Morris tribune., 1883-06-30
raj was polite. he could not be cordial.

| was blind, or should have seen now ne
| idolized his wife, When was leaning over
the pianoforte, reyelling in the luxury OF
her music, he walked the cabin, reaalng, OF
| smoked his cigar on deck. we sang TO-
gether-we played chess. ala not mean
to he dishonorable. but I behaved badly.
The general ate but little; he drank, not
much. but moro than before, and he smoked
nearly oil day.
II do not think La Signora was given to
Irritation. Nor do / believe, with all the
vanity Won give me credit for, that she
really loved me. No: | was fascinated,
charmed, and as young men are apt TO be-
very thoughtless and selfish. She was
pleased with me. We had tastes In com
mon; and what woman ever failed 9, be
fattered by admiration?
$50 the days passed. One day, on I
walked along the guards, overheard them
talking. 1t was in French, now.
T thought you did not like these Amer
lean gentlemen said he.
No, not in general she replied, very
quietly; but he is an exception.
"A few days later ehaneed to hear an
angry exclamation from the general. L
knew I was the subject of it. She made
naughty reply. Never had she seemed 30
magnificent as on that evening. We sang;
and when the little band OF negro walters
came into the cabin to play, we danced
Never did see 80 sad face as his-When,
aftera long and exhilasatinR waltz. In
which seemed to swim in a sea OF costa
BY, led her tenderly and CALAMITY to a
sofa. Such sad, despairing look! Ii
sank into my heart; but was full OF hap
piness and drove it away. 1 had done
nothing more than is done every day IN our
society. It was q mere Irritation. swear
to you I had not the thought OF anything
more. do not know what l might nave
thought, or wished, or attempted, hao
there been any encouragement; but tnere
was none. The more / saw of La Signora,
the more self possessed she seemed to me
in her honor and purity. She yielded, for
once, at least, 70 the customs of the socl-
ETY. in which she had lived, and was IN
dulging in an innocent Irritation
1t was easy to imagine 1t more. The
general saw MS often from distance, az
he entered the cabin. My manner was
free and inpassioned. She was kind anc
gracious, and innocently, but most thought
lessly happy, az she was gifted and beautl-
full. She should have known-l should
have known-that the consciousness OF hls
age might have ranked in sensitive splr-
it.
"She loved and honored him, and trusted
him too much.
my good general, she would say, he is
a little cold and austere in society, but
such good child"
I'VE rasGed those long, desolate shores
through whose forests the devastating ttooo
rushes ever, ever on One morning our
steamer rounded to. and made LANDING at
Natchez. The night before, we had been
very CAV. The general, as ] said good night,
and Kissed the jeweled white hand kindly
held out TO me-was more pale and ghastly
than ! ever had seen him. He was not &c
breakfast next morning. l saw him rapidly
pacing the hurricane-deck.
La Signora and had bargain TO go on
shore together at the next landing, and try
to get some flowers. The weather was like
June, and she saw roses ia blossom with
child's delight.
II don't know how it was; but my heart
was heavy, as we walked over the gang
plank ct the Natchez landing. I remem-
bered the pale, sad face. But was too
intoxicated with the beauty that seemed to
envelop me. like an atmosphere, TO nave the
impression last.
I'VE got our roses and came on board
As We entered the cabin. the blsck cham
BERNARD met US, wringlng her hapos, ano
wild with CONSERVATION.
go mEgsa! o mistressp she exclaim-
ed, 'whars de captain? Thar's man over
board! T know it's man. They needn't
tell me its billet of wood. Dont1 know
a man when see one?"
Il did not believe her-still. with an un~
defined apprehension that seized Us both,
we ran aft. The moment We got to the
nursery windows in the stern, shere rose
f. ON the boiling flood, far down the stream,
bat near enough to be seen distinctly, the
z Al, 4of nm >
arms, and sank beneath the surface, and
was never seen more.
With one wild shrek, she sank into o
swoon. The women took her from my
arms and bore her to her stateroOm. rushed
on deck The alarm had been given the
yawl was pulling down the stream, but 1t
was useless The body Of the drowned
man was sweeping along the broad, deep,
trlrbid river, never 10 be found, perhaps,
till the sea gives up her dead. On the after
part of the hurricane deck, I found the gen.
erals watch, pocket b0ok, and mlntsture
of La Signors
Seventy miles above New Orleans-on
that beautiful coast which, after the DESC
1ation of the thousand miles above, opens
upon the traveller like fairy land-there
CLEANS, among the orange groves. the white
walls of a convent of the Sacred Heart.
to land. The chambermaid came to me,
with request that I would come aft and see
this lady. had not seen her. She had not
left her stateroom. When I entered the
cabin where she stood, dressed in black,
with black veil. ready to land, scarcely
knew her 50 pale-so CHASTITY pale, and her
eyes red with weeping.
"She held out her hand to me-the tears
gushed sfresh.
Forgive me-" she said; forgive me,
my dear friend, and pray that God will for
give me. wos educated with the dear la
dies of the Sacred Heart. I kave no mother
on earth but them. My folly has murdered
the best of men, who loved me more than
life. 1 have no reproach for you-the
blame was all my own. am going to ask
these ladies to give me al asylum. Good
bye; God bless you.
"She gave me little cross. led her
across the gang plank, dropped tear upon
her hand, and took my last look of one OF
the loveliest women on earth, who, In one
little wear was an angel in Heaven"
Il don't know. Write II out at any rate.
1t may keep some young fellow from being
fool. 1t may make some beautiful young
wife more considelate."
And SO have written it,