American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1878-07-06

81 could despise nothing with which
you were associated" he said.
"Then listen to me-" she continued
i" sit here by my side and listen to me.
l am getting quite strong and well. You
have saved my life, you and your good
Hagar, and the worst of it is that now 1
must go away" Here she paused, and
enjoyed the sudden wincing in his face,
and resolved more and moro TO spare
him the pang of parting. 81 am going
TO coax you away from here" she said.
"Indeed, indeed, Mr.. Hume May l
call you Paulp"
"Yes," he replied, but began to grow
pale.
Indeed you are quite thrown away
in this place. 1t would be so sweet to
me to see you admired and deitied and
bowed down to, as the world ont yonder
does to men like you. They love sill
yer tongue, do the people. viii you
let me manage it for youp promise
you, if you will, our parting shall be
brief. 1 have considerable influence,
which will WELD in your behalf. You
have but to be known to be appreciated.
See the good you might do, Paul." she
added, coaxingly. Her face took fire as
she uttered his name, but that of the
preacher grew paler and paler.
az am grateful to you," he replied,
"more grateful than 1 can say; but l
must remain here. Believe me, it is bet
ter should remain
Mrs. Delplaine had somewhat fore
seen this refusal. In her exalted esti-
mate of his character she could scarcely
hope that her hero would step aside
from the path he had marked cut for
himself to cater to the preferences of a
woman. She yielded at once.
because you are stubborn and
proud" she said, Z" because you can not
bend to any weak frivolity; and if you
will not yield to my wishes, there is
nothing left to me but to submit myself
to yours. Well, then, 1 will also re-
main here. 1t matters little where /
live, and this is winsome country in
its way. think we shall soon have a
promise of spring. On that big stern
rock outside the window l saw the poor
moss growing just little green. 1 can
get some old house, and old houses can
be refurnished. Cold gray home-spun
can give place to Persian woods, odorous
fires can still glow in old chimney
places. Since it is your will, sir, to re.
main in this place, you will not object il
I make this wilderness to blossom as the
rose"
"Mrs. Delplaine!" he said, crunch
ing the slim white hand that rested on
the arm of the chair close in the CULVER
ing muscles of his own.
"My name is Laura" she interrupt
ed, softly.
Mrs. Delplaine," he repeated, "you
will not remain here, neither will go
You will take with you the only true
happiness have ever known; the mem
DRY of it will perhaps serve to make the
rest of my life endurable. And now
let me tell you, loveliest and most gen
erous of women, why can not go and
you can not stay. When was but a lac
of twenty" said the preacher. "and
still pursuing my studies, fell in love
with young woman who lived in the
neighborhood of the college. 1 soor
learned that her passion was feignet
from the first, and that she only married
me from motives of convenience; but
mine, such as it was, founded upon ;
4 nd Inv
carries of the brain, led me into fool.
paradise; and even when the bitterness:
of her mistake and my own began
eat into our lives, it sickens me to re
member how strove against it, how
meanly and servilely shut my eyes an6
CROPPED blindfold for the old mockery
But it had long been ghost, and the
time came when even the memory of il
was curse. Then the cross was per
haps heavier for her to bear than for
me. Tied to man whose pursuits
thoughts, ambitions, affections, she
could neither understand nor appre
ciate, condemned to the propriety and
soberness allotted to the life of 8
preachers wife, even denied the com
fort of wearing gay trinkets and iappar
ell, often she has told me that she envied
the freedom of an Indian squaw, and
how glad she'd be to'know nothing but
Choctaw to get rid of the eterna
preaching, preaching"
Poor SOUL" said Mrs. Delplaine
with an involuntary shudder at the life
the parson portrayed. Then she added
with infinite tenderness, "Ah! but she
did not love you'll"
"No," said Mr.: Hume; 'tand, Goo
forgive me, there were times when
was tempted to put an end to my life, il
bred such misery for us both. At las
merciful Providence-Ica can only think
it such-enfeebled her health and tool
the corporal sting from her slavery
The powerful vitality which lent dan
gerous strength to her longings and dis
content was broken, and she became
content to be amused and taken care OF
in way that was possible to me. All
old nurse connected with the family was
induced to take entire charge of her
The Incidence of Southern climate
suited her desires and capacities. As
for me, the rigor and sterility of this
region held charm for me; its loneli
ness, its isolation, soothed and consoled
me and so the years went by, till you
came.''
Here he got upon his feet, and bent
over her, taking both her hands in his.