Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-09-28

bftoOtIr Sfs oAAO t01Aes S0sA
bend no misery that a title and :
palace could not heal. She dice
soon utter, leaving Inc by her vii
all her wealth, but the heirs u
her husband contested the insiru
ment. and my husband. who he
came defendant in the suit that
followed, being an ellen and al,
sent. they gained their cause
NY husband had title, but nc
wealth. and we lived wretched
life when the hope was wrenched
from US Of succeeding to Aunt
Shaw's estate. There were man,
years of this life--I have never
cared to count how many. Chill.
dren were horn to me and died
ut last the man to whom falsu
VOWS bound me, 6ied too, and ]
vas left alone. amid strangers. in
the land that had always been
strange 10 me
Then l came home to find my
own land scarcely less strange, to
meet coldness and contumely and
to feel myself reduced to humble
my pride. and gladly accept the
home Hugh Off red me.
/ had been near six months al
the Elms when the midsummer
brought my thirty-sixth birthday.
No word Of this anniversary bud
passed my lips. Not for W rlds
would I have reminded Hugh OF
that sad Ii ne OF temptation when
I had forfeited nv vows. and de
serted him with the confession oi
love still glowing on my lips.
But his memory was not less
tenacious than my own. The
morning Of my birthday saw the
gift | fl me by his dead mother
laid beside my plate at breakfast
accompanied by bis own-the
one costly shawl OF rare lace,
the other a clasp OF pearls to
fasten at my sill white throat.
I had few words wherewith to
thank my cousin. aud be repelled
my gratiinte almost roughly, re-
minding me that his coffee was
cold, and he could not
Ioiter, since he must that day visit
the msrket town But l thonghi
it but fancy that he glanced ut m,
more kindly than his wont. and
grasped the cold, trembling fin
gers / laid 10 his palm. with not
unfrieudy cIasp.
I had not known till that day
how dearly the memory Of IN,
early love had been cherished.
Amid the rash Of memories and
feeling which the day brought, nu
fact OF my life stood out in clear
er relief than my love for Hugh.
I knew now why our cold, cau-
strained mode OF intercourse had
heeu so exquisiieIy painful to me
| ioved bln still and the convic-
ton fished upon ne that l must
leave ths EIus, lest my stcret be
betrayed.
Hogli did not return at night
I sat alone upon the porch. III
maids were IN their own domain,
the laborers ut the farm house be-
sond the gate So ] >tols ava, +.
and sought, for the fir,t time III
III those years. the bench beneath
be elms.
How the dewy odor OF fowe,s
how the heavy masses of verdure,
how the shriii creak aud wbirr 0:
in-srt life, how the very tossing
If branches between me and the
noonllt azure Of the sky remind
sd the of that llght, score Of
Years before, sacred in my inner
most heart. to love and dreams ol
b issl | sat down. leaned lleuvil,
,gainst the rough holeof the tire J,
nd wept.
There is no one to see me- ]
nd half aloud. "Tu-night ]
will weep; Tomorrow the old mat
als calm, the outward aspect q
homeless siiess, will l.nvs. returned :
Aai ~ | mad- nv moan ~
ny lost h ,pes, nn w.s.-d yo'hh
ny love thd would .ver IN IRE
elurnl / thought the nigh
,loue heard ms plant, that th'
me moon ray that prered thru -
he dense 10 iage oLly beheli N,
grief.
Bat suddenly strong arm
anne. with indescribable gentle
pes- about me. S1ftly my he ID
gas placed to rest on u broad
warm lreast. Tones low and
yooing on my ear. l heard thai
I vas still beloved still dearer than
III the world beside, aud with al,
inti,x Of fauutterable bliss / closed
ny e,es. aud rested there con
snt, for the time. to bathe M
souI in thst happy Consciousness,
% prolong the moment OF m,
supreme 10y
L ve aud eternity have the
same emblem; the circle--thsl
never ends. that time changes mol
lis the symbol of both. And
in that hour / learned that IN,
thirty-six years, my fad d beauty
my -atldl-ned being. had made nc
hange III tn, love Of Hugh Nc
Lsod To him / WAS forevsi
young ms his ,ove.
For lweniy yeals | have beer
his true and hnpp, wi o. and oul
children whisper love tales b.
meath The elms, wLere their pa
rents have seen their s0rest griefs