The Republican journal., 1876-05-11

could not help feeling that this sombr,
shadow was over my heart instead.
! aimlessly followed the winding road
into the valley, descending at every step
further and further into the shadow; yet
! my soul into its own shadow plunged
more recklessly still, the gloom surround
! ing it seeming almost sullcn in its inten-
! sity.
Suddenly it grew lighter What did it
| presage? A large cumulus OF cloud had
| drlited into the range of the suns rays,
and caught the splendor, sending them
down to earth in glow of reflection. eff
my own soul could drift into such vol
ume Of light?' | thought, bitterly, and
walked slowly onward.
What marvellous shapes the clouds take
at times This one and smaller ones,
drifting with and counter to it, suddenly
| took the shape Of huge anchor, seeming
TO me, in my shortened vision, a CLEAN Of
mighty iron glowing with a false glimme:
80 intent wasmy gaze bent heavenward
that did not observe a figure Immediate
~ IN front OF me, emerging from the val
ley. 1t was a female figure, and [ hastily
stepped On one side to allow her to pass,
| hardly withdrawing my gaze from the
heavens. The moment she had passed,
III obedience to a sudden impulse. | turn
ed my head to see hers also turned to OBJ
serve me. The light from the cloud of
hope shone full in her face, and | started
at the recognition. Was my soul, then,
drifting rs yonder cloud had done? Was
this thrill that bathed it i'll pathos the light
indeed, that warns and gloriies all it
shines on-or WAS It but mocking irony {?
Miss Perry - i exclaimed, this ls q
rare pleasure"
She advanced in the same shy manner
as Of old, and held out her hand in the old
coy style.
WAS it you, then. was to meet at the
station? ?' she asked.
'Were you expecting some one |
asked. a little bewildered
"No.-yes,' I was the hesitaeng reply |
suppose, if l tell you. YOU will laugh at
me. l was sitting in the parlor a short
time ago. looking now and then at the old
picture you were pleased to take SO much
notice OF in those other years-the picture
has been very dear to me latterly,' she
ptrentheticaily added. with q Just percept-
ible tremor in her voice-'.when suddenly
| was impressed with the idea that | was
w iiltSG >OiHtDOuN dl lile SldllOH lie no.
ton occurred to me ut once as so ridcu-
lous. that laughed outright But it would
not be laughed down. and finally started
and-here | am"
then told her how ! had just returned
from Europe, and was on the way to find
my mother and sister, when was almost
impellud from the cars.
And you were going right by without
stopping to See us ,"
/ hesitated, not knowing the nature of
the ground | was standing on, ard not
caring 10 make a misstep
Erred and | would both have been so
disappointed if you had"
"Ah! is Fred here p | asked, making
an effort to appear at ease. though sue
ceeding badly, am afraid
"Why. OF course He is here all the
time, now, except for 4 few months III the
winter
My heart leaped into my throat in very
agony, and for moment | dared not
trust myself TO speak We had in the
meantime been walking slowly down into
the valley, and suddenly door of house
close by the wayside swung open, and a
flood OF light rested upon my companion.
All, the caprlces of fashion How its
edlcts drift around in circles and turn up
unexpectedly Oi icourse the ruff was not SO
pr0u9nce, nor the rolling folds to the dress,
gathering Ill q mass back OF the neck, so
angular and 50 still as represented in the
Elizabethan portraits. but there she was
in the dress, with notifications. in which
she had made the final assault on nay
heart, and wen it" "uMknowingiy. heed
lessly," said to myself
Didn't you know of Freds marriage ?"
she asked, after the awkward pause in
which my mind had been so busy,
Not to a certainty, ! coniectured as
much. You are very happy, | suppose"
Yes, as the world goes. Fred is the
dearest and best fellow in the world. How
long time isn't it,"
Three years. He was seated where |
met you, just now the night of my return
home, and after you went over the noun
tains 50 much after the French-leave man
ner"
"Oh. was such a silly chit then"
And think You have grown wiser
now ?"
"Maybe not, nor happier; this world is
for growth. not happiness, after all.
Growth is the object. happiness the result;
not the reverse, as people generally sup
pose"
And Fred has grown in art as well as
in 4 domestic way?'
"Oh, yes. He is quite the rage in Ger
tain circles. But YOU know all about that
probably r.
NO. have been 50 immersed in bus-
ness in Europe that | hive absolutely
not heard Of or from him since-let me
see; no, not since he wrote, lust after
my return from here, to tell me of his en-
gagement with You"
"His-engagement -with-me." draw
ing sharp breath at tho enunciation of
every word. ale was never engaged to
me, Did he write you that?"
He implied rs mucl. If remember
rightly, however, there was chance for
a contrary result
''He fancied at one time he was in love
with me, and don't know but considered
himself engaged, but it only lasted a few
weeks. He went to Europe, he said, to
die Of a broken heart; but came back last
fall, and married my cousin, and
-are-not-marred? !?
l did not hear her reply, only saw her
shake her head in the rapidly gathering
dust, and clasped my arm around her as |
had done three summers before. But she
did not withdraw from my embrace this
time, in ever so gentle q manner; and
when asked her if she would be my lily
of the valley. the answer she gave shown
over my soul as the departing sunlight
had over the anchor-shaped cloud, and the
reelected radiance Illuminated my whole
being.
Sleep the Best Stimulant.
The best possible thing for a man to do
when he feels too weak to carry it through
is to 90 to bed and sleep a week if he can.