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

otarK ana cold he lay, sleeping tina
last, long sleep; not sweetly, gentl,
sleeping, but rigid and eonvulsed wit
the throes Of a suicides death agony
| The full force of this awful death cam
over me and strange pity swelled IN,
heart dumb as it was, with a creepin,
horror for the poor human creature ly
ing there before me.
could not speak-all power of speecl
and motion had left me--for it seemet
that q hand of iron had clutched at m,
heart, for the man, stretched out on hi
bed, where alone in the still watches O
the night, he had rushed uubidden int,
another life, was my father And be
SIDE him there was not living creatur
to care for me--a desolate child I
was not enough that this terrible fat,
should be mine, but my child eyes mus
be the first to rest upon that poor, Goo
toIsaken man. | was found at last
standing over the form | had loved 81
well, immoyable and stony eyed will
horror and despair Even through al
these years years | cannot look back nm
ON those fearful days but the blood cur
dies in my veins; | shed no tears
That hand, with relentless grasp. was
still upon my heart. Mechanically
l followed my father to his grave and
came back to what had been his home
that most forlorn of all living thugs
q frieDdless orphan. But the whole
weight of misfortune had not over.
whelmed me, for my father was reput.
ed to have been wealthy, and all my
wants were supplied as when he was
living, except those of my soul. Alas
how that went out in yearning after love
which it found not. But % darker
day came. When my fathers affairs
were looked into they were bankrupt,
aud the cause of the insane, will not
say ccwardly, deed which lett his moth.
erless child doubly orphaned, was at
last discovered. soon learned what it
to lie poor. Those who had shown me
at least the semblance of Kindness in the
first hours of my bereavement, now
turned away as if | was a thing pollut-
ed. Nothing was left from the wreck.
not even shelter for my head. Those
who should have been my protectors
bound me out to a family in the neigh.
borhood of my old home. | will not, |
cannot, begin to tell yon what / suffer
ed. Tenderly reared, with every want
supplied, and luxurious tastes cultivated,
!, girl of IL, became the veriest drudge
imaginable, mark for all tannts and
jeers, and a slave to all the caprices of a
lawless family. Two years passed with
out one ray of light or hope.
My father had provided me with the
best of teachers, and besides had superin
tendedm studies himself. had free &C
cess to his library, and at the time of his
death, for my years, was very good
scholar. Ilonged for my old books more
than anything else. The wonderful
contained in them was just beginning
to be revealed to me when that dread
full calamity spread pail over the
bright dreams of the enthusiastic child,
making me woman while yet in nv
childhood.
In this extremity Victor Clare came
to my aid. He was the son of rich
merchant who had been the friend of
my father in the days of his prosperity.
1t was my habit to steal away at twi-
light, after all my work was done, and
ramble through the ground that lay
back ofmy old home, thinking of my
dead father, and "dreamng dreams no
mortal ever dared to dream before
Here met Victor Glare, at first as if by
accident, but afterwards he was always
waiting. And so delicate were his little
attentions offered, they were like balm
to my PROUD spirit-for my spirit was
proud and fierce, and bitter were the
of those two years which pass
over in silence. These interviews came
to be very sweet to me, as you may be-
lieve. was not entirely alone, not
wholly stunned of all my kind. God
knows how my passionate, longing soul
came to cling to that man, with what
loved him. My life was en-
durable now, for was it not all glorifed
by the fervor and passion of youths
first dream of love?
had resolved to breaks my bonds to
go into the world and find if it had not
for me to do: but the sweet
siren had lulled to sleep my ambition,
and placed a curb upon MY soul.