Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-12-13

the dinner hour arrived George came with n
happy, smiling, hopeful face, aud offered me
| his arm. ~'S
"For what 2" said l. "For dinner, my dear. -
he replied. Then / told him / was engaged
| with another, and before his very face took fbe
proifered arm Of the man to whom had given
| my PROMISE, remarking 10 my lover AZ | .tripped
| away, thathe would have 10 lind some one ese.
saw the look he gave me-a look OF pain. OF
m0rtliination and OF reproach-and al | called
/ II To mind after had reached the table. |
telt little uneasy but said to myself, "IIe
viii come around all right" and thus tried to
| pass 1t on. Towards the latter part of the Af-
| ternoon George came to mo again Hell asked
me what meant by my treatment OF him. He
was earnest and anxious | told him that he
must not question me in that manner.
"But, he urged, ''ony toll me IL you moan
| any thing by it,"
Yes, said l, II do"
And he asked me what it was. / told him I
| mean to leach him lesson.
"A lssson OF WHAT" he asked.
| 'Of good manners said l. 'Iwant TO teach
| you not TO be too attentive to me. And | Ad-
| ded very thoughtlessly, you annoy me-"
ne DID not answer me, saw his lip quver,
and his manly bosom heave; and as he turned
away the sunbeams that came through the
branches OF the trees rested upon the big tears
rolling down his cheeks. Tho impulse Of nv
heart then was to spring forward aud detain
him to ask his forgivness and make him happy.
But foolish, whimsical pride detained me.
lot him 60 and tried to comfort myself with the
reflection that it would come out all right
when the party was breaking up he came
and asked me II he should Soc me home He
was very cool and seemed only to mean that ne
felt bound to make the offer, seeing he had
brought me there. | was not going to accept
any such offer as that, and told hm | should
not require his attention.
Polly" he SAID you do not mean this. Do
not make me think that have mistaken you ="
He trembled as he spoke and could see that
he was fearfully agitated.
"But had gone too far to give up then, and
with light laugh turned from him. | went
home one way-he went another. All the next
day looked fot him, but he did not come. And
second day / watched; and third, and
fourth. On the nth day L received letter
from him. 1t was from distant town whittier
he had gone to visit his widowed mother. He
wrote me that he feared he had been disappoint-
cd II could trfe with his heart then. might
do It again He said he was going out west aud
might be gone some time. II | still loved him
when he returned | might be sure OF finding
him unmarried, for he had no heart to give
another. Sill he would like to hear from me
he would like to see II | wished it. lie wrote
as one who had been deeply wronged, and there
were one or two sent6nces in the mlssiye that
touched me unpleasantly A week passed away,
and did not answer 1t but at the end of that
time made up my mind to call George to me
and confess my fault for | knew that l had
been very wrong. l wrote, and my letter reach.
ed its destination just twelve hours after he had
started on his journey
II never saw George Ashmun again. In less
than year he died III mad house.
HE did wrong-he did wrong-very, very
leaYe me as he did. He ought not to
nave done it. He ought to have made an effort
for his own sake and mine. had done wick
I'd thing "a cruel, thoughtless deed it was-and
he penalty fell heavily upon mo.
Louisa, your mother asked mo to toll you my |
tory. have done 80. II it can profit YOU |
hall not regret the pain l have felt in the re-. |
ital That have not ceased to suffer let these
lot, bitter tears bear witness On, OF all things /
within the sphere OF your influence, beware how /
ou triie with trusting, loving heart"
Silent and thoughtful did Louisa Burnet re- |
nrn to the parlur, and but very little did she /
ay on her way home. On the following NOR
iug she wrote brief note, and sent it to Henry
'outhron. She simply asked him to come and /
60 her. He came, and when they were alone,
he fell upon his bosom, and asked him to for
i've her. She gazad up through her streaming
ears, and begged for his love and confidence
nee more. or course he could not refuse
'erhaps he was never happier than at that mo-
nent. for surely IL must have been mighty love
nd a true devotion that could have prompted
lie course the maiden had thus pursued
Louisa never forgot the lesson she had receiv-
d. She became Henry Southron's wife, and
lhen, In after times. she saw husband neglect
lg their wives, she had occasion to thank God
hat she was blessed with true aud undivided
aith and devotion Of her bosom companion.
Surely there IL nothing on earth OF more worth
han a faithful, Vfrtuou5 and devoted life part
er, and lie or she who can triho with the heart
such one, only sows the seed which shall
ield harvest CT pain and remorse.