The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1883-08-01
HOW ROMANCE CAME.

/ When grandfather Aekland died,
stood beside his bedsiie- Cousin
Rudolph was on the other We were
quite alone. for the nurse had been sent
away, and we were very sad for We
loved our grandfather very dearly. We
7 were waiting 70 hear s0nething that he
had desired to say to as. and 1t last he
I spoke:
Rudolph" he said, you have not
formed any matrimonial engagements
without nv knowledge, suppose ?
NO. sir" answered Rudolph.
Nor you, Felicia azksa my grand
father.
aOh, no, said /.
Il am glad OF that, said he. Now,
Rudolph, / know you admire your
cousin. and that she respects you. Ii
would rejoice me greatly il you would
both think over a proposition which ]
am about to make to you. 1shoEld like
to see you engaged 10 each other before
| die. | have left the property between
I YOU, and that would reunite it. Still,
/ | would not make that my motive,
believe YOU well suited to each other;
I well-contrasted in physical appearance,
with the qualities to satisfy each other.
| shouldlknow that Felicia had "a pro
tector on whom could rely, IND you q
wife to make you happy. Think It over
and answer ME tomorrow.
Neither of US said anything. Soon We
were sent away; but that eSsnitss Ru-
I dolpk came 10 me.
I aFelicia" he said, "do you tl,Bn- sou
i a1,.lI v..rs ~.
Rudolph" / answered. esen to
please grandpa, | can't marry husband
who don't love me-"
"But | do" said RudolpA-"really,
nobody could help it.
"And | suppose romance is chiefly
found in plays and novels said !.
"ReaI love and friendship are what
people actually have in happy married
life"
'sOh, as to that, let us be romantic,
too" said Rudolph "You see, being
cousins, we never thought of it; but !
should be very glad if you could make
up your mind, my dear"
SO the next morning. was sixteen
and Rudolph eighteen, remember-we
promised not to marry until was TWEEN
| tv and Rudolph twenty-five. Mean
while | was to be under the protection
| of an old friend, since | have no living
| relatives; and we were both to take
tour through Europe, and to proceed
with our education. We made our
grandfather very happy, and wept in
each others arms when he diae4 How
ever, my feelings did not altar. to Ru-I
dolph | had always loved him dearly,
and no special romance connected itself
with him. Only | think a woman al
ways feels pleased to know that hand
some, admirable young man is her very
own for life.
Thus matters were arranged when we
started ON our European tour in the
same steamer, under proper chaperonage.
| We did the cities. We saw nature as
seen by other tourists. We looked at
the pictures; visited the libraries. We
were by no means always together, and
it chanced that in Rome Twas introduced
to gentleman, young friend of my
chaperon's, who was very courteous to
me, and offered us his escort whenever it
was needed.
He was a young sculptor, rich, an
Italinan by birth, by name Giovanni
Moualdini, but very, very handsome.
| When had known him for little while
Rome began to have wondrous charm
for me. Places l cared nothing for at
first were invested with glamour of
romance. spent days in the galleries
with him, my chaperon asleep in chair
near by.
Rudolph declared himself sick Of high
art. He spent most of his time at the
house of the father of school friend of
his, whom he had met by chance-a fellow
who always had good cigar and plenty
of music. Music was Rudolph's fancy
Just then.
How easily we slip into places We
would never entea uilliRxls.. 0Ae morn
ing awoke in my little Roman bed,
under a painted ceiling, and with the
light falling on me through stained
window, and suddenly recognized the
truth.
The romance that had not come to me
with my engagement to my cousin had
come with my acquaintance with
Giovanni. l loved my cousin but was
in love with the sculptor, and he with
me.
Oh, the bitter shame / feltI The deep
contrition! could only say to myself,
Il could not help it," and then CRY,
weak, wicked creature, how dare YOU
say thatg' And then knelt down and
prayed for help, and. it seemed to me that
| might pray better in the dim old cathe-
dral SO near us, and, dressing myself
hastily, | glided out at the door, telling
no one where | was going. There were
few in the church at that early hour
but, even as | caressed my own grief, ]
noticed another more sad than /. A
young English looking girl-a very
violet of creature-dressed in mourn
| ing, and with a tear stained face. She
knelt before a certain shrine, hiding her
face with her hands, and then started up.
There was a strange look in her eyes. l
felt that Tread its meaning. She intend
| ed to destroy herself.
'The victim of some wicked deceiv-
er," | thought to myself "But she
shall not-she shall not. / will follow
her and save her." and when, in a mo-
ment or two, she slipped out of the
church, was at her heels.
She turned, as / expected, into the
| iStruda di Ripettd, which leads straight
to the banks of the Tber, and at last she
stood close to its edge, iii the shelter of
an old wall, making up her mind, Us ]
saw, to the awfnl plHnge she had con-
ttemplated. Then / went close to her
and caught her by her dress, and said,
softly:
"Stopl l know what you are going to
do. You are wrong, whatever troubles
you have. have followed you to keep
you from the river"
| The girl turned sharply.and looked at
me.
"What do you know about mef' she
asked.
"0nly what saw in the church, said
II.
rs it so plainly written in my face
that stranger can see itg' she cried.
Then, indeed, the water is the place for
memo otherw
held her tighter.
How do you know what comes
after" / cried-"after this lifes Worse
than shame perhapsn
ssShamep' she said. ss0hl how dare
youl Do you think am young per-
son who has had no respect for herself p
People always think that of girk who
|. drown themselves" answered.
aDon't think it Of me- she said, Il
am only foolish. Perhaps you came
there to the cathedral to pray because
you were sad r
YES" said.
"You knew about me because your
own heart told you," she said. sYsRve
been good and kind to follow M.
think III tell you-all but the names .
ssPm goyerness, as poor as msnse.
came here with q rich family, aid 4
friend Of the son's-he visited them.
He is a splendid creature, good, true,
perfect, beautiful; but he liked little
me; and / used to sing to him. am
quite one Of the family-and / grew 70
! love him; and yesterday, at twilight, he
walked on the hills with me. Suddenly
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