The St. Cloud journal. [volume] (St. Cloud, Minn.) 1866-1876, 1875-04-22
had ceased to think Of it. Life's ear
!ly dewdrops often exhale in that way.
| K a. ~


'sTben life is hateful stupidityl''
YES; if it could be morning all
day, and childhood could outlast our
whole lives, it would be very charm
ing. But life has jewels that don't
exhale, Kate, but sparkle brightest in
the hottest sun. These lie deep in
the earth, and to dig them out re-
quires more than a child's strength Of
heart and arm. One must be we'll
Injured to toll and weather before he
can win these treasures but when
once he wears them in his bosom he
doesn't sigh for dewdrops."
well, let me hear how you were
Injured"
"The news of this marriage revealed
to me, as bya a fash Of lightning, my
whole inner world Of feeling. When
l first knew that he was forever lost,
l first knew what he had become to
me. The pangs Of disappointment,
OF selfhum''iatoin,-I hardly know
which were the stronger,-were like
poisoned arrows in my heart. 1t was
my first trouble, and I had to bear it
in silence and alone. Not for worlds
would have had it guessed that I
had cherished an unreturned affection,
andit would have killed me to hear
him blamed. Towards him I had,
in my most secret heart, no emotion
of resentmentor reproach. A feeling
Of dreary loss, Of long, weary. life
from which all the flowers had van
ished, a sort Of tender selfpity, filed
my heart. It is not worth while to
detail the whole process by which I
gradually forced myself out of this
miserable state. One thing helped
me much. AS soon as the first Bit
terness Of my heart was passed, I saw
clearly that the indulgence of such a
sentiment towards one who was now
the husband of another could not be
innocent. 1t must not be merely con-
cealed it must be torn up, root and
branch. With this steadily before
my mind as the central point of my
efforts, I worked my way step by step.
First came the removal of the numer-
Gus little mementos Of those happy
days in dreamland, the light of which
softened my heart into weakness and
vain regret. Next threw aside my
favorite works Of imagination and
feeling, and for two years read scarce
ly book which did not severely task
my mind. I devoted myself more to
my mother, and interested myself in
the poor and sick. Last, not least,
resolved on taking the whole charge
Of your education, Katy; and of my
various specifics, I think I would rec
ommend the training of such an elf
as the 'sovereignest remedy for first
love. The luxuriant growth of your
character interested, stimulated, kept
me perpetually on the alert. soon
began to work con, amore at this task;
my spirits caught at times the conta-
gious gaiety Of yours; my poor heart
was refreshed by your warm childish
love. In short, l began to live again.
But, ah! dear Rake, it was long,
stern conflict. Many, many months,
yes, years, passed by, ere those troub-
led water became clear and still.
But l held firmly on my way, and
the full reward came at last. By de-
grees I had created within and around
me new world of interest and activ-
ity, in which this little whirlpool Of
morbid feeling became an insignif-
cant point. was conscious Of the
birth of new energies, Of bolder and
steadier sweep of thought, Of fuller
svmpathiez, Of that settled quiet and
harmony Of soul which are to be
gained only in the school of selfdis-
, cipline. That dream Of my youth
now lies like soft cloud far off in
the horizon, beautiful with the morn
| ing tints Of memory, but casting no
shadow"
She paused; then added, in live
ly tone: '*Well, Kate, the fifteen min
utes are not out, and yet my story is
done. Think you now it would real
ly have been better to 60 a-swinging
on willow tree over a pond, and so
2 have made a good poetical end p
"Oh, I am SO glad you were: not
such goose as to make a swan Of
5 yourself like poor Ophelia said I,
throwing my arms around her,. and
giving her half dozen kisses. "But
7 tell me truly, was I indeed such a
blessing to you, the very cherubim
that did preserve thee? To think of
$ the repentance I have wasted over
my childish naughtiness, when it was
e all inspired by your good angel! I
' shall take heed to this hint
'Do so, Kate, and your good angel
;, will doubtless inspire in me suita-
+ bic response"
+ "But tell me now, Aunt Linny,
who the living man was. Was he a
real cousin?'
, Il may as we'll tell you, Kate, or
you will get it from your familiar
You have heard of our rich cousin in
$ Cuba, Henry Morrison ?"
/ "Oh, yes I have heard grandfath'
i er speak of him. So, then, he was
Cousin Harry! I should like one
e chance at his hair, for all his good
ness. Did you ever meet again? p
d "Never. His fathers family soer
e removed to distant place, so that