Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1883-10-20

q ana even cheerful c0unt0nance
II agreed with my father, that if M.
d cousin would consent, the ceremo
;. ny should take place in ten days
l. and thus put, as | imagined, tn
e seal to my fate.
# Great God if for one instant
t had thought of what might be tn,
5 hellish intention of my fiendish ad
s versary, / would rather have ban
t ished myself forever from my ma
: tive country, and wandered friend
e less outcast over the earth, than
}. have consented to this miserable
/, marriage. But, as if possessed o.
: magic powers, the monster had
: blinded me to his real intentions
t and when / thought that L pre-
pared only my own death, | has,
, tened that of far dearer victim.
/ AS the period fixed for our mar
; riage drew nearer, whether from
} coWardice or prophetic feeling, /
felt my heart sink within me. But
| concealed my feelings by an APP
| pearance of hilarity, that brought
J smiles and joy to the countenance
of my father, but hardly deceived
the ever-watchful and nicer eye of
, Elizabeth. She looked forward to
our union with placid contentnent,
not unmingled with little fear,
which past mistortunes had i'm
pressed, that what now appeared
certain and tangible happiness
might soon dissipate into an airy
dream, and leave no trace but deep
and everlasting regret.
Preparations were made for the
event. congratulatory visits were
received. and all wore smiling APP
pearance. / shut up, As well as |
could, in my own heart the anxiety
that preyed there, anS entered with
seeming earneStneSS into the plans
of my father, although they might
only serve as the decorations of my
tragedy. A house was purchased
for us near ColOgny, by which we
should enjoy the pleasures OF the
country, and yet be so near Geneva
as to see my father every day; who
would still reside within the walls,
for the benefit of Ernest, that he
might follow his studies at the
| schools.
In the meantime, I took every
precaution to defend my person, in
case the fiend should openly attack
me. carried pistols and dagger
constantly about me, and was ever
on the watch to prevent artiice;
and by these means gained grea
ter degree of tranquility. Indeed,
as the period approached, the threat
appeared more as deluSion, not to
be regarded as worthy to disturb
my peace, while the happiness
hoped for in my marriage wore
greater appearance of certainty, as
the day fixed for its solemization
drew nearer, and 1 heard it contin-
ually spoken of as an occurrence
which no accident could possibly
prevent.
Elizabeth seemed happy; my
tranquil demeanOr contributed
greatly to calm her mind. But on
the day that was to fulfill my wish
es and my destiny, she was melan
choly, and a presentiment of evil
pervaded her, and perhaps also she
thought of the dreadful secret which
/ had promised to reveal to her the
following day. My father was in
the meantime overjoyed, and, in
the bustle of preparation, only OBJ
niece the diffidence of bride.
After the ceremony was perform
ed, large party assembled at my
fathers; but it was agreed that |
Elizabeth and l should pass the af- |
ternoon and night at Evian, and |
return to Cologny the next morn
ing. AS the day was fair and the |
wind favorable, we resolved to go
by water.
Those were the last moments of
my life during which l enjoyed the |
feeling of happiness. We passed |
rapidly along the sun was hot, but |
we were sheltered from its rays by |
a kind of canopy, while we enjoyed |
the beauty of the scene, sometimes |
on one side of the lake, where we |
saw Mont Saleve, the pleasant
banks of Montalegre, and at a dis
tance, surmounting all, the beauti-
full Mont Blanc. and the aSSemblage |
of the snowy mountains: that in
vain endeavOr to emulate her |
sometimes coasting the opposite |
banks, we saw the mighty Jura OPP |
posing it's dark side to the ambition
that would quit its native country, /
and an almost insurmOuntable barri-
er to the invader who would wish
to enslave it.
l took the hand of Elizabeth:
"You are sorrowful, my love- All
if you know what have suffered,
and what | may yet endure, you
would endeayOr to let me taste the
quiet and freedom from despair,
that this one day at least permits
me to enjoy"
''Be happy, my dear Victor" re-
piled Elizabeth "there is, L hope,
nothing to distress you and be as
sured that if lively joy is not paint
ed in my face, my heart is content
ed. Something whispers to me not
to depend too much on the prospect
that is opened before us; but / will
not listen to such sinister voice.
Observe how fast we move along,
and how the, clouds, which some
times obscure aud sometimes rise
above the dome of Mont Blanc, rem
der this scene of beauty still more
interesting. Look also at the innu-
Inerable fish that are swimming in
the clear waters, where we can distin-
guish every pebble that lies at the
bottom. What divine day! how
happy and serene all nature ap-
pears ~
Thus Elizabeth endeavored to di-
vert her thoughts and mine from all
reflection upon melancholy subjects.
But her temper was fiuctuating;
joy for few instants shone in her
eyes, but it continually gave place
to distraction and reverie.
The sun sunk lower in the heav-
ems we passed the River Drance,
and observed its path through the
chasms of the higher and the glens
of the lower hills. The Alps here
came closer to the lake, and we
approached the amphitheater Of
mountains which forms its eastern
boundary. The spire of Evian
shone under the woods that sur
rounded it, and the range of mount
ain above mountain by which it was
Overhung.
The wind which had hitherto
carried us along with amazing rap
idity, sunk at sunset to light breeze,
the soft air just ruffied the water,
and caused a pleasant motion
among the trees as we approached
the shore, from which it waited the
most delightful scent of flowers and
hay. The sun sunk beneath the
horizon as we landed and, as /
touched the shore, / felt those cares
Il r a