of
her and left her, because he was greatly
her inferior.
Much as she suffered, rejoiced when
her engagement with Lewis Leighton
was broken. l had known Lewis from
his earliest childhood, and had always
disliked him as selfish, conceited prg.
The last heard of him, he had turned
Catholic, and joined the Jesuits /; and
only hope he got well snubbed during his
novitiate. Had Miss May married him,
her disappointment would have been UNI
speakably 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 hel
own blind infatuation. "Oh God ~ she
said to herself, "when will the bitter
ness of this death be past ?" Then she
became conscious that Mr.. Millburn was
speaking to 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.
He spoke at a very unfortunate moment
He and Emily had been very good friends
that summer. They had wandered in the
woods, assembled Mount Washington, anc
been to Glen Ellis together. She had likeG
him, but she never dreamed of him as Q
lover, and when he presented himself in
that light she was shocked, and stalled
and little provoked.
"Oh hush - she said sharply. 81 nevel
can be-neverp ~
"Do you then dislike me SO much p
said Evert Millburn, trying very hard tc
speak very quietly.
"No," she said making an effort to col
lect her thoughts. 81 have liked you
you have been good to me but all the Low,
had to give is dead and buried, and Their
is no resurrection"
He made no answer but she felt that sh
had hurt him.
am very sorry" she faltered; {"
never meant"
81 understand" he said quickly. 81
is no ones fault but my own. Goodnight
And they touched hands and parted.
Evert went up to his own room, wher
his friend, Dick Bush, was sitting in th
dark, Dick was boy of nineteen. II
had been trying to work his way throug
college, and had worn himself out in til
effort, and Mr.. Millburn had brought hiI
TO the mountains for his vacation. Die
made hero of Evert, and he had bee
mortally jealous of Emily May.
"Dick," said Mr. Millburn, after littl
"we will go over to the Glen tomorrow.
And then Dick understood the case, an
mentally abused Miss May as ga colo
hearted fiirt," which epithet she did not
the least deserve.
Evert and Dick went away early in Il
morning. Emily heard the stage dri,
away, and turned her face to her pillo,
and thought bitterly of the horrible pc
verseness of things in this world.
She knew that Evert was good, and ma
ly, and sensible. He was in fair way
win reputation at the bar, and, if not ju
handsome, was attractive and gentlemanl.
"There are dozens who would be pror