Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1878-08-15
s LANCASTER, WISCONSIN, THURSDAY, AUGUST IS 1873.


ffatter of lace and silk, a uery aristo
cratic wedding at st. Stephens.
just as they were going in to din
ner, while the parlor was convenient.
ly dark, the elder sister repeated the
talk with Mrs. Hunt, and what she
had said Of Philip Chartrand.
The younger was silent while she
ratified on, and wound up with the re-.
mark that social dinners were better
than any evening parties to middle-
aged people, and she should follow
with an entertainment of the same
sort as that to which they were asked
on Thursday. bf
sMiddle.ag people!' echoed Helen
Erland, with yearning glance at the
broad, silvery mirror.
Not you will gaze in vain for the
fresh, unreturning grace of FIRST youth.
Hard as it is to accept the fact, we
bury our violets and daisies, the bios.
SONS of spring, as we go.
] am telling simple story; there
fore, my record of the hero is not as
romantic as | wish. -.
d Seventeen years before, Philip
Chartrand had loved intensely, but,
as he supposed, hopelessly, d lovely
girl too shy to reveal her preference
for him. The note to which we have
alluded, besought her to reply at once
in writing if his suit proved success
full, and BY silence If it were rejected.
Like hundreds of disappointed men,
he rushed from the scene OF his sore
trial to new world, and having be.
come partner in the business firm
with which he was associated, at
their request, settled abroad, where,
after suitable time spent in mourn.
ing the image of Helen Erland, he
consoled himself With the society Of
ments-both are dispensed by an UNI
erring Hand. ss,im le,see. ~ rsea.
Yet, as the cloud was lifted from
the sky OF the past, and the few agi.
tated words in which Philip Chart,
rand confessed his love for, her, came
to their lawful recipient, all the hon.
est indignation of which she was
capable stirred in Helen Erland's
breast. Too keenly she had read the
nature whose selfish lack Of principle
was now betrayed; it was bitter to
recognize in the destroyer Of her
peace, the sister at whose side she
walked! There are seasons when
this complex puzzle of being is d
crushing weight; we struggle to
reconcile what was never meant to be
reconciled below; we stagger at re-
suits, forgetting the causes deep out
of sight, So it was that standing 10
the twilight, this lonely little woman
OF whom write, questioned 'how can
these things be?' the eascful days and
nights, the golden successes of a hard,
unthankful nature like Gratia Erlands
while her own which had never SUIT
fered want in the ordinary sense, had
and thirsted, and found no
relief amid the plenty spread for 9TH
ers. Night dropped softly upon the
bustling city; a chime of bells in
the tower near by rang out upon
the blue air, paan full of promise,
and crouehing close against the win
dow-panes Helen watched the west
ern sky and read its new, sweet mean.
ing. True, it was reading the story
of her life backwards, for ali POSSIBLE
tiles that might have been were swept
away forever; but was she not thank
full that such had existed r Uncon-
scious how the time sped, she kept
her vigil with Memory, while out OF
the folding darkness rose its dissolv-
ing views. The appearance OF a lamp
carried by Mrs. Griswold, who had
returned to dispose Of her affairs,
finally disturbed her revcry, and her
hand closed more tightly over its re-
covered treasure, as the lady asked
not indifferently-'Have you been sit
ting in the window all this while,
Helen ? or did You pull over this pile
OF rubbish? | do not quite UNDER
stand why keep it, a1s
i never touch what does not belong
to me-, was the rather equivocal re.
ply, as she rose and with one glance
behind her Gas if leaving a tangible
presence) passed down the stairs.
Very carefully Mrs. Griswold hunt
ed the spot over for the tiny note
which worlds would not have tempt
ed her to lose; but it was hopelessly
lost; certainly her sister must have
taken it. At the tea-table, to which
none but agreeable topics were
brought, there was no evidence of
disturbance in the face whose express
sion was not always transferable, and
Miss Erland's voice, as musical as 10
its girlhood, held its past in the gem
eral conversation. She also ate and
drank, as people acquire the habit of
doing, with slight regard 10 taste,
while across her china plate, and over
her goblet of water, certain phrases
and sentences foated dizzily; she
was reading the love. letter whose
contents would once have turned the
current of life for her. Sometime
somewhere, would not her happiness
be required at the hands which had
thrown it away?
A week passed by. No mention
Of the matter was made bv Helen,
and Mrs. Griswold concluded that
her fears were groundless; the paper
must have slipped into crack in the
floor, and there would be the end of
it, One morning, while engaged in
shopping for the holidays, lady re.
marked to her-'My husbands Liver
pool partner, Mr.. Chartered, is visit.
ing us, and I shall have small din
ner party-a select few-to meet him
on Thursday, so hold yourself in
readiness for an invitation
sMr. Chartrand ? indeed 7 Mrs.
Griswold looked odd, almost confused,
thought Mrs. Hunt; but ere she had
defined the notion, the feeling. of
whatever nature, had vanished.
You are very kind, and we shall
be delighted. Are his family also