The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-03-09
SECOND EXTRACT.

| N0Tembcr 2S-God be praised for all His
mereicsl This day our guest, Marnaduke
| Darleigh, Joined us down stairs In the Sit
| ting room for the first time since his Illness.
| He ia sadly deteroratcd, in q bodily sense by
the wasting rheumatic fever that brought
| him nigh to death; but he IL still young, and
the doctor humanity spealdng) has no doubt
| OF his speedy and complete recovery. My
sister takes the opposite view. She remarked,
in his hearing, that nobody ever thoroughly
| got over II rheumatic fever. Oh, judith Ju-
| dth it's well for humanity that you're q
| single person! If, happily, there had been
any man desperate enough To tackle such u
woman in the bonds Of marriage, what peg
simst progeny must have proceeded from
| you'll
Looking back over my diary for the last
two months and more, | see one monotonous
record OF the poor fellow SsuffertngS; cheerCd
| and varied, | am pleased to add, by tho de-
voted services of my daughter ut the sick
mans bedside With some help from her
aunt, most readily given when he was near
est to the point of DEATH. and with needful
! services performed IN turn by two of our aged
women IN Caudkirk, Felicia could not have
nursed him more assiduousy II he had been
her own brother Half the credit Of bringing
| him through belonged (tS the doctor himself
confessedl To the discreet young nurse always
ready through the worst of the illness, and
always cheerful through the long GONZALES
| cence that followed. ! must also record to the
/ credit OF Marmaduke that he was indeed duly
|
| aud he saw Felicia waiting by the armchair,
smiling and patttng the pillows for him, he
took her by the hand and burst out crying.
Weakness, In part, no dOubt-but sincere
gratitude at the bottom OF 1t, | am equally
sure.
November 29.-However, there are limits
even to sincere gratitude. or this truth Mr..
Marmaduke seems to be insufficiently aware.
Entering the sittng-room soon after noon to-
day, | found our convalescent guest and his
nurse alone. His head was resting on her
shoulder; his arm was round her waiSt-and
the truth before every thing Felicia was kiss
ing him.
man may be of liberal turn of mind,
and may yet consistently object To freedom
when 1t takes the form Of unlicensed embrace
ing and kissing; the person being his own
daughter and the place his own house. ]
signed to my girl to leave us, and advanced
to Mr.. Marmaduke with my opinion Of his
conduct just rising In words to my lipS-when
he staggered me with amazement by asking
Feicia's hand in marriage.
you need feel no doubt of my being able
to offer to your daughter position OF COM
fort and responsibility" he said - have
settled income of eight hundred pounds
year." His raDtures over Felicia; his protes-
tations that she was the first woman he had
ever really loved; his prOfane declaration
that he preferred to die II ! refused to let him
be her buSbanL-all these HOurishes, as may
call them passed in at one OF my ears and out
at the other. But eight hundred pounds
sterling per dHIuIn, ueSCPnul1p as IL were Ill
a golden avalanche on the mind OF q Scottish
minister accustomed to thirty years annual
contemplation of seventy-four pOundsl-eight
hundred year, In one young mans pocket,
say. completely OverpOweredM me. | Just
managed to answer "Wait till tomorrow"
and hurried out of doors to recover my self
respect if the thing was to be anywise done.
L took my way through the valley. The sun
was shining, Tor wonder. When | saw my
shadow on the hillside, / saw the Golden Calf
* "a rt of han M hic In
scrlption in letters of fiame-"Here's another
OF themw
Norember 3d. have made amends for yes
terdays backsliding; have acted as becomes
my parental dignity and my sacred calling.
lhe temptation to do otherwise has not been
wanting. Here is sister Judiths advice:
Make sure that he has got the money first; |
a aili' , l2r heaven sake, nail him." Here Is
n Ill nlarnadukes proposal: MAKE any con- |
uittoils you please, SO long as YOU give me I
your daughter. And, lastly. here is Felicia's /
cohlession Father, my heart is on him. |
Oh, don't be unkind to me for the first time |
IL your life" 1890
But have stood firm. I have refused IL |
near any more words On the subject from any
one Oh chefn, for the next six months to come |
- serious q venture as the venture of mar
rag, 1 sald, is not to be undertaken on |
impulse. AS soon as Mr.. Marmadnka can
travel, | request him to leave MS and NOT To
return again for six months. II after that
interval, he is still of the same mind and NV
daughter is sun or the same mind let him 70
turn to Cauldkirk, and premising that am 1
in all other respects satisfied let him ask me
for his wife" ~
There were tears. there were protestattops.
remained immovable. A week later NJ
Marmaduke left us, ON his wav bv eaev
stages to the south. | am not a hard man
| rewarded the lovers for their obedience III
keeping sister Judith out Of the way. and |
letting them say their farewell words Iac
com Daniments included in private