The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1881-12-21

uOWu Heaf 70 me, dnQ looking at mt
with eyes that thrilled through eve
Try nerve and lbre. saw that m,
father was uneasy and when W,
left, | asked him how he liked oul
new neighbor. He said, "Not much
Lizzie" with q grave and almost
displeased look, as if he had probed
the weakness / was scarce consciou,
OF myself. / thought at that time
that he was harsh.
| However, as there was nothing
positively to object to in Mr.. Felix
my fathers impulse ofdistrust could
not we'll be INDUCED without rude
ness and my dear father was toe
thoroughly gentleman ever to be
rude even to his enemy. We there
fore saw great deal Of the stranger,
who established himself in our
house on the most familiar footing,
and forced on my father and Lucy
an intimacy they both disliked but
could not avoid, For it was forced
with such consummate skill and
tact, that there was nothing which
the most rigid could object to.
gradually became altered, being
under his influence. In one thing
only happier-in the loss of the
voice and the form which had haunt
ed me. Since had known Felix
this terror had gone. The reality
had absorbed the shadow. But in
nothing else was this strange mans
influence over me beneficial. / re-
member that used to hate myself
for my excessive irritability of tenn
per when l was away from him.
Everything at home displeased me.
Everything seemed so small, and
mean, and old, and poor after the
lordly glory of that house and the
very caresses of my family and the
olden school-day friends were irk-
some and hateful to me. All except
my Lucy lost its charm and to her
| was faithful as ever to her | new.
er changed. But her influence SEEM
ed to war with his wonderfully.
When with him. felt borne away
in torrent His words fell upon
me mysterious and thrilling, and he
gave me feeting glimpses into
worlds which had never opened
themselves to me before-glimpses
seen and gone like the Arabian gar
dens.
When / came back to my sweet
sister, her pure eyes and the holy
light that lay in them, her gentle
voice speaking of the sacred things
of heaven and the earnest things of
life, seemed to me ike q former ex-
istence a state that l had lived in
years ago. But this divided influ-
ence nearly killed me; it seemed to
part my very soul and wrench my
being in twain and this more than
all the rest, made me sad beyond
anything people belieyed possible
in one so gay and reckless as / had
been.
Ny fathers dislike to Felix in
creased daily and Lucy, who had
never been known to use a harsh
word in her life, from the first refus-
ed to believe thought Of good in
him, or to allow him one single
claim to praise. She used to cling
to me in wild, beseeching way
and entreat me with prayers, such
as mother might pour out before
an erring child, to stop in time, and
return to those who loved me. "For
your soul is lost from among us,
Lizzie" she used to say; land moth
ing but frame remains Of the full
life of love you once gave usp' But
one word. one look from Felix was
enough to make me forget every
tear and prayer OF her who, until
now, had been my idol and my
law.
At last my dear father command
ed me not to see Felix again. i felt
as if l should have died. In vain l
wept and prayed. In vain l gave
full license to my thoughts, and suf-
fered words to pour from my liDe
which ought never to have crept into
my heart In vain; my father was
inexorable.
was in the drawing-room. Sud-
denly, noiselessly. Felix was beside
me. He had not entered by the
door which was in front Of me; and
the window was closed. / never
could understand this sudden ap-
pearance; for I am certain that he
had not been concealed.
"Your father has spoken OF me,
Lizzie ?" he said with a singular
smile. / was silent.
"And has forbidden you to see me
again 2" he continued.
"Yes," answered, impelied to
speak by something stronger than
my will.
'And you intend to obey him?"
"No,"I said again, in the same
manner, as if had been taking in
a dream.
He smiled again. Who was he
SO like when he smiled? / could
not remember, and yet / knew he
was like some one / had seen-a
face that hovered outside my memo
ry, on the horizon, and never float
ed near enough to be distinctly re-
allied.
"You are right, Lizzie" he then
said: there are ties which are
stronger than q fathers commands !;
ties which no man has the right,
and no man has the power to break.
Meet me tomorrow at noon in the
Low Lane; we will speak further
He did not say this in any suppli-
eating, nor in any loving manner /;
it was simply command, unaccom-
panied by one tender word or look.
He had never said he loved me
never; it seemed to be to well un-
derstood between us to need assur-
ancee.
l answered, "Yes,' burying my
face in my hands, in shame at this
my first act Of disobedience to my
father; and when / raised my head
he was gone. Gone as he had enter
ed, without football sounding ever
80 lightly.
/ met him the next day, and it
was not the only time that | did so.