St. Landry democrat., 1883-04-14


reason why one should marry a man.
There might be love and plenty OF
money, and yet one go hungry all ones
life. / have known such things.
/ had tried to make my life straight
and fair. I had tried to keep clean
hands and a pure heart; tried-God
who knows the secrets of all hearts,
knows this--to fight despair.
"* y Long, green days..
From which the silken sleeps were fretted
out
We see through shadows all our life
long. We come into this world with
out our being given choice as to our
advent,and go out ofitin the same man
ner.
We have not been consulted as to
birth or death. More and more the prayer
of Epictetus haunts me. LEAD me, Leus
and Destiny, whithersoever / am APP
pointed to go; will follow without
wavering; even though I turn coward
and shrink, / shall have to follow all
the same.n
Should marry Mr.. Dacre? Was he
good parti? as the world said. Too
good for me, as my lady elegantly
| phrased it.
/ had been born into the world amid
fierce throes of mental anguish. My
mothers heart was rent with the great
pain of my fathers sudden death
drowned off the Cornish coast, for was
born at sea. She lived until was ten
years old, a. life Of sorrow, and poverty,
and remuneration. Then she died, leav-
ING me to the care Of compassionate
world and my uncle. Of him / have
already spoken.
My life dragged on with c1ogged
| wheels. I was always at war with
my surroundings. Though too proud to
express it, l had never realized my
ideal of womanhood, or in any way
grown up to my aspirations and dreams.
/ If I had grown at all it had been
| through pain and repression-a fatal
thing always for a Warm-hearted,
earnest woman.
/ Ny uncle, Edward Earle, had pro-
cured me the friendship (?) of the lady
in whose house had passed o twelve
month Mrs. Lucien Granger, distant
cousin of his own. / was an unsalaried
governess or companion, our remote
cousinship being always made available
by my uncle It was during my resi-
dence with that lady that my fate came
to me. A young nephew of Mrs. Gran
GERS came to the hall. He was an ar
fist, young and handsome, and fresh
from a four years sojourn in Rome.
I need not weary you with the pro-
1ogue or the epilogue of our love, for
words are so poor to express the hearts
ntterance. o golden days! 0 tender,
passionate nights! O prineely heart,
come back to me!
Alan Leighton was the last son of a
1 high-born family, and because of the
blue blood-the united blood Of all the
Towards flowing in his veins, Mrs.
Granger interposed her fat against our
love, dreading, doubtless, the plebeian
admixture of mine.
/ 1t is a pity that blood does not always
tell. 1t was an inglorious triumph to
me-yet still triumph-to bare my
white arms to the shoulder during our
gala nights-to which my voice was al
ways invited contrasting their satiny
smoothness and perfect contour with the
lean, brown appendages Mrs. Granger
folded over her aristocratic heart.
| But cloud crept into the sky, and
its shadow fell across our path.
i Alan was called suddenly by telegram
to England, where his grand old father
lay dying. We had but a moment for
our fareWe1ls, for Alan's heart was rent
with sorrow, and helped to expedite
his departure.
4 But one letter ever reached me. His
/ father was dead, and he was Sir Alan
4 now.
4 s.MY PRECIOUS HELEN: My father, whom I
i loved and respected above all men. died yes
feel, and how the light seems to have died out
of every nook and corner. My dear mother is
Frustrated with the blow which has taken
be able to return to you for some weeks. An
nounce our betrothai, dearest, to my aunt and
uncle, which, you know, was my intention the
i very night was called away. Be true to me,
my darling Helen, as shall be true to you.
Goodnight. dear love. / shall write at length
as soon as my mother and have .matured our
hight. May angels guide you, and may. the
1 good Father fold about you His everlasting
arms. Your friend and l eyer; ,azrorn
/ Two years had dragged their slow
length along since that letter came, and
I had never heard from Alan, though
craving his presence as the prisoner
Graves the sunshine. had written him
once, and I had regretted that. He
was soon to be welded to an Earl $
handsome daughter" Mrs. Granger
read aloud from an open letter in her
hand; s'in fact, it was an old affair,
prior to his visit to the hall, ETC., etc.
/ How I regretted I had written, though
the words had been few, merely asking
I if he had been enabled to procure me q
/ certain book we had made mention of
/ together, and the time was more than a
year ago when / had the right thus to
i address him. And now! O pitiful