Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1884-04-03
Au 0rigiual Storg.
Written for the Yorkville Enquirer.
AFTER EIGHTEEN YEARS.
CHAPTER vi.
The tender grace of a day that is dead
Can never come back to me.

SSerness for me i'm your heart. The associations
of past wears cannot be entirely cast ASIDE; the
affection which grew up with us from clllahoou
must continue to exist, even though an unlucky
mistake set a temporary barrier between us. L
am expecting every hour to be called into acuon,
and something tells me that ! may never seeyou
again and so, dear Marion, it lightens my heart
to send YOU a few words of more kindly fare
well than those we exchanged on that last sau
morning. I entreat you to forgive me tor the
annoyance caused you twould nave peen 1af,
far better to have left you in the belief that my
love for you was only of the brotherly sort
which YOU had always supposed 1t to be-to have
carried my secret with me, at least during these
troubled times or mn for co naie H have
DESTROYED your innocent repose, through my
own selfish impatience but, God knows, am
sufficiently punished in the result. Dear cousin,
dear friend and playmate OF Dy-gone years. leu
81 have good and trusty friend, John Ellery,
who will, know, undertake to deliver this note,
which shall send in package addressed TO my
uncle, containing few business dlrectlons. II
nothing happens to me, it WILL of course, not be
sent. Goodbye, and God bless you always! l
pray night and morning that you may be happy.
"YOUR Cousin CARROLL"
How often had Marion read and re-read
these lines, blistering the paper on which
they were written with tast-fallIng tears
She had of course felt it incumbent upon
her, in Judge Warmers present condition,
to open any communication addressed to
him. and, as she expected, found this note
in the parcel which John Ellery had brought.
The deepest grief of all was the knowledge
that Carroll had died believing her to be in
different to him. If he could only have
known how truly her heart was hls.but
alas she had not even felt this herself un-
til too late Not until after his departure,
when she had leisure to seek and obtain a
clear insight into her own feelings, had she
realized the depth of her regard for him,
and her own blindness in not discovering 1T
sooner. True, she had accepted his protfer-
ed love, and yielded him hers in return, but
not completely and without reserve; and
how easily had she suffered that precious
treasure to slip from her grasp!
For the wrong she had done him-for the
cloud she had cast over the last days OF his
life-she would atone by perpetua! deVo-
ton to his memory. Sacred in the lnmost
recesses of her heart would she keep it en-
shrined no other earthly affection should
ever come between it and her.
She had leisure enough t6broOd overthese
thoughts while fulfilling her duty of sick
nurse. The professional attendant whom
DIR. Carey had brought on the night of her
uncle's Seizure had been dispensed with
after fortnight, as she then felt herself Ca
pable of assuming the charge of attending
to him, with such occasional assistance as
the neighbors were willing and anxious to
render for the Judge was so well known,
and so universally loved, that all were ca
ger to be of some use to him. Kate, his
eldest daughter, took care of the housekeep-
ing: something stood in the way Of Marion's
devoting her whole attention to him, and
DR.. Carey pronounced her to be as excellent
a nurse as he cared to employ.
The Judges speech was gradually re-
stored to him, though it remained imper-
feet, and often difficult to understand. He
also by degrees recovered the use OF his
right side, but his left continued dead
weight without feeling sense of power.
He had insisted on having his case fully
explained to him, and the doctor had con-
sidered it wise to yield to his wish in this
respect, knowing that a clear understand
ing of his condition was better for him than
the worry of suspense. But ne charged
Marion not to let any news which might
affect him unpleasantly come to his knowl-
edge, and she had therefore refrained from
telling him of Carroll's death. Strangely
enough, the old gentleman never made any
inquiry regarding him, and she was thus
spared the difficulty of an evasion. His
mind seemed to be clear on many suo)ects,
but his memory was evidently affected by
his illness, and it sometimes cost him quite
an effort to recall very simple or familiar
fact.
By Christmas, he had improved so far as
to be able to leave his bed and lie on sofa
in the library, which opened out of his bed
room. Every morning his faithful man-ser-
want, George, would dress him and support
him to his couch. Then Marion would bring
little table to his side and give him his
breakfast, he submitting like a child to
taking much pleasure in having the young
people around him. The household was
diminished in numbers now, for two of mis-
nieces, Mary and Lou Warner, had been
sent for by another relative who had been
left childless and desired their companion
ship, and only his daughters, Kate and
Jessie, both of whom were very young, with
Marion, remained.
ga dull enough Christmas we will have
tone, as they sat together around the fire
on the eve of that day. ut won't seem a
bit like Christmas, will it, girls? What
shall we do to make it pleasant?"
"It will be a happier time than it would
have been if Papa had continued so ill.,"
responded Kate, gravely. 81 am sure it
ought to make us happy to see him so much
better. We could scarcely have hoped to
have him among us, so soon. Perhaps he
may even be able to sit at the table to-mor-
row-don't you think So Marion"
"He may, possibly" rejoined Marion.
He has seemed much stronger to-day"
''Oh, that will be nicen exclaimed Jes-
sic, her face frightening. "By the way,
the Denes are going to have a Tree just as
usual, though Milton and Sam are both
away"
"And Charlie Dene only dead a month !!
"How heartless," said Kate, Indignantly.
"Well, Mrs. Depe does it for the sake OF
her younger children, she says. She does
not want them to be gloomy at this season.,
and she says they have trouble enough to
Justify them in affording themselves a lit
tie pleasure at Christmas time"
''1t does seem hard to deprive children
of all pleasure, especially the little ones"
said Marion. "Still it must be a terrible
effort"
81 should think so, just after their eldest
sons death! Why, it is four months since
poor Carroll was killed, and he wasn't even
our brother, and yet l am sure l don't feel
like merry-making," cried Kate.
Marion rose abruptly and left the room.
She had not yet schooled herself to bear
chance illusions of this sort, although they
were frequently made.
"Jessie," said Kate in low tone, after
minutes silence, "do you know, an idea
has occurred to me lately"
"What idea?" asked her sister.