Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1883-08-11

My audience SAT SpellsbOund, as L
read piece after piece. l could have
read on forever. Every nerve Of my
body was alive with a new life. l
was so excited that when he met me
and put me into my carriage ] could
only sob and cry for joy.
TIE next morning he called, and
in his straightforward, manly way
asked me to be his wife. Oh, why
had he not asked the same question
last night? Why did he wait? Then
/ should have proudly answered yes !;
but morning found me in a different
mood. Love was very sweet to me
as it is to all women; but ambition
stood first Oh. how L have since
cursed my folly!
But 1 was young and ambitious,
and must win name and fame. l
sent my darling away, and never-but
l will not anticipate.
l tried to put his image from my
heart, but l could not. I would VOW
thousand times day not to think
of him, and thousand times q day
/ would find myself recalling some
look or act of his, Insignificant in
itself, but so sweet TO me for it's ten
derness!
But was getting famous. What
need had I of love? Was 1 not the
peoples darling7 Did not the best
in the land caress and flatter me? If
1 was not happy, tried to think my
self 80 If / sometimes longed for
the sound of that voice, for the clasp
of that hand, with a craving which
was actual agony, / hushed my heart
and reached still higher for fame's
laurels.
At last my highest desire had been
attained; l had crossed the ocean, l
was to read one night before the
nobility. I came forward on the stage
flushed with triumphant expectation.
l opened my mouth, but no sound
came; only a husky whisper sounded
from my throat.
left the stage and summoned my
physician. who was always in attend
ance. My pride had received its
proper reward He told me that l
would not in all probability regain my
voice for months, perhaps for years.
and that l would never again be able
to read in public. l raved, l wept,
but to no avail could not speak
above hoarse whisper.
grew tired of England, and i ro.
solved to go home could not find
comfort abroad, so l went back to
my own land.
Oh, how long and weary the days
were! / was forbidden by my ply
sician to read, work or write, for
they said that my nervous system
was completely broken down.
One day l sat alone in my lonely
room, when the servant handed me a
card. / glanced at the name and
went down. Once again / saw him,
my hero, my king. He visited me
daily for month, and each day was
an eternity of bliss. But he again
asked me to be his wife, and again
l refused him. 1 would not give
myself to him when / was in tine
full! tide of my prosperity, when I
was fattered and sought after by all,
and now l would not insult him by
giving him what others had cast
aside like a broken but once valued
toy. No! in spite Of his tender, an
guished pleading, l would not yield.
1 loved him - how well no one
could know-but become his wife l
would not. So again he left me.
Another year dragged itself by. To
others it may have been short, but to
me it was an age OF longing and sor
row. One day l received note di-
rected in the hand which / loved so
well. tore it open eagerly to find
only these words:
Come to me, am dying"
I gave thought to nothing but the
fact that my loved one was suffering,
and that he wanted me. 1 noted
down the address, and drove to his
house as fast as I could. When I
was shown into the sick room, my
darling turned toward me and held
out his hand. AS took it, 1 could
have wept to see how pale and thin it
had grown. I thought him dying,
and when he implored me to be his
wife, l consented.
When morning came he was SO
much better that I urged him to wait
while. When / thought him to be
dying was willing to become his
wife; but when I saw him getting
stronger, and knew that he would
some day think that, as refused him
when we were both we'll and prosper
GUS, married him then either out Of
pity for him or on account of my
own lonely condition. So put him
off from day to day. on one plea and
another, till he was again we'll, when
l told him that / could never be his
wife. And I again took up weary
existence without him.
My voice was gradually gaining
in strength, but not as fast as I could
desire.
One evening I went to an enter
tainment at which friend of mine
was to read. I was thinking OF my
own many triumphs on that very
stage, when a boy came to me and
asked me to step into the dressing
room, as my friend was very i'll. I
found her, as stated, very ill-too
i'll to dream of attempting to read
that night. She asked me to take
her place, and the manager joined
his entreaties with hers.
hesitated; my voice was appar-
emily as strong as ever, but my ply
90 ho1 ~Ano.%o.11,v