The Carbon advocate. [volume] (Lehighton, Pa.) 1872-1924, 1880-11-20
FOREVER.

FOREVER.
"Promise |"
81 do solemnly."
"Forever?" continued the solemn, broken
voice.
Forever" echoed the weeping maiden by
the bedside.
The wasted hands were raised over the
heads of the kneelng figures the pale lips
Of the dying woman parted-the tongue
tried to utter blessing; but all the bright
ness faded from the eyes. The woman was
dead.
Two young girls knelt at the bedside.
Constance Owen was the name Of one, with
sallow skin and large brown eyes, and Edith
ormond, she was called, with ringlets Of
gold floating around her fair neck, and
whose head was leaning upon the shoulders
of Constance, who bad promised the dying
woman to be sister, protector - mother
even-to the fair maiden at her side.
The strong, faithful, homely grl called
Constance was an adopted daughter of the
dead lady-one Of those waits of the street,
whose only hope of life is charity of some
tender-h hearted stranger. She, however, re.
paid her protector by love and regard as
! iilial as that Of her own daughter, and when
upon her death-bed Mrs. 0rmond bade Con-
stance Owen make her the solemn promise
recorded, the brave girl not only did not
falter, but whispered once more to the strick.
en- girl at her side:
Eyes, Edith, for the sake of the love your
dear mother gave to the orphan will love
you better than mysel(-forever."
And darkness was in that chamber, desc
lation in the hearts of the mouEners.
the UvuGSiur aTu Ionsttrfco the Trdve fdu
lost their best earthly friend. The former
had grown more lovely even than the prom
ise of the dawn of her radiant maidenhood
the latter more homely, large featured, in
face, but with the two years had added dig
nifty Of mein, a more intelligent light in the
quiet tender brown eyes, and force of char.
acter better defined in every movement.
There came many suitors to Bonnybrook-
so the little country seat belonging to Edith
was called-but, so far, the little coquette
did not pay much heed to any of them. She
was chasing the butterflies of fancy around
the Garden of Eden-irst youth. But at
length her beauty, grace and perhaps high
social position, brought one day to the gates
of Bonnybrook one DR.. Paulding,a superior
and rising young physician, who lived at
the city close by, and when he had found
his way to the pleasant country nook some
now he discovered patients in that vicinity
very frequently. Was it Edith's fair face
that made him take that highway so often
lie was, indeed, fascinated by her bright
girlsh beauty, and one evening after he had
been wandering in the gardens, under the
moon, soft, pleasant words must have been
spoken, for after he had gone, Edith, with q
flushed face, dashed into the room where
Constance was awaiting her, and throwing
her arms around her said in happy, trem.
bling voice
"oh darling, am so happy. He has
told me that he loves me-"
Constance spoke not a word; Edith was
held minute to a beating heart, soft kis:
touched her forehead, and the next moment
she was alone.
"He loves me He loves me~ Ant
Edith looked out over the gardens from
which the dews Of night were distilling al
their odorsj she gazed at the round, beauti
ful moon, and peopled the shadows with tn,
figure of the man who had stirred her younl
life with the diyine music of love.
a month after the pleasant confession
had been made Edith was called to th,
mountains of Vermont to attend a dyinl
aunt, the only sister of her dear mother,an,
she had to proceed alone, as Bonnybrool
would have lacked a guardian if Constanc
had accompanied her-Dr. Paulding's dutie
utterly denying him that pleasure.
Constance was engrossed in her hom
duties, and saw but little society, save fe'
rustic neighbors, who only recommends,
themselves by their goodness of heart, an
certainly not by the brlliancy Of their wi
or understanding. Once in awhile Dr.Pauld
ing would ride out to Bonnybrook, as Con
stance told him "from the force of habit,
but soon it seemed that the man of med
cine and science did not carry ON the con
versation with the old ease, grace aud spiri
What had come between Constance Owe
and himself? Something inexpleable. TIL
noble woman found a strange, rare pleasur
in the society OF the gifted man the scho
arly man a sympathy with the large hear
ed, intellectual woman which he had ney'
known or experienced in any Of her SCI
"True," he said to himself, "she is not beat
tiful indeed, measured by the rules
beauty she is positively ugly. But who ca
guage the charms Of melodious voice,
define the tenderness Of an honest, kind
eve"
And she, too, unused in this wise, "Th
DR.. Charles Pauldng is marvelously giftC
man. What powers Of language, what tre
sures Of imagination be possesses. What
noble career he hasbefore him and Edith
here she weuld pause and think Of thi
: tendril, not as helping to the growth Of Il
oak, but as drawing from its strength. y
from all such thoughts as these her staun'
and loyal heart would turn resolutely ava
yet for all this her speech would not con