The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-07-12

| cOllee Tor nm, ana we began to eat
breakfast, for had not tasted Il morsel,
and was comtorted now to feel hungry.
4 fortnight after, the rooms We're com
! plete, and the professor was to leave for
New Orleans the next day. He was COM
ing to take supper with me and bid me
goodby that night, as the steamer start
ed very early in the morning. had made
every thing could think Of to please him,
and put a few pansies in my hair. The
table looked wonderfully inviting. 1t was
about dusk, and | expected him every
moment, when the janitOr'S little boy
came running in to Inc with a letter.
saw 1t was III a strange, fine handwriting
and thought it was some new customer
but as read it, my blood rushed to my
heart, for it Was from Helen, and ran
thus
MY DEAR SUsIE.-l have only time to tell you
am the happest creature i'll the world All those
months | was with YOU had lett my heart with Il
young person down here, who is the son of an
abolltioniSt and Quaker, My father is fire
eater, IT You know what that means my dear; but
he could not swallow the big borntire of love that
blazed between that young Quaker and me so he
sent me to the North that my share Of it should
be cooled by your climate. But, if You remember,
did not see much of the climate | was almost
dlWdNS Ill your coy IaflOr. Whcfe 1ne birds sang
and the flowers bloomcd. and the dear professor
much like my Edward. that | could
| almost fancy they were one and the same-the
| rnddy hair the same eyes Of flashing blue and his
thee and thou brought back to me the sweet
Quaker dialect He had but the one fault-of
which thou must cure him, my dear-a womanish
| curiosity that thou altogether art happily free
from. 1T at last drove me away | came home
like the prodigal. and my father gave me my
Edward, the more readily that he was the best
| t,.h tI1n
ire-eatcr. is poor. My best love to thee and the
professor. aud am always thy own HELEN"
As finished the last line The protes-
sor's footstep was on the stair; and as the
night was warm and the door open, in he
came, and found me, cold and petritied,
with this dreadful letter in my hand
''What is it ," he said, snatchine the
letter ''It is from New Orleans. is She
dead" ...
NO" said "she is married"
And the professor read every word of
that cruel letter of Helen's Then he
wiped his streaming brow, and bent nv
head submlssiyely, expecting a volley of
imprecatiOns and laments; but he said
not a word, and presently sank into a
chair, and looked out upon the western
Sky. A fresh breeze blew aside the cur
tains and lifted the hair from his bealti-
tul white forehead
My tears fell fast and heavy. was so
sorry for him thought my heart would
break.
Weep not, little one,' at last he said.
81 think have been Il fool is it not so ?"
"No, no, no" | cried, going over to
him, and kneeling down by his side. "Oh,
can you ever forgive me! Indeed, indeed,
thought it was so. thought she must
love, she could not help but love, you"
lie looked down upon me and smiled,
and patted my little red hand with his
white and tapering fingers.
"What is to be done now ?" he said.
The altar is ready, but where is the
victim? How can the sacrifice go on "
''There is Miss Van Coot," said, tim
| idly, ''if you could bring yourself to be
satisfied with her She has houses and
lands. and thousands and thousands OF
dollars in her own right and she is very
wise and learned and q wonderful mu-
Sicall."
Hold :" cried the professor: .'why
should this great and mighty lady conde-
scend to become the wife of poor pro-
tessor? Hast thou not sufficiently foster
ed my foolish vanity And What would
become of the rooms above, upon which
have expended my time, my money, and
my brain You will own that they will
not suit the fancy OF Miss Van Coot?"
"Oh, they are 50 beautiful ~ cried,
my tears falling faster than ever. "Thc
paper is 50 bright, the carpets are So
pretty. the pictures 50 charming. There
is a little rocking chair there that is the
dearest and most comfortable little chair
in the world
''Then keep it thyself, mein Herzchcn, .
! he raid, in that low tender grOWl of his
and began to tremble without knowing
why, for he had bent his handsome head
to mine, and gathered my hands in his.
''Be thyset the victim Thou hast long
been my SympathiZer and comforter.
When look back and think, inbecile
that have been, Of all that thou hast
done for me, and the little | have done
for thee, it is, as you Americans would
say, like the handle Of Il JUG, all on one
side. 1t is as Vou put the padding upon
poor Miss Van Coot 5 shoulder that morn
| ing Listen, little one to my commands.
| Thou shalt make no more gowns except
thine own: thou shalt keep no boarders
but thy husband. Come to my heart.
mein Liebehan, Y
And rs | nestled there, a flood of glory
beamed in from the western sky. did
not speak; my heart was full; and
thought there could be no happiness more
beyond hope, OF joy, or thought, in Gods
paradise.