New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-08-13
MR.. BEAMAN'S MISTAKE.
An Old.FasbiOned Story.
By EMMA B. COBB.

Il was at the close of the afternoon ser
vice in the village church OF Byfeld. The
last notes Of the doxology were still echOing
from the singing gallery, and the congrega-
ton, with . hustle and stir, turned their
faces toward the minister for the beDedic-
zion. In the brief pause before it was
spoken old Mr.. Beaman, the town clerk Of
Byfield, stepped in front Of the pulpit, and
raising his hand, said in loud, clear voice,
1sKnOW oil whom it may concern that Mark
Boynton of this town and Elizabeth Heath
Of the Same intend marriage"
There was . movement through the whole
conRregstiOn - if it were pervaded by an
electric shock, and looks of surprise passed
from eye to eye. But there were three
pereons present on whom the clerks an.
nouucement fell like . thunderbolt. One
of these was Q young girl with pale face
and 0 eubdued and dOWnCast eye. When
1lr. Beaman began to speak she listened
with kind Of patient composure; but -
the Nance were announced . wild startled
look came into her eyes, che sank back
upon her seat and buried her now burning
face in her hands.
Not mapy slips removed stood a man Of
perhaps forty-a grave and sober person,
with hair slightly turning to gray. His
face, habitually somewhat SAD one, had
worn throughout the service that day o
look of cheerful content; but as Mr.. Bea-
man made his announcement it took on the
paleness Of death. His head dropped upon
mis- breast, and ne stood like one par
slvzed. clasping the railing Of the pew for
support.
Very different was the effect produced
upon young man, the solitary occupant of
0 pew not far away. He had been standing
With . dropping head and dOwncast, heavy
look; but as he heard the words Of The
old clerk he started visibly, the blood
mounted in Q crimson flush to Ills forehead,
while his eye flashed with look blended
of triumph and defiance, and his lips closed
with IN expression of stern resolve.
There was painful hush over all the
house. as if every one present were strange:
~ moved to sympathize with one or an
other of those 90 deeply and variously at.
broken by the voice of the minister saying
solemnly, ''And now may grace. mercy and
peace, the love Of God. ana the communion
Of His Holy Spirit be and abide with ven
all forever. Amen" And the people
moved silently out of the church.
The pale and stricken man on whom the
old clerks most unexpected words had
fallen 90 like the stroke Of doom was Rob-
ert Jocelyn. He had listened that day to
hear his own name coupled with that of
the lovely girl who had promised to be his
wife, and the voice of the clerk had joined
with hers that Of another and younger
man! To understand the full force Of the
blow which had fallen upon him. it is
necessary to 60 back to Q time, nearly
twenty years before, when a. youth he
had won the love of his pretty and gentle
cousin Phoebe Jocelyn. Phoebe was the
loveliest girl in all that country round, and
had admirers BY the score: but Robert was
tho choice of her heart, and to him she was
tenderly attached. But though capable Of
loving with devotion, poor Phoebe was
wssk-willed and timid, and quite pOwerless
to resist . res0lute and domineering
mother, who had chosen . very different
person to be her daughters husband.
William Heath had more money than Rob
ert, and was SNOWY, plausible fellow, In
whom the ambitious mother fancied she
her daughter. She Piled the yielding girl
with arguments, reproaches. and appeals to
flial duty, till she was quite bewildered;
and almost before she was aware of it she
had given mp her cousin, and was plighted
to William Heath. Her married life was
fortunately brief. for she knew no hsppi.
ness in the three weary years she lived
with her husband. At the end OF that time
he lett her in poverty, and no one in Bydeld
under the pressure Of grief, neglect, and
poverty, lived but Q few months after his
desertion. During that time she was ten
derby cared for by her cousin Robert, who
supplied all the wants of herself and her
infant daughter, and found for them &C.
rene asylum under the roof of his brother
Ezra and his wife. This kind couple had
no children, and when her mother was gone
the little Lizzie was adopted by them ss
their own.
Robert Jocelyn had never married. He
lived on, Q sad and silent man, old before
his time, but he had no heart to offer to
another woman. He had loved Phoebe 60
unselishly that he could have borne to
lose her if she had been happy; but to have
her taken from him, to suffer neglect and
cruelty was hard indeed. It was with
solemn thankfulness that he saw the sod
laid over her faded beauty and broken
heart.
Years passed, and Phebe's daughter was
2 charming, bright-eyed girl Of eighteen.
wife she had grown up cheerful and happy,
loving and dutiful, favorite with all. |
Like her mother, she had many admirers;
but it could not be positively determined |
that she favored any. Still, there were |
shtewd suspicious, and more than one /
young fellow would have been glad to |
stan0 in Marx Boynton's place, and would |
have felt rich indeed with but Q portion of |
the smiles which shone on that fortunate |
youth.
Mark was neighber of the Jocelyns He |
had inherited from his father Q fine we'll |
stocked farm, but unfortunately there had |
been discovered . flaw in his title; and ever |
,ince his majority he had been involved in 0 |
tiresOme Lawsuit, which it was now gener |
lily believed would 60 against him. should /
{ 90 result he would be . poor man, if
young man with strong hands and cour-
l9eous heart can be poor. With all the
vtrength Of an earnest and manly nature |
Mark loved Lizzie Heath; but his pride
withheld him from saying 80 until he should
know whether indeed he had home to Of
er her. If he won his case, he would ask
ler to share the wealth which would then
70 his. If he lost, he must-no, he could
lot resign her; but If she loved, she would
vait for him. He was not q vain man, but