Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-12-08

can cherish. / wondered through tn,
grassy lanes, culling the flowers tender
ly, reverently, breathing their perfume
and thanking God that he had lot NJ,
live in this beautiful world. Veto,
came out from the shadow to me, and
arm IN arm, we walked whittier We
knew not, nor cared. only know thu
scent ofnew mown hay brings the mem
DRY of that night with it's black despair
and deadly faintpess to my heart.
Victor spoke the words loved sc
much to hear. He told me how was
all the world to him, how he longed and
prayed to call me his own. I walked
beside him, rapt in dreamy maze Of
pleasure, content only to listen.
"My love-" said he, 1'shaIl lift you,
darling, ont of poverty and humiliation
it shall surround you with luxury and
peace--all you most value at your dis.
posal. | will be no niggard--all, all will
l lavish upon you, Rosamond, my Rosa
mond, well named flower of the world.
God bless you, my own darling"
And he pressed q kiss upon my lips,
the memory Of which thrills me even
yet. Oh, the blessedness, the rich, rare
blessedness Of being loved.
'It is only % little thing / ask of you
in RETURN" he continued, "only that
you give yourself to me; that you prove
the love you claim to bear me-"
81 am yours, Victor" I said land
placed my hand in hs), "yonrs for all
time. Thy people shall be my people,
and thy God shall be my Cod"
~ will take you, Rosamond, far away,
to a place fit to receive my beautiful
Rose. Flowers and music shall sur
round you, the books you most love
will bring you, and you will not be lone
ly, darling, when must leave you, for
will 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" | fondly said.
''And when shall / call you mine
Shall it not be tonight, dearest ~ and
folded me tightly in his arms.
"Where, how, your friends, who will
marry usw ] exclaimed, startled by his
impetuosity and the strange light in bis
eyes.
"And why should we marry, dearest 7
We are all in all to each other; before
God we are already one, then why let
the world lend its sanction to what He
hath already blessed ? You are alone in
the world, You have no friends to trou-
bic themselves, and to the pure, things
are pure"
For the second time in my life, the
iron hand clntched at my heart. For
the second time, | was motionless and
dumb from horror. Slowly it dawned
upon me, the brink upon which / stood.
/ thought of the humiliation he talked
of lifting me out Of, and, with q wild,
sarcastic laugh, 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. ] had been up in the sew
enth heaven, only to be cast down to
hell. / had worshipped an idol, only to
find it the basest sort of dross.
There, with the moonlight over and
around us, he importuned, he implored
me, with all his sophistry be could use,
to share what he called his love; to give
up the world which had offered me
stones for bread, and come to his arms
who would love and care for me always,
surround me with sensuous and intellec-
tuai pleasure, and make life one long
gala day. He would give me, he said,
all but name, and If he should marry
one like me, he would be dislnherited,
driven an outcast from his fathers door.
"Bnt love you Rosamond," he said,
''mv poor, wounded dove" and he
smoothed my hair, Come TO the arms
which will always enclrcle you; come to
the heart whose every throb in yours;
come and find rest at last
was still. His words, lyon have no
friends and should throw away the
only human love | had known since
terrified child? l had stood over the
dead body of my father. What matter
ed it, Who would care? And my poor
throbbing heart turned with q passion
ate yearning toward the man who had
offered me the all powerful charm of
love.
The mast stretched before me. and