The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1874-02-19
In.-EvENING.

ANOe 0~s
IH.-EvENING.
| A tilted old bachelor, am II Well,
III you like, that is my sbsr.eter. And
I AM silly enough to hang on to. the
garment Of memory, and make . fool Of
myself over an old palette that belong
the ssohooI.gi.l.
I often wondered il she saw tho no
tiees of my works in the papers. OF
course she did. They got al the jour.
uals 1t Bombay. Hard work is a good
thing when you are in trouble. Some
fellows labor away on claret some
work, as they say, on beer only; some
on . dry pipe. l worked on a dry
pipe. I worked on = dry beart. break.
Ing sorrow. 7 had filed my very soul
With one face + aud, Ill at once, the
image Was not only gone forever, bot l
had. discovered its utter worthlessoess.
i Edith Was to me = narrow, selfish,
hsartless woman; siren, who had
tempted me to wreck and ruin. Ny
soul had yesrned to her, not only in
love, but in admiration. She was a
genius, born with speciality for art.
She vas the sublime thing which seem.
ed oil at;once to spring up ont Of
ridiculous past. All my vague roman.
tic passions eucircled her, and loved
her like, well, like an artist who is
young aud poor will love.
And 1 seald net help treasuring that
palette for the sake Of our happy days,
snd in memory Of that one sad look
which came into her eyes and voice .t
!psstisg.. Did she reall, regret her
|ieheioe7 Gould shs have been unduly
iuduanced7 Had she any choice in the
matter?
Many long year Afterwards, when
l had made my mark, aud got beyond
Tandy, the dealer, (perhaps you re-
member his place behind the Haymar.
ket?) a young lady called upon ne.
There vas 4 dark old Indiao woman
With her, who courtesied very low.
"Mr. Westwood, I believe" said the
young lady, fine well-grown woman
Of abeut twenty, and dressed in deep
meuroiug.
"Yes," I said, offering a seat.
my name is Howard" she said. ri
have recently arrived from Bombay"
l felt my heart beating str.ogeIY,
and the blood rushing into my stupid
old face. could see the likeness to
Edith it was particularly noticeable 10
the full gray eyes.
my mother said I vas to tell you"
"1s she still iving1" I ventured to
ssk, for the suspense was awful.
The girl shook her head. and the
tears came INTO her eyes ~ she s.,a, Il
an .. orphan"
Semethiue brought the little palette
to my mind, and its poor faded patches
of color, and l think there were tears
| in my own eyes too.
II was to give you this packet, aud
tell you that I was christened Edith
Wsetwood."
"God bless you!' I exclalm-
ed and she came and nestled in the
trembling old arms which I stretched
| towards her.
She knew the story of my life.
Edith Viner had really loved the
poor painter. (How all the sunshine
OF the northern city came back to me
in . moment y But she had been co.
gagged to Captain Howard before she
saw me,-engaged almost from child
hood, and their hands had been Joined
at her fathers bedside when he Law
dying.
She had steeled her heart to her
fate but whilst she was free my sooie.
y had fascination for her which she
could not overcome. At last sbe strove
TO make me hate her !; aud that moru-
iogs encounter when last I. saw her
ITO give the fin,l blow to my liking.
She nearly broke her own heart in
dealing it, but the die WAS cast.
True to her last words, she had never
painted again. Alas! she, too, had
known no happiness. Her husband, I
cleaned attst.ards, in quiet interviews
With the daughter, WAS =. gay, selfish
fShow; Who met . dishonorabIe desth.
soour two lives ~srs blighted; and
nov you understand what big sorrow
i VA which i had been. doing: battle
| With by hard work. And if you like
to call me Tilted old bachelor, you
may; but still cling to that peti.
palette and tho memories that surround
it,;
In}the hands of Fate We are all as
much puppets as were tnore aboard wax
figures ID the hands Of Mise JiDks
whose idols fell into the possession Of
her deadliest foes.
Edith Westwood Howard vas nv
ward, bless her heart! And she 40.
peasedl like an angel 1t my 6reside for a
few; abort msnths. She is Mrs. Lloyd
Craven nov, aud mother too and her
children csh me gr*st.grandpa 10 fun,
lsagh At my ~heelchair, and call it
great gr4ndpa's little psr.mbul.tor.
Have not the, ridiculous and the