Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1884-09-17

by MRS. r. BURKE COLLINS

BY MRS. r. BURKE COLLINS
A dreary, desolate shore, stretching
down to "A dreary, desolate sea. Over
head, a gray sky with tiny track of
dull crimson in the west, to mark
which way the sun had gone, while
from behind dun cloud one bright
star peeped shyly. A slight breezs
rufiied the gray waves, and up and
down the long strip of sandy beach !
paced slowly, my head bent, and my
hands folded, waiting. All, God ! Isl
there anything on earth one half so
dreadful AS TO wait, and look, and long
for that which never comes? To.mor
row he was goinr-going away The
waves seemed to repeat the words az
they crawled up the beach the wind
seemed 10 moan il In my ears with
hooking glee. Goiug away Heaven
help me it was iks, tearing the heart
from ny body to give him up
Arthur Langdon and | had been
betrothed for only few wesks WAS
poor, and but for mother would have
been quite alone in the world and AZ
Arthur was not yet in the position
which he coveted, We decided to wait
/ for a time Then came al offer of a |
lucrative position in a distant State
and-and to- morrow he was going. He
had begged me to meet him AZ our Old
TRUSTING. place upon the beach, for a
last good. bye, as the train would leave
very early in the morning.
Upaud down 1 paced, my eyes strain
ed to catch glimpse ofthe well known
figure. The moments flew by dark
ness spread it's black wings over the
gray earth he would not come now
and, oh, Heaven he would be gone
What did it mean D? Only yesterday
he had loved me, and now-he was
going to leave me without even the
Ipoor satisfaction OF farewell word. u
pondered the matter until l was half
wild with grief Then, woman-like, l
gathered the forces of my pride about
me and resolved to suffer in silence. /
could die and make no signs. SO l re-
turned home and went about the house
iquietly, attending to my usual house
hold duties ; and mother never knew.
Then next morning one of the neigh
bors coming in spoke of Arthur Lang
don 8 departure. | realized then that
: was deserted. After that the days
that came and went seemed like
dreams to me. But l worked hard and
did my duty and although my heart
lay like n stone in my bosom, and at
times the loneliness and desolation
! seemed more than could bear, l got
through life somehow. Aud 50 time
| drifted away until year had gone.
Then the awful silence which lay be-
tween Arthur Langdon and l was
broken by the news of his marriage.
; There was no doubt about it; no hope
that the rumor might prove mistake.
, Arthur himself had written to friend,
|. and there was the announcement !:
=" On Tuesday next l am to lead to
the altar Miss Halter, the daughter
; of my employer" / understood then.
q 1t was gold for which he had bar
tered our happiness, and in one year &
/ time he had forgotten my very exis-
tence.
= think the suffering that l endured
: VIII en- all this came home to my heart
s cannot be eclipsed by the torments OF
i. the Inferno" There had always
It been hope, or the ghost of hope,
heretofore always tiny crevice
nj Through which might creep some ex.
:. cuse for HIS strange and objectionable
II conduct. We women are so ready tC
forgive the man we love. Perhaps If We
" were not 80 ready there would be fewer
y cases in the world of broken lives. Not
broken hearts,-for it is only in novels
that hearts break and die, or " broken
+ ly live on, but shattered lives ruin
y ed, blackened, distorted, where thu
II simeon of sorrow, injustice, misunder
ID standing, has passed over them. 1t il
d. 80 easy TO break heart, or life, ant
so difficult to repair the wrong that Il
EI done And so my dream was shatter
1t ed, my last hope was dead, and til
. ghost laid henceforth, my way la.
through darkness, alone.
II. nalx La IA.
desolate, gray sea grew horrible to me
1t seemed TO me, II / remained Their
longer, | should die. 1 begged an'
pleaded with my mother TO remove to
neighboring city, where l might obtail
employment. She, frightened at my pal
face, and the detection which l coul'
not altogether overcome, consented q
last, 1 obtained employment Is libra
Is rian In circulating library In the city
4 easy, congenial occupation, with
~ salary quite sufficient for our needs
a So we removed to the city, rented
cheap cottage, and l went bravely I
8. work. threw my whole soul into th
M task before me, undertaking 1t, at FRS
~ with the determination TO fight dow
m my sorrow and forget 1t, and at last
, grew to love my work.
"a And all this time my mother new
=. knew-never dreamed the truth
~ though she had been greatly surprise
q. at the announcement of Arthur's ma
riage, which we afterwards read In Il
al newspapers and she intuitively d
n vined that something was wrong. B'
W. she asked no questions and l new
It. mentioned his name.
.uj So five long years passed sowly
LII was twenty six now, and had oecon
20, quite a book worm. Mr.. Lee, the own'
of the library, grew into the habit I
-St bringing to my notice any rare or pa
ticularly interesting work that came
p his way, declaring that l thorough
va appreciated abstruse productions. Al
30 it came to pass one morning, as
ID stood at the long row of shelves In
ldingy little den at the back OF u
,eClbuliding, he directed my attention TO
Cd box of books and magazines, Whit
GU had lust arrived. Second hand book
We land very va!uable," the old man erie
wv lgleefully-for he dotted upon autiquitie
I !" You will please look them over, MI
,ot Dorothy, and arrange them to 20
io' taste Old-old books - he went o
is handling the volumes almost lovingl
las he lifted them from the receptdc
up jupon the floor; "here are old volum
OF the Rambler and Spectacular
me my glasses, Miss Dorothy. please
=! l want to look them over. Why, cnil
what is the matter p"
had picked up q copy of Sart
lResart,,s :" the title of the book hi