The Albany register. [volume] (Albany, Or.) 1868-18??, 1880-08-27
VOLUME XII.


Forever echoed the weeping maiden
by the bedside.
The wasted hands were raised over the
heads OF the kueeling figures the pale lips
of the dying woman parted, the tongue
tried 10 utter a blessing but all brightness
failed from the eyes. The woman was
dead.
Two young girls Snelt at the bedside.
Constance Owen was the uaIne of one. with
sailOw skin AID large brown eyes. aud
Filth OrHo;ld. she was called. with ring
lets of gold floating around her fair neck.
was leaning upon the shoulder of Constance,
who had promised tile d. lug woman to be
a sister. protrctor-mntlIer eyen-to the
fair maiden at her sldc.
The strong. taithf;Il, ho'nelY girl called
Constance was an adopted daughter of the
dead lady-one of those waits of the street
whose only hope OF life is in the charity of
some tender hearted stranger. She, how
ever, repaid her protector by a love and
regard as tilial as that OF her own daueI-
ter. and when upon her death bed Mrs.
Ormond bade Constance Owen make the
solemn promise recorded, the brave girl
NOT only did not fllter. but whispered once
more to the stricken girl at her side:
.'Yes, Edith. for tile sake of the love
your dear mother gave to the orphan will
1 love you better than myself-forever. -
%z#z %%*& $3.50
Two years passed years since Edith
the beautiful and Consfaucr. the brave had
LOST their best earthly friend. The former
had grown more lovely even than the
promise of the dawn Of her rs,dia ut maiden
bo,'d the latter more h"nely, larger fea-
tured la the face but with wears and added
dignity of mien. a more Intelligent light
in the quiet. tender brown eyes. and force
Of character better defined in every move
ment There came many suitnr to Rou-
uybroOk--su tine little cnIutrv-seat belong
lug to Edith was ctlled-but. so fa'. the
little cOquet did not pay much heed to anr
ot them. she was chasing tile butterflies
nf fancy around that garden of Eden
first youth. but at length ber beauty.
grace. and perhaps hign social position.
brought o.e day to tile gates of Bonuy-
brook one DIR. PauIling. superior and
rising young physician. whn lived IN the city
CLOSE by. and when he had found his way
10 that pleasant country nook. somehow
ne discovered patients in that vicinity very
frequently. Was it E'liIh'S fair face that
aslaele him take that bloomlng Highway so
often
He was indeed fascinated by her bright,
girliSh beauty, and one evening after he
had beeu wandering in the gardens. under
the moon. sott. pleasant words must have
been spoken. for after he had gone. Edith.
with flushed face, dashed into the room
where Constance was awaiting her, and
said in a happy. trembling voice:
20 darling. am so happy. He has
told me Ie loved me -
Constance spoke not a word. Edith
was hell moment to beating heart, and
a soft kiss touched her forehead, and the
next moment she was alone.
HE loves Iae, he loves me - and Edith
Iooked out over the gardens. from which
the dews of night were distilling all their
oelor$ size gaz,d ut the beautiful moon.
and peopIed the shadows with the image
al the man who llad first stirred her young
life v itll tlI'. nlt~jc of love.
4 month affer the pleasant confession
tiad tren made, Edith waS called to the
mauhtaja> of Vermont to attend a dviu9
aunt. the only sister of her dear mother,
AID she had to proceed alone. as Bnnny-
brook would have lacked guardian if
Constance had accompanied her-Dr.
Paulding's duties utterly denying him that
pile easure.
Constance was engrOssed in her home
duties. and saw but little society, save
few rustic neighborS, who only recon-
mended themselves by their goodness of
heart. aud certainly no: by tie brilliancy
of their wit or understanding. Once ia
while. Dr. Paulding would ride ont TO
BOnnybroOk, as Constance told him. from
force of habit. :" but soon it seemed that the
man of medicine did not carry on the con-
versalion with the old ease, grace anil Spir-
it. What had come between Constance
Owen and himself? Something inexplic-
rare pleasure in the society of the gifted
man the scholarly man a sympathy with
the large hearted. intellectual woman y hich
iie had never known or experienced in any
of her sex. '.rrne.'' he said to himself
she is no. beautiful; indeed, measured by
fhe rules of beauty. she is positively ugly. |
But who can gauge the charms of a nelO- !
dions voice. or define the tenderness of an
honest, kindly eye ?''
And she too, unused In this wise ''This
Dr. Charles Paulding is marvelously |
gifted man. What powers of language. |
what treasures n4 Imagination he possesses! /
What a noble career he has before him /; /
and EditlI''-here she would pause and |
think Of that clinging tendril, not as help
ing the growth of the oak but as drawing
from its strength. Yet from all such
thoughts as these her stauneh and loyal
heart wonld resolutrly turn away-yet tor
all this her speech would not come as
''trippingly on the tongue, - as in the old
days, and he would oflentimes flush a sem
fence in the middle OF it, and then lose
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