Litchfield enquirer., 1875-07-15
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WHOLE NO. 2562.

J could fulfill the duties ordinarily expected of Q minister's wife-who could so readily help me in my great work. Ahl the work is indeed great, and my strength IS small, and my soul yearns over the people around me. have watched you. You are strong of will, courageous of purpose, energetic in action, full of health and vigor, and you have determined to dedicate all to the service of God. Why not do so as my companion?"
 "Be your companion-yes, so long as l remain in this vicinity; as your wife-'aO, 8 thousand times no! Wrong not your own soul so much as to ask it. Desecrate not so utterly that mystical union which God honors by comparing it to his own eternal union of love with His Church. God gives man wife for himself, and not for the service of the world; and you you dare not trust Him, and take the angel he has sent to bless your life. He grasped my wrist, and muttered, while his eyes seemed to search mine with their fire, "Hushi hushl dare not think how happy I should be with Amy! should be absorbed with her; she would draw my heart from the work to which have dedicated it. dare not trust my self with so great happinessI"
 ''Oh! do not so blaspheme Gods best gift to man! He desires not the sacrifice you mean to bring him. He asks of you no more than you can do with heart at rest. Do not suffer senseless advice to persuade you otherwise, and lead you to a course that will cripple your feet and paralyze your hands, as it has in the case of hundreds of your fellow-laborers. Do anything else from sense of duty, but never marry except from love-"
 I III for my blood tingled with long repressed excitement. Varying emotions passed l over his face. as he listened, and now he bent forward; resting his head upon his clasped hands, and remaining long time silent. too, was motionless again, turn ing myself from him, and listening to that voice of the waves which evermore in vail ing monotone uttered to my ear those l words, "Never, never, forever morep At length MT. Blakesley arose, calm and dig nifed as ever. and held out his hand to me. I gave him mine, for I knew we'll he would not again ask to keep it.
 ''Truly you were scot here to do mo good" he said. "I believe I was about to commit a great sin. l see the misera- ble sophistries that were deluding me. Amy will quicken all my energies to labor although she cannot work with me"
 "Your eyes are not opened yet, said. "Never think again that Amy does not work, even more powerfully usually than you. A thousand such as you might bet ter be spared than the influence of her sweet and holy character. You teach Chrirtianlty- illustrates it. Judge if her work be not as acceptable as yours. Without her I doubt If you will not fail to attain the rarer and higher Christian graces-with her, you cannot fail to be doubly useful. You may not be able to win her for your wife, for a thousand scruples will prevent; but her whole life will be frightened by the knowledge that you wished it, and her love will be the greatest blessing you can have in this world. Dear Amy! pure-hearted angel! I afmosEenvy the love she will give you. Go to her."
 He held my hand moment after ceas- ed to speak, ,and his eyes scanned my face. Then in a low tone, as if thinking aloud, he said,
 ''This is a friendship worth having. I thank this girl more than if she had loved me: and with these words he went away.
 While we had been talking the fog ad- vanced upon us with the tide, and after I was left alone it deepened and thickened until could see nothing but the rock frowning behind me, and the sands and gravel for a few rods around; while before me the ocean plunged heavily from under the heavy mist to break at my feet, with hoarse whispers and waiings, than ran along the beach and lost themselves in q faint continuous undertons which pervad- ed sea and air as with spirit voices.
 My excitement of feeling had died; my cherished purpose was fulfilled. Ipictur- ed in my mind the scene probably being enacted in the parlor I had left-Amy's sweet tones, tremulous with glad surprise, and the mingled dignity and reverence with which the noble heart (for it was no- blel would be laid open before her.
 For myself, I had done with love, I had done with hope, for this world; and yet did not repine as I sat there with the chill dampness touching my lips and cheek, and folding me in a cold embrace that stilled my pulse like the touch of death. Only my thoughts went forward with q prayer, to the time when 1t might be the will of God that the discipline of this life should end; and backward to dwell upon the joys had lost, ,and with a mute thank fulness that once had known happiness so entire.
 Ha! do the dead indeed returnI Has the sea brought him to me in this wild night glooming aroundl Were those weird sounds listened to indeed voices from the spirit world! It was strange, through all those weary mouths I had not even dreamed of him, though had asked that boon of Heaven as it's choicest gift. Now he stood there before my waking eyes. just where the surf broke on the shelving beach face and form distinct, though dimly visible through the curling vapOrs eddying between us on the wind; stood there and looked around as if he sought me, and passed on silently with his face still turning toward the spot where l sat.
 was mute, spell-bound, cold and pale with the thrill of terror that for a moment possessed me, a moment only. As he went slowly out of sight, fading away | phantom-ike in the gray mists, an emo tion stronger than fear sent the warm blood thrilling through my veins. Had not longed for this; and now he was go. 1 ing; and he had not spoken; perhaps it grieved him that could fear and shrink; perhaps he would never come to me again, though should weary Heaven with pray CTS. With the thought sprang up, I ran after him, stretched out my arms to my pale ghost
 "Stayi stayr' I cried; 'wait for me, speak to me, this once, once more!" 1 -IneIe was an answering cry qulcA l step on the beach. Oh, the strong arms l that held me up! Oh, the warm kisses that seemed to draw my soul out through my lips! Oh, the living, beating heating heart that pressed mine, close, close, as if l we could never part again! 'HL .. l Now God be thanked for the mercy ] which ended. for the blessedness which crowned my year of discipline! It is un- necessary to tell how my lover was pre- served, after the accident that threw him overheard in a stormy night in mid ocean; or how the ship that rescued him being bound to the South Seas, it happened that his letters never reached us. When he arrived and found he had been so long supposed dead, he chose to come in per 1 son and undeceive me.