The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1875-08-29
HEART, CROSS AND ANCHOR.

tones Will touch an answering chord in m.
soul, and feel almost selfish enough to wisl
yours should not fall on other ears when
am gone But this you must promise thi
song you will not sing to any one. 1t shall
be kept sacred to the memory Of this hour.
II will promise, Edgar. Neither thi
nor the Welcome Greeting will 1 sing
again until to you" answered Caroline
Then turning to the piano, she began bel
song. Never had she sung so well. Her sou
was in her tones, and when she ceased and
turned to her lover. he exclaimed:
Beautiful beautiful. Do you know, my
carroling darling that you have fortune OF
surer possession in your voice than all your
fathers wealth? But come; bid me good bye
with smiles, not tears. The time of going is
very near l must hasten"
She put forth her hand; he caught it, and
drew her to his bosom. AS he released her, a
bracelet caught in his button and broke The
| little charms-cross, heart and anchor-that
were attached to it separated, the cross still
| hanging to the button, the others falling at
Caroline's feet
| With frightened look she pointed to the
broken trinket and said 80, Edgar. this is
an omen of coming evil, l know. Your gift
| thus broken, and at such time?"
Nonsense At your feet behold my heart
| and hope; and on my bosom lies our faith.
Here put piece of ribbon or something in
this little cross, and l will wear it until we
meet again"
"When shall that be-" asked Caroline, in
| mourntul voice.
"Still superstitious," Edgar said.
~ feel presentiment, Edgar, that years
will pass before we meet again, If ever. But
here, take this cross; will have faith. See
| have wrapped round it piece OF my hair.
Now, whatever the future may bring, and
wherever you may be. send this to me and
will come" Caroline said, her voice full OF
mourntul tenderness.
go, Carol, pray do not talk SO. You i'm
press me with your gloom. Come, cheer up,
and own, too, that you are afraid to trust me
in the constant society of Miss Erving; but
you need have no fears about her. Even
though 1 should think of her, she would not
be apt to encourage her fathers secretary
when she can aspire to higher position"
A look OF reproach was Caroline's reply to
Edgar's words. And when he again pressed
her to his heart, in his final farewell and left
her, she fels then as if 1t were forever.
Before two years had passed there came
great financial crisis, in which many of the
wealthiest fell-Caroline Ainsworth's father
among the first When poverty was threat
ening, not for herself did she tremble, but
for those dear ones, then aged, and ill able to
Edgars word came back to her. She had
fortune in her voice. Cheerfully hopefully
she went to work. And then how eagerly she
watched for the coming of Edgar's letter OF
sympathy, encouragement-ay, that, most of
all, which should sustain her, his words of
love. The letter came. O. the cold, cruel
letter, which for time swept faith, hope and
almost reason from her mind and heart.
A little while only, and then she rose above
the sorrow man had caused, and bravely went
to work. Calmly she re-read his letter, ask
ing to be released from bis VOWS. Business
still retaining HIM with Mr.. Erving in India,
he should not return to England at present,
and as, OF course her plans for the future
would engross her completely, she would
agree with him it would be better, aud no
doubt also agreeable to her, to be tree.
"You are tree, were the only words Caro-
line wrote in reply.
year spent in study, in Italy, and win
ming encouragement from the best masters
and then to try her power. Success followed,
and fame crowned her with laurels. She
was acknowledged the prima donna of the
age.
"Teach her to love, and then hers will be
music divine. Power, passion, pathos-she
has all; but they had been acquired from
great masters. The wanting power must be
of herself, from her own soul, said his old
Seven years had winged their flight since
she had parted from Edgar Mansfield. She |
had heard nothing of him since about six |
months after her receipt of his letter. Then |
she was told he was coming home to marry |
Miss Erving
But to continue. We now find her in |
Paris crowned with triumph. After night |
of even more than usual eclat she sat the next
day, surrounded with tokens of her listeners
appreciation. Flowers rare and beautiful,
jewels costly and antique, all around her. She
pushed them impatiently aside, and her head |
sank into her hands. Her thoughts flew back
to the time when she sang simple ballads,
and looked for the words and look of admira-
ton from one with more eagerness, and hailed
it's coming with more real qualification, than
ever since she had from the crowned heads
md mobiles of the land.
"How l kept thinking last night Of the
Welcome Greeting My heart seemed filed
With that. 1 have not thought of it since
hat night. think if l had sung it there might
nave been found the wanting tone. They
ay am cold-there is no love in my voice
Gold Oh can they not think there is
oldness more icy than that Of unknown
owe? lis when love has been given birth,
,nown life, and then been killed, that it be-
omes SO icy cold"
Thus Caroline Aainsworth communed with
herself in the splendid boudoir of her suit of
partments.
Going to jewel-casket, she unlocked it,
nd drew forth the little golden heart and
nchor.
"Strange. strange that l should have felt
he coming Of his perfidy. bne,o that night
t would be so. l wonder where the little
ompanion of these is?" she murmured.
What do | care for this life of continual ex-
itement-this admiration of the millions =
'othing- All, all are gone now for
'hom l cared to be great Edgar worse than
cad. Would that l could think of him !
'atching and waiting for my coming in the
md where angels sing. Father gone, mother
one. l care for the praise of no one now.
sing to no one now. o. weary, weary life
have only one ioy-the remembrance of the e
omfort gave them" e
A knock at the door announced the coming $
some one, and a footman presented him 2
4