Louisiana capitolian., 1881-12-10

/ MY love- said he, "shall lift you,
darling, out Of poverty and humiliation; !;
/ IT shall surround you with luxury aud
peace--all you most value ut your dis
| posal Twill be no niggard--all, oil will
| | lavish upon you, Rosamond, my Rosa-
mond, we'll named flower Of the world.
God bless you, my own darling"
And he prcsaod u kiss upon my lips
the memory Of which thrills me even
yet, Oh, the blessedness, tho rich, raro
bessedness Of being loved.
"It h only little thing ask Of you
in retnrn," he continued, "only that.
You give yourself TO mo; that you prove
The love you claim to bear mo-"
n sm yours, victor,' l said (and !
| placed my hand in his), "yoprs for all
time. Thy people shall be my people,
aud thy God shall be my God.'o
~ will take you, Rosamond, far away,
to place fit to receive my beautiful
! Rose, Flowers and mnsic shall sur
round you, the books yon most love
! viii bring yon, and You will not be lonc-
| ly, darling, when must leave you, for !
viii return very often"
"With you shall never be lonely
with you shall ask nor wish FOR more.
You are all my world-the only human
being who cares for me, fondiy said.
Sand when shall call yon mine I?
Shah it not be tonight, dearest r. and
folded me tightly In his arms.
"Where, how, yonr,iriends, who will
marry usm exclaimed, startled by bis
impetuosity aud the strange light in his
eyes,
"And why should we marry, dearest Y
We are all in Ill TO each other; before
God We nre already one, then why let
tho world lend it's sanction TO what He
hath already blessed Yop are alone in
the world, yon have no friends to trou-
Bile themselves, and to the pure, thugs
nre pure"
! For the second time in my life, the
iron hand clutehed at my heart. For
the secoud time, was motionless and
dnmb from horror. Slowly it dawned
upon me, the brink upon which ] stood
I thought Of tho humiliation no talked
of lifting me ont OF, and,, with q wild,
sarcastic1augh, Of that he would plunge
me into. With that laugh came back
motion and speech. pushed him from
me and sat down. Never was deeper,
blacker despair than settled on my soul
that night. l had been up'in the sew
, enth heaven, only TO be cast down tt
hell. had worshipped an idol, only tt
/ find it the basest sort OF dross.
There, with the moonlight over anf
aropnd rs, he importuned, he imploref
, me, with all his sophstry he could use
to share what he called his love to give
up the world which had offered mt
stones for bread aud come to his arms
+, who would love and care for me always
, surround me with sehsuous and intellec
I tual pleasure, and make life one lons
gala day. He would give me, he said
all but name, and If he should marry
one like Inc, he would be dislnherited
driven an outcast FROM his fathers door
"But love you Rosamond," he said
"my poor, wounded dove" and HI
:. smoothed my hair, Come to the arm
h which will always enclrcle you; come t.
{ the heart whose every throb in yours
come and find rest at last
was still. His words, "you have NJ
4 friends" and should throw away tn
i, only human love | had known since
y terrified childs I had stood over th
n dead body Of my father. What matter
y cd its Who would carea And my poo
v throbbing heart turned with q passion
"a ate yearning toward the man who ha'
a offered me the all powerful charm o
y love.
. The past stretched before me, ant
/. from the dim depths saw Il form,
:. heard q voice. knew it was my dea'
"a mother, whose life went out that nigh
:. live. rose to my feet, and the watlin
# cry went up from my pent heart "Moth
4 or, mother, speak, speak to your child !.
;, The vision dissolved andpassed. ] stoo
u my hands clasped-held tight in thos
>, of my tempter's. But in that hour Go
a had given me strength. What was
). to me if the world held nothing near @
dear to me what were the friend
.o which had not Had | not soul {
n my owns Was not God with me 7
AZ stood up there in the moonlight redeem
, ed. Something in my face made tn
man before me cover and cringe.
a. "Rosamond, Rosamond, ! have los