The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1882-04-20

Gradually it became evident to most
sOf them that the case was hopeless,
and those Captains who had once looked
confidently to making Lal their own,
returned to their former habits of friend
ycOmmunications, and asked her advice
and opinions in the matter or honorable
proposals for the hands of other young
ladies.
Three suitors still remained, and,
each in his own way, refused to be sent
away.
The first of these was Captain
Holstius, whose acquaintance we have
already made. lie was, of course, in the
Norway trade. a4
Perhaps II tisnot altogether fair to call
Captain Holstius a suitor. He was a
lover, but he had long ceased to hope
for anything except permission to 90 on
lin friendly way, doing such offices as
lay in his power to please and help the
girl whom he regarded--being a simple
asOrt Of fellow of a religious turn-as
Dante regarded Beatrice. She was to
him mere angel of beauty and good
mess; in happier times she had been
that rare and wonderful creature, a
merry, laughing, happy angel, always
occupied in good works, such as making
plum duff for poor humanity; now un-
happily, an angel Nho endured sus-
tpense and the agony of long waiting
for neWs that would never come.
For the good Norwegian, like all the
rest, believed that Rex was dead long
ago. Captain HOlstius was not a man
accustomed tc put his thoughts into
words; nor did he, like a good many
people, feel for thoughts through a
multitude of phrases and thousands of
words. But had he been able to set
forth in plain language the things he
intended and meant, he would certainly
have said something to this effect 1
think he would have said it more
simply, and therefore with the greater
force:
IF l could make her forget him; if
i could substitute my image entirely for
the image of that dead man, so that
she should be happy, Just as she used to
be when l first saw her, and if all could
be as if he had never known her,
should think myself in Heaven itself; or
If by taking another man to husband,
and not me at all, she would recover
her happiness, 1 should be content, for
love her so much that all / ask is for her
to be happy"
1t is a form of disinterested love which
is 80 rare that at this moment / cannot
remember any other single instance of
1T. Most people, when they love a girl,
Vehemently desire to keep her for them
selves. Yet in the case of Captain Hol-
-stius, as for marrying her, that seemed
"A thing so remote from the region of
probability, that he never now, Whatev-
ser he had done formerly, allowed his
thoughts. to rest upon it, and cOntented
himself with thinking what he could do
for the girl; how he could soften the Bit
-terness of her misfortune; how he could
in small ways relieve the burden Of her
life, and make her q little happier.
Lal accepted all he gave ali his devo-
ton and care. Little bv little, because
she saw Captain Holstius often, 1t be-
came a pleasure TO her to have him in
the house. He becafnea sort of brother
to her. who had never had that often
unsatisfactory relative a brother, or, at
all events, true and unselfsh friend,
much better than the majority of broth
-ers, who gave her everything and asked
nothing for himself. She liked to be
with him. They walked together about
the wharves of the Commercial Docks
in the quiet evenings they rowed out
togetheron the river in the little dingy,
ishe sitting on the stern gazing upon the
waters in silent thOught while the Nor
rwegi9n dipped the soulls gently, look
ing with an ever-inCreasing Sorrow in
the face which had once been so full o.
sunshine, and now grew daily more
overcast with cloud They spoke little
at such times to each other, or at any
time; but it seemed to her that shC
.Hb h,1 hr,v,,e..1na- oh
when she was with Captain HOlstius
He was always a silent man, thinking
that when he had thing to say there
wouldbe no difficulty in saying it, anC
that if anyone had a thing to say untC
him they could say it without any stim
Ulus Of talk from himself. Further, il
the case of this poor Lal what earthly
good would it do to interrupt the girl il
her meditations over a dead lover, by hi
idle chatterP ae. toys sH0 .
When they got home again she woulC
thanS him gently aud return to he
household duties, refreshed I'm spirit b,
this companionship in silence.
1t is a maxim not sufficiently under
stood that the most refreshing thing il
the world, when one is tired and sorry
disappointed or vexed, is to sit, walk o
friend whom you can trust not to chat
ter, or ask questions, or tease with idl
observations. Pythagoras taught TIN
same great truth, but obscurely and b.
an allegory. He enj9ined silence among
all his disciples for term Of years
This meant a companionship of silence
80 as to forget the old friction and Wor
ny of the world.
The Norway ships come and go a
'quickly-recurring periods. Therefor
Captain Holstius was much at the Com
meroial Docks, and had greater chances
If he had been the man to take adYau
,tage of them, than any Of the other men
He was also favored with the good opin
ion and the advocacy Of Captain Iacha
riasen, who lost no opportunity of rec
Ommending Lal 20 consider her way
and at the same time the ways Of tn
NOrWeegee His admOnition, we hav
seen, produced no effect Nor did HOl
stius ask for his meditation any longer
being satisfied that he had got from tn