The Delaware farmer., 1883-08-24

!
left
/ was frightened that night at the in
tensity of her grief. She was so veal
that I feared that any additional trouble
would soon deprive her Of reason
Gradually I soothed her by talking o
him, and leading her to relate her re
newed connection with him. She tolC
me that although she had refused tC
marry him, she had yielded to his ear
nest wish of corresponding with him,
and that she had thus kept up that cor
respondence through the many years
that separated them. There was inger-
ing hope in his heart that they would
yet see brighter days; but in her, never,
until this summer had so invigorated
her in health and spirits. Albert had
eagerly noticed this, and in the letter
which she had last received, had de-
clared his intention Of coming to see us.
"Why did You not tell me?" asked,
almost reproachfully.
because I knew that, although you
would have disguised your feelings
for my sake. you would have dreaded
the separation; and, beside, 1 could not
have the heart to anticipate any happi-
ness for myself when you were so DESC
late.
"Dear sister, I exclaimed, struck at
her self-sacrifcing spirit, ''It would have
been my highest joy to have seen you
Albert ThorntOn's wife; and as to the
I am not so welded to Eng !
and that I could not have followed you
elsewhere.
knew that Margaret often had re-
eived letters from France, but supposed
hem to be from a lady whose marriage
lad compelled her residence there, and
7ho, I supposed, still kept up her cor
Once 1 had even said.
hen handing her letter, Chow much
larry Raymond's husband writes like
lbert Thornton % 1t was a passing re-
ark, and she went out of the room to
ad her letter, and I never thought of !
again. In our young days Margaret 5
ished me to love Mary Raymond; and /
Nv we rarely spoke of her, because I t
Il that I had disappointed my sister in a
It fancying her favorite. s
[ did not attempt to console Margaret
new too well, from my own expert n
ce, how little even the dearest friends Il
do, except to utter the common II
ce and stereotyped words of conso- a
ion, and how little those words avail o.
reach the mOurner's heart; how cold al
come the voices Of sympathy while ''
t heart is bleeding inwardly. and h,
Y we turn away from all, with the IL
ing that it 'knoweth its own bitter la
s. and must not be intermeddled he
b, by even brother or sister. al
hat sorrow has pressed heavily upon an
er hearts before, does not Tighten our sh
/; we do not suffer less because an. ca
er has also suffered and, feeling this,
'ould not bring up to my sisters tn
d the remembrance of my own des- us,
ion. du
a few days, the violence of Marga- ha
grief subsided; but her former Ian rea
had returned. I expected to see Of
Troop and fade away daily before aft,
,yes, and almost dreaded to return to
e at night, lest should find her w. wit
lpon the bed from which she might WOO
r arise. 1t was altogether a sad ep- L
in pur peaceful summer. Ma
ERE was one thing which uncon- dow
sly cheered me in this hour of trial. clea
near neighbors, the Leightons, con Iect
to our intention of making ac- to t
ltances, had forced themselves upon MAJ
though in a perfectly delicate way. ton.
had noticed my sisters feebleness 81
we first came, and had watched aWk
trough the slight opening in the dld
as she passed from the door to her but
te seat; and they had begun the took
intance by sending her baskets of won
'us fruit, the first of their splendid from
S, and choice vegetables of every was
81
'garet could only accept and ac- so
edge, and the result was an in "I
2 with Flora Leighton, the only Of y
ter of the family, whose manners shad'
eted the attraction which her nevel
: began; so at least thought Mar could
heard much Of Flora Leighton, "N
d some curiosity to see the being "out
I'd so won upon Margaret, hut she ga
ways out of sight before I came callin
and never, by any chance, had said
le bright eyes and pleasant smile Ma
my sister had described to me. I and n
naT tho invisible. l,,4 r o.,.. III L - haa1o 1