Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-09-25

home in Devonshire.
There, for some time, Maddalena
was as happy as any child could be.
Mary Seymour was her constant COM
panion and teacher, and she repaid
her with the most passionate affec-
ton. Mary understood her. Her
songs and wild antics, her outbursts
of passion or sorrow, her romances,
her curious thoughts and brooding
fancies, could all be poured out to this
dear friend, who, even if she disap-
proved of what she heard and saw, did
it far too gently to hurt the sensitive
child.
There came a dark day for Lena and
her guardians. Mary Seymour, who
had for some time been suffering from
depression, which arose from her pa
rents repeated refusals to allow her
to ally herself with the man she loved,
left home suddenly and secretly. Be
ing of more than full age she had de-
termined to take her future into her
own hands. She went to some friends
abroad and was married from their
house.
To Maddalena the consequences
were very bitter. At first she refused
to believe that Mary had left her for
ever She had gone, but she would
certainly send for her soon. She would
not be able to live without her Lena.
But no summons came, only little
letter, telling her that Mary was hap
Ply and begging her to be patient and
good.
She tried, poor childl but it was
hard work, for she was terribly soil
tary now. She drew little comfort
from her vivid fancies. but even these
she could not indulge in the house.
When she laughed or played or sang,
or poured out the Imaginary dia-
logues she had been composing, some
one would be sure to hear her, and
questions which she could not answer
would be asked. And so it became
her habit to take refuge in the woods
and by the river banks, where she
had little haunts of her own, which
she peopled with imaginary friends.
1t was whispered, meantime, in the
Eeighborhood that the foreign caild
at the Seymours' was not quite like
other people. She had been heard
talking to herself and capering wildly
about her nursery; she was said to
indulge in ungOvernable fits of fury
and meaningless ecstacies. Mr.. Sey-
mour had openly lamented, ia tho
presence Of several of her neighbors,
that they had ever undertaken to
provide for her future.
This mischievous talk, when it came
to Lena's ears, filled her with the sad
dest and bitterest feelings. Why did
people whom she knew hurry by her
without speaking? What was the
meaning of the stray words that fell
upon her ear? ''Poor little Mad
dalenap That was what they called
her. Why was it? What had she
done that even the very children
whom she adored should be afraid of
her?
Thinking of these things in her
green parl0r by the river, Lena found
great dread taking possession of her
soul. It was all true, she said to her
self. She was really creature apart
from others. Her joys and sorrows
were not those of her friends; they
never would be. She was destined
all her life to live alone. AS the days
went by horror of darkness seemed
TO envelop her. She was fast drifting
into state of mental insensibility.
What the consequences might have
been, If nothing had changed, it is
terrible TO think.
But our Father in heaven, without
whose will not SO much as a sparrow
drops to the ground, had been watch
ing over Lena through the sad years
Of her childhood and the day came
when she was brought back to the
gentle sym pathies of human life.
She was about Is years of age when
the summons for which she had never
ceased to look arrived. She carried
it at once to her guardian and laid it
before him. It was strange letter,
only a few words. written hastily on
a crumpled piece of paper:
81 want Lena, and she will wish to
come to me, know. In memory of
old times I entreat my father and
mother to send her. ''MARY."
No other signature; only an adj
dress in Florence.
Mr.. Seymour was in bed with a
lung attack when Lena brought this
to him. He read it and looked at her
doubtfully.
"You will let me go?" she cried
passionately.
eff this is Mary's writing, he be-
gan.
ct is; it is. Seep' and she put in
his hand the last she had received.
1.-The trembling of the hand makes
the difference. Ny darling is ill
dying, perhaps. must go to her"
Her passionate desire won the vic
tory. She started for Florence that
day, and before the week was out she
and her Mary were together.
I have found, in an old writing
desk of my grandmother's, the letter
written by Lena on the morning
after her arrival in Florence:
MARY is terribly changed (she
writes,) l think even you would
scarcely recognize her. l was so
shocked when [ first saw her that [
cOuld not speak. but now [ have