The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-04-07

my hand close, and whisper to me that my
love was precious TO her, and that l was her
dear, dear "Hearts-ease."
When the guests went away, and we heard
papa coming up to his room, she would put
me gently from her and say: go now, dar
ling, and kissed me with lips that trembed
yet spoke no words by dread And so had
TO leave her to what words of jeering cruelty,
what sneers at her helpless pain, who could
say} used to steal softly and stealthily to
| my own room, and kneeing by my bed, pray
that the God Of the f.therless and the widow
would ,, LOOK dow down g.. IN pity upon those Whq
gentle, loving woman who was worse than
widowed.
Strange experiences these for girl! Well
might a ths euoyaney q youth di9 out under
| seemed to grow young again all at once 1t
was as If had been some swimmer fighting
along stream, bearing up against the dead
weight of burden that threatened every mo-
ment to drag me down; and all at once, just
when my heart began to fail me, 10 a blessed
sense OF help and comfort came upon me, and
the weight of the burden that had seemed
well nigh too heavy to be borne, was suddenly
llghtened. Gods hand had led me hcross the
path OF one who was fated to be my aid and
comfort. new courage, new strength was
infused into my soul; nothing seemed too
hard to bear because there was Dick to share
it with me. And now, as II all this light and
gladness were not enough, Aunt Emily has
come home from abroad, and SO | am to go
and see Dicks sister, and Dick is to be there
too; and | am dazzled with go much happl-
ness at once, like one that the sunlight blinds.
/ have never confessed to myself before how
weary have been sometimes: but now do,
and more than this, the excitement of this
strange new life that Is coming has overset
my mental equilibrium, and / am irritable
with the noisy young ones, and what baby
Maud calls "eoss."
Last night Janet was closeted a long while
with mamma, and then went out on some
ctnrt n,,c prra Whanc hnn lchp
was laden with parcels and among their va
ried contents were yards and yards OF black
silk, enough to make me one of those trailing,
rustling dresses that | have seen ladies wear
at our grand old minister's, and that ] have
! Coveted" with every fibre of my young
, heart, In spite Of the deoalogue plainly set
forth upon the wall above my head. When
Janet called mo into mammals room, and
. saw the rusting silk laid across the couch by
the window, saw the happy smile-how rare,
how rare thing to see-upon her lips: saw
the dear hands trembling with eagerness as
they fingered the delicate ribbons and laces
9 that were scattered all about-when saw this
! sight, and knew that the great love of the
mOther-heart had thought of me SO tenderly
| scarce could find words to utter, and in my
Z troubled happiness 1t did not cross my mind
chased. But later on, as we three-mamma
Janet and were holding solemn conclave
on the matter of the form and fashion OF my
dresses, missed the sparkle of a certain ring
. from mammals finger.
Like a sudden revelation 1t came upon me
then what she had done for me, and, catching
her hand in mine, kissed 1t once and again,
: weeping for very. JOY. to think of how we'll
All this only happened last night, and am
hating myself for looking forward SO eagerly
: to this coming visit. am hating myself for
byss resentment. ' have hardly il patience , to
!, thread baby Maud's needle, for the fourteenth
d time and smy hand shakes so, as write to
tell Dick that it is "all right about going to
Mrs Coluuhoun's, that he will certainly fancy
| am suffering from ague,
!, At length-at very great length-the "Bu-
u rial Of Sir John Moore" is disposed of, and |
Il am thankful to see the children scampering
o about the ill-kept neglected garden that sur
rounds Mornclffe on all sides, and of which
am SO heartily ashamed; | have struggled tc
70 keep the flower beds that are directly under
If the windows in something like order; but
J. can hardly WELD scythe or remove the
:. broken pedestal Of an old sun,dial, that rears
= itself from amid a tannglc, Of dock leaves AND
a nettles, and gives a dispiriting graveyard as
I pect to the whole. don't think ever real
= lied how bad things at Mornclilfe were unit
o. Dick had to see them. Then I'm sure my
v cheeks must have got tired of blushing
4 True. Dick never seemed to see what an out
i at-elbows household we were; perhaps it was
n for my sake he made believe to be blind-ol
Is was it that he saw only me, and had eyes fol
a nothing else2
What grand gift is the power of intuition
:" in man! Dick has it to perfection. 1t new,
Is er seems necessary to explain matters to him
d he understands just at once, not only how
things are, but exactly how they affect one
- and the look or word that can help most Is al
a. ways ready. When you have struggled witt
/, things and fought against giving In for year
after year, and suddenly find a helping hand
q you abandon yourself utterly to the exquisite
4. happiness OF having some one to cling to-. II
d Is the happiest experience to feel like this
d but wonder is there lurking danger under
If it's sweetness-a danger Of falling into the sir
OF idolatry2
n ooh, what tired. white face to greet fe
ii low with, said Dick, one morning. as went
into the long, low school-room, whose bloac
d the monumental column. "Have things beer
!: going very badly, little one2" he went on
n stroking my head, that lay against his
Y breast.
: badly. But don't mind done care a'
: long as there Is you" Then the thought o.
Il his exceeding preciousness came over m.
IS heart like q flood; | flung my arms about his
neck. and held my head back, so that | eou co.,,
n look into his dear true eyes. "Oh, Dick
e Dick" cried, in the passionate gladness tina
n his sympathy had called into being ''wha
should do, my darling il lost your
= Something in my words, or in my face o.
J. in both combined, seemed to touch hin
- strangely; and | saw, almost with fear, {
rs mist gather in his eyes, as he turned ava.
III from me-
r HE is afraid that | love him too much
that am making an idol Of him." | though
J. to myself in reviewing the matter afterward.
But one day the time was to come-the bit
n ter, cruel, weary time-when l was to know
# why Dick turned from me then.
y The eve of my flight from Morncliffe ha
come at last Ny modest luggage. is corded
t., and stands in the back passage. Janet and
e came to the conclusion that it was wiser t.
ID put it there than in the square front hall; 70
\ papa does not look with a favorable eye upo
e my DEPARTURE and the signs, of that depar
d t,lre might call forth unfavorable comments
Sc Aunt Emily has come. She and mamm
IS have not met for years, and each is SHOCKED
h with the change in the other; for auntie ha
II had much sorrow, and Is now childles
" widow. She looks OLD ana worn, puC tnefe
o. something that wins ones trust about he
I'd face, and certain dignity in her carriag
H. that l think frightens papa fact al