Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1877-01-17
Deciding n Destiny.
ny ". A. AVERY.

were you deciding the destiny oil King
dom"
Isabel Brandon, lost in deep reverie, did
not look up at once and when she did,
there was a suspicious moisture i'll her bril-
liant dark eyes as she said
"Cousin Mary, | have been deciding what
is of infinitely more Importance to me than
all the Kingdoms in the universe"
"What is that %
"Can't you guess 2" and look in those
humid eyes revealed the fact that bitter
struggle had been going on in the young
girls mind.
"No; I'm wholly in the dark as regards
the workings of your brilliant intellect"
"Well, then, have within the hour been
deciding my own destiny"
"Do you mean for time or eternity 2"
said Mary CRANKY, in surprised tone.
For time, of course. My eternal saliva
tion was, hope, secured long ago. But
have just decided to marry Richard Burney."
"Richard Burneyl" exclaimed Mary, in
an astonished tone. "Surely, you are not
in earnest ?"
"Why not l should like to know 2" and
there was a spice of anger in the tone. Ills
father is worth million, and he is con-
sidered the best match in town"
"But you forget that he is considered a
very fast young man that he spends money
recklessly, and that his reputation is not
above reproach."
"Well | don't believe all the reports that
are in circulation. People are always ma
| ligning those who are above them in the
social scale, and he says they do him."
"Well, whatever the facts, you know as
much about his vicious habits as /; and if
you marry him, it is with your eyes open.
But what, in the mean time, are you going
to do with Willard Gray? :" and there was a
faint color in Mary's cheek as she asked the
question.
81 guess must turn him over to you,
echoed Bell, in a laughing, reckless tone
though her cheeks grew shade paler as she
said it.
Isabel ~ said Mary Indignantly as the
hot color flashed over her face, "you know
that he cares nothing for me, and that he
does for you. And you also know, that on
the day you promise to love, honor, and
obey Richard Burney, you will falsify the
best and holiest feelings of your soul, and
do thing that you will regret all the days
of your mortal life. For Willard GRAY
poor though he may be, is thousand times
better and nobler than Richard Burney."
"Well, | know that he is good and noble
and true, and believe loves me very dearly
but can |, with such cultivated and aesthetic
tastes, who hate work and commonplace
life, and have snch perfect passion fol
everything beautiful, such a longing fol
rich Dress costly jewelry, and luxurious sur
roundings, cramp and repress every strong
desire of my soul for one who would not a
all understand the bitter struggle, and witt
whom ! should have to sink down to th'
humdrum life of poor country parson :"
" You may do worse. The wife of poo
country parson might be a very happy wo
man, if she loved and was beloved by he
husband and had holy and earnest regar'
for the work to which his Master had callet
him."
"Well, you are just fit for it, you darlin,
little saint, but | am not. ] love this worl'
too we'll and am sure never could scrim
and pinch and save to make the two end
meet, as some of them have to do"
al wonder you never thought of thi
before. For have you not all through tn
bright spring and golden summer-in fac
almost ever since he came here from tn
seminary to teach in the academy KNOWN
his poverty-given him every reason to b'
lieve you favored him more than all others
"What if have? All the girls but yo
,, tlirt more or less, and why not 2" said Bel
pettishly.
WAS it really all flirting, Isabel-actin
a lie 7"
"No, Miss lnquisitor-General. If mus
confess, it was acting out my true feeling
was dreaming of love in cottage in spit
= Of myself. And yet did not know mysel
: or | might not have done it. | did NJ
know until | received this splendid offe
L. 4 4 Al 4
B, of luxury and grandeur has upon my hear
. know it now full well, and | will not sa
: ri6ce wealth, position, and everything
= value most i'll this life, for poor mau
: love"
90 Isabel How dare YOU, n professt
u /, follower of Christ, refuse a noble, pur
;. hearted man, whom you really love- for OF
" who has not tithe of his talents, not
y fraction of his manly beauty, not one 10
y of his moral goodness; for one who spea
=, slightingly OF all sacred things, keeps lo
y company, and is so strongly accused
% drinking and gambling ?"
"I don't believe word of that and Pa
you know, says, How knowest thou, o wi
TX but that thou mayest win over thy hr
T band 2"
X Isabel, you know that text had nothi
IS to do with case like this aud would 1
De plead with you so earnestly as | do, if
Sc thought YOU loved Richard Burney, or ev
IN respected him. And tell you now, that
IT, you reject Willard Gray and marry hi
"a YOU will find, when it is too late, that neiti
III a high social position, costly equipages {
es giant dresses, rich jewelry, nor all that luxu
VI GUS wealth can purchase can satisfy
'ir souls craving for congenial companionsl
III or still the pain of an aching heart"
h- "You talk rs il you knew all about Il
ay pain, but | don't !" said Bell, sarcastca
ut 81 like Willard Gray well enough, It's tr
ire but not so well as to obscure my reason
er another's merits. If you do, as I've
along suspected, you may have him and v
come, for all me"
he "Isabel, you have no right to talk to
Ids in this way You and have been brouI
be up together as sisters, and you must kn
er, that it is ont of love for you and regard
ne your future happiness, that | thus pl
er with you to be true to yourself-your bel
ice self, and by all You value in life, resist
he the Saviour did, this temptation of Sat
he who is saying TO you now, as he did to IL
to An these things of the world will | 6
ev- thee if thou wilt fall down and wors
the me-"
- "Pshaw Why will you always IN
/, is such serious matter OF everything X
me ard Burney is good enough for me, and
She haps | am not good enough for viii
Dut Gray. But il even he had chosen anot
profession-the law or medicine, for
stance-anything but to be poor minis
o,e might have come to different conclusion
SO 40 Isabel What profession can
on, nobler than that of leading souls from es
ost to heaven, from darkness into light,
md from the power of sin and Satan up TO G'
as Aud what is that religion worth that
as not lead its votaries to make some sacrii
nee for the cause of God and humanity
prs, honor Willard Gray for his choice of
we fession. With his strict sense of accou
est bility to God for his noble gifts he &C
on. not have been anything else with c
wi conscience
Iest "Well, | never pretended to be a
great saint, and know | never could c.