The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-09-15

sung, tdieS were tOi0, anu IIliflH anu iolli,y ruled the hour. but l remember. first of all, the walk homewaId from the river bank, the talk with Nera at the gate, and the pressure of the hand, so white and small, at parting. If had been strangely moved before, Sas almost be side myself now. It seemed that ere long there would come to me a great change, and that new aspirations and new longings would enter into and be- come part fmy life; for my nature is like the plant. that, after long pining in darkness, springs into life at the first warm touches of the sun, and grows with passionate intensity.
 Love knows no language, written or spoken, it finds expression only through the voice of silence, and in thousand that loved her while, by the dropping of the eyes, the soft intonations of the voice, and tender glances when she thought knew, by the mantling blush at meeting, and the nervous clasping of the hand at parting, knew that she was learning to love me in return. Cnmind- ful of the change, we drifted from com panions to friends, and from friends to lovers. Mournfully sad, almost unreal, seen to me now our love trysts, the walks and talks on moonligh, evenings. when the hours glided as swiftly and silently as floats autumn leaves upon the current of d mountain stream.
 Day by day, saw the character of Nera unfolding slowly before me. as do the petals of the rose when nourished by the dew and sunshine: and each day saw more to love and admire, more on which my thirsty soul could feast. Sub- tier than any philosopher, more gifted than any poet, wisest of men, shall be he that penetrating all its secret avenues, and lays bare the wondrous workings of woman's soul. At times Nera seemed little less than goddess in the noble sacrifices made by her without murmur then only a weak woman looking ever to others for aid and protection and again a ,hough,less girl, gladly throwing of all restraint. In vain l sought to learn her whole soul and catch all the cords of her existence, in the end knowing only that she was lovely creature more intuitive, more generous and intinitively nor ca pricious than any man, that had stolen gently into my life and filled it with Joy and beauty.
 "Still clouds were mingled with the sunshine, and marred, in a faint, shadowy way, clear sky. l s,rove 10 tell my dar- ling all the aspirations, all the silent. im- palpable longings and hopes of my na- tuIe, all the thoughts, secret and unutter- able. of my soul. and which coming and going like broken strains of eternal har- ! l.. I ,1.l T tell to man; and yet knew she caught only stray, iittul glimpses, of the true Ederin. Strive as might. could not sunder the inner and invisible letters that ever have and ever will make man being, in many things being shut out from those whom he holds nearest and dearest, dweler in d solitude that. tho intangible and unreal, is infinite and cannot be erased. Only those who have truly loved can feel this, which. when they long for a higher, more perfect communion of soul with soul, whose realization no mortal will ever know, fills them with pain and unrest.
 The record of secret sin. tho written with pen of iron upon the tablets of the heart. IS airy and viewlcss ,o others. Can | wrong that made Nera my wife, and yet, not my wife! Even the very letters which flow from the pens point, and take form upon the paper, stand out as an accusing witness and make my remorse keener, my grief more poignant. Even now, after the passage of long years, so strange. inexplicable and awful that re- coil with horror, seems the rising within me of the demon to whose low, sinful, g,ovellng demands Nera ou, of her great love for me at last conceded. When it was all over. and by my hands, cloud that could not be swept away had been drawn over that far young life, how like fawn wounded unto the death, she seemed. She did not reproach me in words, but the sorrow that looked out from her large, blue eyes, that once had sparkled with mernment and glee, carried with 1t a reproving message more bitter and cutting than any tongue could eN- press. The buoyancy of spirits, the joy ous freedom that had first won my affection passed away. When saw the ruin and misery had wrought. l. poor fool that l was-though stung with a re- morse so sharp. that sleeping or waking. my life was turned into one long. hideous nightmare in vain to sooth my darling and still her hearts thro obbing Often would say, that in coming years. when our two lives were joined in one, the record of all that had passed would be swept away. and we would be happy. She would answer me only with silence and sad shakings of the head and then could say no more. And yet, knew that after all that had passed, she only clung to me the closer and loved me the better. But can write no longer: for this small room fills with averaging spirits ; as write, the noise of the pen gliding over the paper. turns to curses, and from the far of region, whence she has gone, the face of Nera looks down upon me so plying and reproachful. yet so full of sadness and love, that my very heart ceases to beat. and am helpless"
 Here there is a sudden break. Days must have passed before Ederin again re- turned to his melancholy task When L ! I L. sL.