Smyrna times., 1881-06-29

often, kind, tender letters, but they chill
led my heart, and then one day he wrote
to tell me that it must be all over between
us. He told me how he had striven to
hold fast by his old love for me, but he
could not; the mere effort panied him,
the thought of my passionate devotion
filled him with dread He could never
return such love, he could never endure
to have it lavished upon him; once for all
he would give it death blow when his
letter reached me he should be married.
:" had another lover then, Jenet, and /
almost hated him, but before many weeks
were over became his wife. He loved
me always, but we quarreled. could not
pretend to love him, and he grew reckless;
our home was miserable, and within a
year he died. was too i'll to know what
happened for long time after that.
Strange faces passed before me, strange
voices spoke kindly words of pity, and
once every day it seemed to me that An
drew came and stood by my bed. When
at last | woke to reason, you were beside
me. Oh, how loved you! How passion
ately loved you! You seemed to me to
be all the world, Rnd you saved my life
My husband had not left me in pov-
erty, had no need to work, and l spent
my whole life in watching you. made no
friends, for cared for none. l forgot the
miseries of my fathers house; forgot nv
quarrels with my husband forgot even
my love for Andrew, and was scarcely
moved when l heard that death had visi-
ted his home, as we'll as mine, and that he
was indeed desOlate, for his wife had died
and left him childless. Three happy years
passed away almost without a cloud. You
grew and thrOve. Every day seemed to
my delighted eyes to give new charm.
new beauty to my treasure; and then in
the midst of my joy you fell Ill. Day and
night, night and day, watched by your
bed-nay, Janet, give me no thanks; it
was selfish love 1t was all in vain that
doctor and nurse argued with me would
not leave you. 1t was fever, and must
run its course, they said. If you should
recOverer, my strength would be needed
when you could know and call for me
but | would not listen, and one night as
sat beside you all the room grew dark
and knew no more, When 1 recovered
could not get from my bed, but imploret
with passionate tears to be taken to you
Then some one came forward, and sa
down beside me and took my hand, and
saw that it was Andrew 1t gave me II,
surprise to see him there. / dimly re
} membered to have seemed to see him be
fore when I was i'll, and for the mOmen
5 his presence calmed me.
Mary he said, in his old quiet tone
D if you do not do as tell you, you wi
n die; and, what Is more, the child will die
: too
I" sprang up with scream, and strug
t gled to go to you.
p "'My child, my childr l cried.
d "'She is not your child-she is mine
If he said, in that calm tone of truth whic
r had never failed to convince me, an
e which now pierced like n sword of iC
+ into my heart. Yes, she is mine! Listen
h His quiet eyes controlled me, his qui,
a words subdued me. When you wei
y very ill-dying, they thought-my nan
1t was often on your lips, and they disco
E cred and sent for me. On the same da
6 Il child was borne to each of us, and N
wife and your child died. "We migl
Y, have hoped for her if her baby had lived
l. said the doctor; and gave mine to yo
IL Can you not bear what have borne?'
re 80 Janet, my child, his words we
healing, and the sorrow that from tn
se hour tried to bear was taken from me
At first, when mother ceased speakin
l the world and love and life seemed to Il
lg to be blank and hollow, but in few m
Id ments | rose from my seat and kneeled
le her knees.
lg 40 mother dear-my father?"
ht He died long ago. Janet, do you 10
Ie me?"
to Then, as we kissed each other, knC
a that in all our lives of happy love de
)y mother and had never been SO near
er gether.