New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1874-01-01

tears, repTOaches and regrets. The morn
ing came at last, az it always does, no mat
ter how wretched We are, and with it soon
came the pOstman. He handed Ellen a
letter sealed with black An uncle had
died in the Indies and left her half mil
liOni
"Now if Club, my Club. were only here,
this might make us happy"
"Oh! Harry, would crawl on my hands
and knees a thousand miles to get hin
back; but it is too late"
SO they moved into aIstately house aud
Bslle came to congratulate them, and she
took Ellen-whom she would call Ellenore
dressmakers, hairdressers. jewellers, dane
ing master, everything necessary to con-
vert her into fashionable lady.
Harry went into business, but grew paler
every day.
Ellen went to balls, parties, theatres,
every where, to drown the voice of con-
science; but Harry steadily refused to &C.
company her. So Belle was her constant
friends and companion.
Harry grew SO absent minded and unfit
for business, that he soon failed and lost all
the capital he had invested in it.
But Ellen seemed mad tor excitement,
and gave great dinners and masquerades,
80 that her house became the most popular
in town. But Harry always kept his room.
She was the belle wherever she went. Her
wit, beauty and amiability we're the theme
Of every tongue: but great sorrow lay
deep hidden away in her heart, the loss of
her baby. Harry broOded over it, while
she tried, by her wild pleasures, only to
stop that terrible thinking, thinking, which
one beloved preacher said he believed to
be the punishment Of the great Hereafter.
The time came when Harry could not
leave his bed; then Ellen showed herself
the most devoted and patient OF wives.
Harry had thought her heartless, and his
love had nearly died ont; but her devotion
revived it, as breath will dying ember.
One morning he said to her:
"Pet, I dreamed last night of Club. He
seemed to be waiting for me on the bank
of dark river. The halo of the light that
surrounded him made the way clear, and
l passed over tearlessly. l can die will
lingly now, Nell"
''Oh darling, darling, stay with me q
little longer, for when you are gone the
world will be q terrible place to live in"
And she shudderingly hid her face in the
bedclOthes.
"Why, Nell, thought the half-million
brought you great happiness, and that poor
Club was even less to you than as if he had
never been"
"Oh, Hal, I've hid away my sorrow from
earthly eyes, But One has seen it, He has
heard my heart Cry out to him in the still
ness of the night. But darling, ! did not
wish to add to your sufferiBgs. And SO you
thought me heartless; know you did, but
was only trying not to think"
"Nell, do you know, think he is Gead9"
She gave a low cry, but it told the death
of the hope she had had Of one day finding
him.
Harry fingered for few weeks, and then
breathed his last as gently as child. Belle
came to console poor Ellen, and as soon as
possible hurried her away to the Continent.
She looked very pale, and was SD nervous
that she could not remain two days in one
place. Here her agent wrote that she had
better be little careful, as the money was
back mot to annoy her." as she hated
money matters.
When her year of mourning was over,
Belle led her into all sorts of fOllies and ex-
travagancies. Again her agent wrote she
must retIench, as some of his speculations
for her had proved failures; but she did not
heed his advice, till one day her check was
refused and she had to sell her diamonds to
get home. There her agent called on her
with the unpleasant intelligence that her
house was to be sold the next day, and there
was not money enough left to buy it III.
A thousand dollars and few fine dresses
was all she had now of her half million. As
she had no particular talent for anything
by which she cOnld earn heI living, she
went to a boarding house and there stayed
till the money and dresses were gone and
she had but five dollars in her purse
At last she seemed to feel the necessity Of
doing something; SO she hired room-
you can imagine how miserable 1t was fur
nisbed-aDd tried to get sewing to do, that
next resort to suicide with many; but it was
hard to get and lily paid. So, many day,
she went hungry. Belle had lost sight Of
her. SO she had no friend to 90 to- mo
sewing to be got" What would she try
next2 Washing! how her hands shuddered
at the thought. She looked at her hands.
They we're white and small, and but year
ago were almost covered with diamonds.
She looked in the glass. Her beauty had
faded. Alas unhappiness is worse Brighter
than time.
Poor little sad-eyed woman. From fat
terry and satins to dry bread and the wash
tub! What o change!
Washing was very. very hard for her, as
she was not strong. But she could get
enough of it to do to keep her from the
sharp pangs of hunger. That was some
thing.
One night, as she sat by her scanty fire
after hard days work, her poor hands torn
and bleeding by the pins the children would
past.
"Oh if / had only been contented with
the happiness had-it seems heaven to
look back to-and had kept my dear baby,
he would be help to me now. He would
not let his poor mother wash her lite away,
and my poor darling Harry would never
have grieved himself to death. should
have been happy wife, instead of poor
lonely widow. But repentance comes too
- ell 1,
That, and a loud knock. aroused her. She
rubbed her eyes. She had put the baby
back, then fallen asleep.
1t is her own cosy little home; yes. and
there's the cradle; and that's Harry's
knock. Thank God! 1t is but dream
"Hal, Hal! Clubs not sold; here he is,'
And she dragged her husband to the era
die. "See him! And there's his little feet"
And she pulled the covering off him, and
kissed them so violently that he woke up
with laugh.
She caught him in her arms, then pulled |
Harry to the bureau. "See, there's his |
clothes. The lady hasn't got them, indeed |
she hasnt. There's shoes, stockings. shirts |
and ALL You needn't die of grief. Hal, Pll |
never, never sell him"
why Nell, what's the matter9 Have |
you gone wildl Who wants to buy old |
nuisancea"
why the lady. She took him away. On
Hal, l was dreaming such dreadful, dread
Jul dream. Let me see if my hair hasn't |
turned white"
And she looked into the glass, but the
lair was as brown and curly as ever, and
he eyes as roguish.
you won't have to dye it yet, Nell You
liked to take my breath away. / thought
7Ou were getting little"
"But, Hall, the dream was so vivid that
seemed impossible for it to be anything
tut reality" And she told it to him, till he
90 lost his smile and looked pale.
We'll value Club all the more now,
Won't we, Nell" and he kissed the little fell