The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-06-17

age mas these perloolcaf irreslsrlnle
( cravings after stimulants. the ease is
wen-Dlgh hopeless. Missionaries. clergy
men, and phllanthTopIsts tell ms pleas
I ing and comforting tales of marvellous
reformations, but medical men know
+ the sad truth.
/ was so indignant at the sacrifice of
young girls life, that, had | spoken
my true thoughts, l should have said.
| Leave the brandy-bottle always full.
| always near at hand. so that" Well,
/ won [ be too hard on Fleurette' 5 moth
| er. She must have had some good in
/ her. for the girl to have loved her so.
We had, as Yet. said nothing about
| John. That was to come.
-Fleurette, | shall write TO John to-
night. What shall | tell him.
Her black eyelashes were now only
visible.
What can you tell him2 You prom
iSed 10 guard my secret
L shall. at least, tell him have found
you, and then he must take his own
course"
"Oh. don't let him come here" plead
ed the girl. Il could not bear 10 see him:
and perhaps" she added. with a falter-
ing voice, ~he doesn't care TO hear any
thing about me now"
All. Fleurette, after all, on some
points you are only weak woman.
The next day | begged leave of alb
Sence from my partner and patients.
and ran down TO Dalebury TO tell John
the news.
Yet l had little enough to tell him. 1
was in honor bound TO guard the girls
secret; so all | could say was. l had
found her again, that she was as be
wltchlng as ever. and. | believed. loved
- I 1 - !
the reason why she could not come to
him, and | was compelled TO Own il was
a weighty one-an obstacle which
could give no hope would be removed
for many years. He must be content
with that; it was all the news, all the
hope | had to give him.
Very WELL said John. with a sigh.
Il must wait. All things come to the
man who waits; 50 perhaps Fleurette
will come to me at last
Now that had found Fleurette. YOU
may be sure that | was snot going To lose
sight of her again. | was very grieved
TO learn that her mother S circumstances
were not so good as of old. Some rascal
who possessed the widows confidence
had decamped with a large sum of
money. Our Fleurette eked out their
now scanty income by painting on china.
and very cleverly the girl copied the
birds and flowers on the white plates.
She never complained, but to me it was
more than veXatious to think that there
was good home waiting for her if her
mother faults would allow her to ac-
cept It. Now and again | would give
John tidingS of her. He never sought
her. being far too proud to come TO her
until she sent for him: and rs in the
course of the next twelve months the
unhappy Mrs. DorvauX experienced
three or four relapses, / could see little
chance of John ever getting the mes
sage for which he waited. / begged
Fleurette to persuade her mother to en-
ter home for inebriates. but the girl
would not even broach the subject to
her; SO here was youth drifting away
from John and Fleurette-kept apart
for the sake of a wretched woman. and
L was powerless to mend matters.
But did John and Fleurette ever mar
~? You see, this is not a romance.
only little tale of real life, and, as
such, the only way out of the deadlock
was sad and prosaic one-a way for
which poor Fleurette could not even
wish. Reformation, say, as a medical
man .>was out of the question.
| hope Fleurette viii not read these
pages, IN which ! am compelled to eX-
press my true feelings by saying that. a
short time after a year had expired
Mrs. DorvauX was obhging enough to
die. | say "obliging" advisedly. for sad
though 1t be to think SO, her death made
three people happy; indeed as her life
was so miserable to her, it may be |
should have said four. Fleurette mourn
ed her sincerely; all her faults were
buried in her grave, and left to be for
gotten. Two months after her death |
wrote to John, bade him come TO town,
and without even warning Eleurette
sent him to see her. Then he found
that all things do indeed come to the
man who can wait-even the love that
seemed so hopeless and far away.
| don't think John ever knew. or. un-
less he reads it here, ever will know,
the true reason why Fleurette refused
him and stunned him for 50 long. He
knows from what ! told him, that it
was noble, self-sacrilicing. and wo-
manly motive led her to reject his love.
and is content with knowing this. He
feels the subject must be ever painful
to his bright little wife. and has never
caused her pretty eyes to grow dim by
asking for an explanation. There is no
sadness now with Fleurette. She lights
up that old red-brick house; she is the
life of Dalebury, and moreover, the one
woman against whom Dalebury says
little or nothing.
The last time | was down there !
rowed Fleurette a long way up the shall
low stream. Not only Fleurette. but a
couple of children as dark-eyed,
bOnny boys, who chatter in French and
English indiscriminately. AS we pass
ed the spot where the aquatic escapade
took place, | turned with a smile to my
sister; but before ! could speak, she
said beseechingly:
are always sad. The present is happy,
the future promises fair-let us forget"
And as she spoke for moment saw
the sad eyes of the Fleurette of old ddays.
Old memories are soTrowful-let them
die!