The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-04-22

moved, when the congregation was wall
ing through the litany and praying to be
delivered from ''battle and murder and
sudden death" For a few moments the
invocation seemed to recall her to life
and the memories of the past, for her
head sank lower her prayer book closed
and she gave a wild, despairing look to
the clergyman. She kneeled longer
than usual, and her lips moved nervous
| ly longer in prayer than was rightly Gus
tomary. All who knew her understood
it and looked with tears and pity on the
wretched old lady and remembered that
she was mad as far as a woman could be
whose heart, whose hopes, whose emo
tons had all died long, long ago.
The story of Mary Harrison is short
and sorrowful. Her heart received y
sudden killing blow that crushed the
| light of love out of her. sharply and
suddenly. She was the daughter of an
old aristocratic house, once very wealthy
but then decayed somewhat in their for
tune She was the idol of her circle of
acquaintance, and beloved by two suit
ors at the same time, one of them rich
and influential, but unbeloved by his
neighbors. The other lover was young
| lawyer, descended from the best blood of
the gentry, but poor and dependent on
his talents for success in life. He was
young, handsome and clever; had already
made his mark in politics and his pro-
fession, and had been elected to the
House of Burgesses by his adoring con-
stituents. He loved Mary Harrison pas
sionately and had wooed and won her
affections, with the cold assent of her
father. In those days, honorable gal
lants always ''spoke to the parents first ;
before Il formal declaration to the young
lady in question. The reputation of
John Nelson was irreproachable, and
Mr.. Harrison coldly assented to the
union with his daughter, but procrasti-
mated the time of marriage almost in
definitely. He hoped that by delay their
affections would wear out, and that his
daughter would finally listen to the suit
of Colonel Stockworth, the wealthy lover,
who had lands and barrels of money
Stockworth was an ENJOYABLE man, cold
and vindictive, eruelto his servants and
as penuriously grasping as any Shylock.
| Months and years rolled by, and the
solution of the suit between Mary Har-
rison and John Nelson seemed as far off
as ever, while Colonel Stockworth con-
tinued to press his claims more earnestly
than ever; in fact. he never seemed to
weary and never to understand GOODNESS
or reserve. He was a constant visitor at
Mr.. Harrison's mansion, and would al
ways seek opportunities to be alone with
Mary. The two lovers frequently met
| Il
neighbors and old acquaintance could
| be.
One evening, in the bright autumn
days, Colonel Stockworth met Miss Har-
rison in the grove that stood about her
home. He had joined her as she walked
alone. He repeated his love for the
twentieth time, and for the twentieth
| time she refused him. Cool and impas-
sive, the dark-browed man replied that
her wishes should be respected and he
would desist in his declarations of love.
but that he trusted to the effect of time
in bringing about a change; and, saying
very quietly he could afford to wait, he
left her with more feeling than he had
ever betrayed before. When he had de-
parted, the old negro nurse, who had
followed behindat u respectful distance,
approached her mistress and said:
''Mliss Mary, you'd better beware of
that man; he was muttering something
| between his teeth when he passed by me,
and it sounded nightly like a curse up
on Mr.. Wilson and yourself. tell YOU
he is full of mischief, and is bad enough
to carry out any mean thing he sets his
heart on. And | tell you, he doesn't
| love you, Miss Mary, because it didn't
hurt him bit when you discarded him,
but it made him angry. | could see it
all. He has done so many cruel things
| wouldn't be surprised at anything else
he might do So, l tell you, young mis-
tress, you must keep shap eye on him. -
A few days after this John Nelson and
Mary Harrison met again and renewed
their professions of attachment, and
were as happy as possible under the
statuary aspect of their matrimonial
plans. Mr.. Harrison pleaded with his
daughter, and implored her to accept
the wealthy sutton, pleading the embar-
rassment of his own personal affairs and
the financial relief such marriage
would bring him. But all to no purpose
A regular, systematic course of Sights
and petty annoyances were put into
practice toward John Nelson; sometimes
his horse was suffered to remain hitched
to the rack, and not taken to the stable,
as was universally customary toward all
welcome visitors in that land of chival-
rous hospitality; sometimes his waitin 9
man, with his masters portmanteau,
was not shown to the room usually occu-
pied by his master; and, again, Nelson
was not asked to return to dinner after
amorning call, or invited to stay to tea
after an afternoon visit, and was now
never asked to call again. The continued
and persistent Sights and insults weighed
heavily upon his mind, but were as so
much fuel to his consuming love they
intensified the burning love he felt, and
tended to confirm her in her choice.
And now his visits were short and hur-
ried, and. their partings sad and fearful
Nelson and Stockworth seldom mot at
the mansion, and even in the most friend
ly manner, because the one knew his
strong point, and the other was not ready
to expose his chagrin and disappoint-
ment. Mr.. Harrison would sometimes
meet John Nelson at public places and
pass him without recognition until it be-
come unbearable, because it was the sub