The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1885-06-03

ihe carriage, which was the thing
That turned the scalein his favor;
he gave her that, and thusful6llsd
his literal promise. "a
He gave her the carriage, but il
stood in the barn for fifty years,
with neyera horse, and never a
ride had she with i'll For ffty
years there was present before her
eyes this constant reminder of d
loving heart tramrled upon-for
Iffty years Mark Halse made her
feel his iron handI
Children came to her, but no
comfort with them; one grew up /, q
miserable drunkard, and another
went out from her tor many years,
returning finally, to settle down at
home, taciturn aud morose. Her
husband died, and this son seemed
alltshe had to live fot, aud, as his
fathers willSwas madeiupl entirely
in his favor, the wretched woman,
who had absolutely no society or
friends, leaned on him forher daily
bread. But in a little while he
died, and all the poor mother could
do was to be thankful she was not
a paupet Meanwhile how read
his willa All, everything, be.
queathed toa wife and son in
South America ofwhose existence
nobody dreamedl IS
By the terms Of the will, the son
was to come North Immediately on
being apprised ofhis fathers death,
take the family name and look
after the property; but not a word
Of the old mother, no care for her
declining years, no love expressed
nothing for her-all as If she were
notl Is it strange after all these
reyerses, and the corroding remorss
Of fifty years, that the poor woman
found,her burden greater than she
could bear?
When she felt her miserable life
drawing to its close, she sent fol
Ernst, and for the first time in all
these years they two stood face Il
facel He with his white locks, bul
still commanding figure, and tine
stern face, was an avenging angel
she with her bent and trembling
form, her wrinkled, careworn face
with its hungry look for human
sympathy, was scarcely the bril-
liant, beautiful girl who had gon,
from her home in her youth anc
!
innocence to bring upon both thei
lives such q terrible consumma
tionl
They gazed at each other withou
a word, till, at length, she spoke
aud the words which rang upon hi
ears came from the depths Of
broken heart. sss
"Ernstl"-the name, the once
loved, still loved name, fingered
upon her lips like a strain Of for
gotten Ernest, can you for
give ms2"
Gently the old lover took he
trembling hand in his, but will
everything of love crushed out 70
all the years; calmly the words fol
on her ears:
"Amy, | cannotl Youruined m!
whole lifel Butfor youttramplinl
out my young heart | should hay,
been a different mani Butforyou
treachery we might have been hap
pyl AS it is, you destroyed m!
faith in women; Icould never trus
anotherI' 8.s.ss,,5
She covered in her misery, ant
putting her poor shrunken hand
over her worn face, she cried:
"Before God, Ernst, | pray 70
your mercy! He. knows how i hav,
suffered, andif ever a poor crimina
expiated his guilt with his heart
blood, | havel Let me feel tha
your just resentment will not fol
low me to the eternal worldlp
! "Amy, let US understand one an
other, Weare both old now. Sine
you and I met in the old, old tim
y" his voice quiyered, and he rails
ed his dewy eyes to heaven-"it /
half a century. But all this fft,
years is but as moment to wha
is to come, i have lived a lionel,
life, without wife or children.
should rather a thousand time
have seen the green sod over you
grave, and felt that you were los
to me because God took you, thar
to have it as it is. But your owl
hand gave the blow, and It wa
your own hand which crushed al
my life. But ifit will be anycom
fort to you to feel that LIDO not hol,
resentment still, then be comforted
Amy, / am willing to leave al
r;th Gndn ua hovod he hood ~,