New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-09-03

1
you not feel diehearteneG7 Why
mistress Gsrdette, toll me, where are
your childrenp
II have none, Mistress Fades. God for
babe the blessing" In flash she felt a
finger laid upon her lips.
well, your father, your mother''
Remember. am old"
Forgive me. Then your sister, your
brothers"
II have none"
"Then your husband?'
| The questions had been pushed so rapidly
that MISTRESS Gsrdette had had little time
to devise an answer to this last query,
which she expected in it's course. She re-
treated q step, made gesture Of depreca-
ton, and remained silent The other, car
ried away by an thermal fire OF commisera-
ton and by the very tullness Of her own
heart, fastened on.
"You have q husband. He is not here.
You look half and half angry when speak
of him. Perhaps he has done you come IT,
jury; perhaps his nature is SO different from
yours that YOU are always in conflict, and SO
how wrong may it be for me to say word
to you-you whose child 1 might be! But
oh, mother, has not the time come when
you are beginning to lean little, when
your hand needs q support, when your
heart aches with loneliness! In this sweet
land where it is so warm and fruitful, how
hard it must be to say to yourself, my life
is the only thing that is unlike! Arc your
| wrongs now any thiIg more than cobwebs!
| Tell me, can you not sweep them away very
easily! And when they have disappeared
will not there remain high spirit that love
| might enter again2 On, am sure of it! l
know it! 1t is not too late to sweep and
garnish the chambers of your heart! You
have watched me! You have followed me
necessarily with your eyes ana thoughts,
. r.xrhA D< n
| aroused your own, though your face seems
| to he "a stern as ever. You can not deceive
me! You would not. You have begun to
| look with terror on every day that you pass
| alone; and oh, dear friend-lnother-I im-
plOre you-Eark!'
A confused noise came from the sick
chamber. II seemed to be stihed call and
a sound az ii some one we're in the midst of
q struggle. Mrs. Fades flew back and threw
open the door.
Her husband, whose nervous system had
received fresh strain from lack of repose,
had become weakly alarmed at her absence
and had risen from his bed, insane to reach
her. He had staggered to closed door
near by, and was now beating wildly upon
it with his open palms, uttering at the same
time number of inco nprehensible words.
His appearance was sufficiently alarming
to have caused even the strongest to feed
little terror; but the wife approached him
without hesitation. He did not recognize
her, and he repulsed her with gesture of
surprise and anger. Mistress Gsrdette, an
ticipating q scene of violence, fled in dis
may, calling upon her guest to follow her.
But Mistress Fades, conceiving what Was
required, with ready precision, stood her
ground, inviting the confidence of the sick
man by gently extending her hand for him
to take, and BY composing her features and
her figure, not as a commander or an ag-
gressor, but as a suppliant, Or rather as
friend.
By slow degrees the frenzy faded from
the husbands face, his features became
placid, and his eyes regained little of their
native expression. He turned his gaze
aside, and in a moment submitted to De led
to his resting place. He sank into it with
long and painful sigh, an utterance that |
was half sane and half mad, and that more |
nearly brought down the plying tears of |
the wife than any other inciden. that had |
happened during her recent ministrations |
NOW that all was secure, her quick and |
graceful hahd restored cain and beauty to
the room, as it had restored peace to the
disturbed man. The light was lowered,
flowers were brought, gentle breeze was
let in. and order reigned once more.
The wife said to herself: III | can only
make you close your eyes, dear boy. then l |
snail De happy; rest and you will recover
quickly"
Quarter of an hour later, Mistress Gar
dette. hearing no further noise, approached
the door. She beheld the invalid living |
upon his side. with one slender hand be- !
meath his head and the other extended. az
was his custom, over the coverlid. The
pale wife, nearly as wan as her husband, |
sat plying her fan above his face, extend
ing her arm, and keeping even the skirt of
her dress with great care from contact !
with the bed. She knew that the smallest
touch could produce great disturbance at
such a critical moment.
Mistress Gardette perceived once more in
the weary face of her guest that ineradica
BILE glow that had already SO often startled
her. She now contemplated it with pro-
the lips, though set in the midst of features
30 dragged and discOlored Oy labor and
anxiety that they resem bled those of death,
we're brilliant and mobile with an inward
life. She recognized afresh the presence of
IN indOmitable something that had pre-
served its entirety in spite of all, and she
1welt upon 1t with humility. In few mo-
nents she turned about and went some
What rapidly into the garden, passing into |
} small lattice house that was covered bv a
screen OF roses called the Cloth of Gold.
She spent an hour in tears and medita.
ion, saving at intervals, in low voice, II
must believe it, it is true; there can be no
deception; che deceives neither herself nor
ne: l am living with her, not in advance
II her; yesterday l was older than she but ,
lew l am as young. She smiles, and /
weep; but it is all alike, all the same. The
'lsion of my husband now fills million
yes that have been opened in my breast.
lie shall return, if the good God wills" !
When she returned 70 the house, she :
assed through the main hallway. The :
oors at either end were open, and fresh !
reeze laden with the perfume of thous-
nd flowers came in from the sunlit gar y
ems. She paused and reflected upon the !;
losed doors, the silence, and the sad lone :,
ness of the ancient house. She caught
Ight of her own sombre figure in tar
lshed mirror that hung upon the wall. !,
ould 1t be possible that Joy might yet
Dme to gladden. her and her surroundings!
seemed impossible. The place appeared =
} be the very home of sadness.
At this instant the door of the sick a
hamber opened. and Mistress Fades came K
nth. Her step was light and noiseless, Il
Or face was aglOw, and she looked like an II
ogel. She was filed with that gratitude Q
lat made her spirit spring up with divine u
y. Her weariness was dissipated. Her q
yes were brilliant, her lips trembled. She u
az tender. lofty, radiant. She whispered, 81
18th her fingers before her lips
HE is sleeping!" u
Unparalleled con cession of nature Ire fc
endous event, fit to mark an epoch in any | m
e After so many days of torture, relief | al
I'd at last come to the wearied man; he | k
ID fallen into oblivion. 6,
Mistress Gardette looked long at the
owing face before her. Then she ex. Il
aimed, cay. l say once more, it is true, it ii
real. believer NJ
A little while after, Fades summoned N
9 venerable castawsy from the North, al
I'd as the invalid quilted the house to | to
turn once more to his cottage, the hus-
nd entered the door. l.,
ut seems to me, my convalescent," said n
istress Fades, chat our PRAYER that a |