The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1880-01-10
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FOREVER!

al do solemnly."
Forever continued the solemn, bro.
ken voice.
Forever" echoed the weeping maiden
by the bedside.
The wasted hands were raised over the
heads of the knocling figures; the pale lips
Of the dying woman partsd--the tongue
tried to utter blessing but all brightness
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 aud 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 had prom
ised the dying woman to be sister, pro-
tcctor-mother eyen-to the fair maiden
at her side.
The strong, faithful, homely girl called
Constance was an adopted daughter Of the
dead lady-onO Of those waits of the street,
whose only hope Of life is in the charity
Of some tender.hcarted stranger. She,
however repaid her protector by love
and regard us filial as that Of her own
daughter, aud when upon her deathbed,
Mrs 0rmond babe Constance Owen make
her the solemn promise recorded, the brave
girl not only did not faltcr, but whispered
once more to the stricken girl at her side;
ayes, Edith, for the sake of the love
your dear mother gave to the orphan will
| love you better than mysclf-iorever.'
And darkness was in that chamber, des-
olation in the hearts of the mourners.
Two years passed-two years since Edith
the beautiful and Constance the brave had
lost their best earthly friend. The former
had grown more lovely even than the pro-
mise Of the dawn Of her radiant maiden
hood; the latter more homely, larger-fea-
tured, in face, but with the two years an
added dignity Of meiD, more intelligent
light in the quiet, tender brown eyes, and
force of character better defined in every
movement. There came many suitors to
Bonnybrook the little county seat be-
longing 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 that Garden
of Eden first youth. But at length her
beauty, grace aud perhaps high social po.
sition, brought one day to the gates of
Bonnybrook one Doctor Paulding, supe-
rior and rising young physician, who lived
in the city close by, and when he had
found his way to that pleasant country
nook, somehow he discovered patients 10
that vicinity very frequently Was il
Edith's fair face that made him take that
blooming highway so often?
He was indeed fascinated by her bright,
girlish beauty, and one evening after he
had been wandering 10 the gardens, under
the moon, soft 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
throwing her arms around her, said in a
happy, trembling voice
''Oh darling, | am SO happy. He has
told me he loved me.
Constance spoke not word; Edith was
held moment to a beating heart, soft
kiss touched her forehead, aud the next
moment she was alone.
ale loves me He loves me And
Edith looked out over the gardens from
which the dews Of night were distilling all
their odOs; she gazcd at the round, beau.
tiful moon, aud peopled the shadows with
the image Of the man who had first stirred
her young life with the divine music of
love.
A month after the pleasant confession
had been made, Edith was called to the
mountains of Vermont to attend a dying
aunt, the only sister of her dear mother,
and she had To proceed alone, as Bonny-
brook would have lacked guardian If
Constance had accompanied ker-Dr.
Pauldings duties utterly denying him that
pleasure,
Constance was engrossed in her homo
duties and saw but little society, save n
few rustic neighbors, who only recon.
mended themselves by their goodness of
heart, aud certainly not by the brilliancy
OF their wit or understanding. Once aud
awhile DR.. Paulding would ride out to
Bonnybrook, as Constance told him, "from
the force Of old habit, but soon il seemed
that the man Of medicine aud science did
not carry on the conversation with the old
ease, grace and spirit. What had come
between Constance Owen and himself?
Something incxplicable. The noble wo-
man found a strange, rare pleasure in the
society Of tho gifted man. the scholarly
man sympathy with tho large hearted,
intellectual woman which he had never
known or experienced 10 any of her sex.
True, he said to himself. "sbe 4 moi
beautiful; indeed, measured by the rules
Of beauty, she is positively ugly. But who
can gauge the charms OF 4 me.odions yo;ee
or define the tenderness Of an honest kind'
ly eyc2' ~'"'
And she, too, mused in this wise -
This Dr. Charles Paulding is marvel.
ously gifted man. What mowers of Ian.
guage, what treasures of Imagination ha
possesses What noble career bs H..
before him, and Edithp--here she would
pause aud think Of that clinging tepdriI
not as helping the growth oi The OAK. bui
as drawing from its strength. Yet from
all such thoughts as these her staunch md
loyal heart would resoluiely turn away