The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-04-15

fectionate excuses. II was piteous /
little tale. even rs she told tia tale of |
hope growing stronger every day, till |
in one hour IL was crushed, rs flower /
Is crushed under foot. Then came peni- |
teuce, contrition, shame. and the ever |
recurring VOWS of amendment. And |
with them hope sprung airesh and |
bluomed for awhile-only to he cut /
down ms ruthlessly rs before. And so
on for years. ever the same weary round, ]
and although she told inc not, ever the
same loving care, the same jealous re-
solve to shield her mothers sin from
the vulgar gaze. II was hard burden
for girl to bear. For this she gave up
the hope of being Johns wife She
would not leave her mother TO perish,
and would not injure John, as she
shrewdly feared might be the case If
she subjected him 10 the scandal If hay
ing muther-iu-law of Mrs. Dorvaux's
disposition living with him. Knowing
as | know the delicate susceptihilities
of patients In a place like Dalcbury, in
my heart thought Fleuretle was right.
"And why did you leave Dalel uryY |
asked. when she had finished her recital.
mamma as-ill-there; 80 i'll. was
obliged to send for adoctor-and fear
ed people might learn the cause"
So that was why DIR. Bush had been
called instead of John.
"Then we came to London" she con
tinucd. London is SO large, | thought
we ight hide ourselves here"
"llow often do these-these attacks
show themselves" ! asked.
Sometimes not for months; some
times twice month. Oh. do you think
she can ever he curedy She has been 50
good. 80 good for such long time! If
/ had not gone out to-day, this might
lNssN IL
servant died some months ago, and |
could not trust the new one, or she
might have prevented 1t. Doyou think
she can be curcdy'
shook my head. | knew too well
that when u woman of Mrs. DorvauXs
age has these periodical irresistible
cravings after stmulants the case is
well-nigh hopeless. Missionaries, clergy
men, and phlanthropists tell MS pleas
ing and comforting tales of marvellous
reformations, but medical men know
the sad truth.
| was so Indignant ut the sacrifice of
young girls life, that, had | spoken
my true thoughts, | should have said,
Leave the brandy-bottle always full,
always near at hand, so that" Well,
l won't be too hard on Fleurette's moth
er. She must have had some good in
her, for the girl To have loved her so.
We had, rs yet, said nothing about
John. That was to come.
"Fleurettc, shall write to John to-
night. What shall | tell himr"
Her black eyelashes were now only
visible.
what can you tell him2 You prom
ised TO guard my secret"
81 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 to see him;
and perhaps" she added, with n falter-
ing voice, "he doesn't care to hear any
thing about me now"
All, Fleurettel after all, on some
points you are only Il weak woman.
The next day begged leave of alb
sence from my partner and patients,
and ran down to Dalcbury to tell John
the news.
Yet had little enough to tell him. |
was in honor bound 10 guard the girls
secret: SO all could say was, | had
found her again, that she was rs be-
| witching as ever. and, | believed. loved
him still. could add that now | knew
the reason why she could not come to
him, and | was compelled to own il was
wcighty one-an obstacle which
could give no hope would be removed
for many years. lie must he content
with that; it was all the news, all the
hope | had to give him.
Every WELL" said John, with sigh
AZ must wait. All things come to In,
man who waits; so perhaps FleurettC
will come to me at last"
Now that had found Fleurette, you
may be sure that | was not going to lost
sight of her again. was very grieVeC
to learn that hermOther circumstances
were not so good as of old. Some Tasca
who possessed the widows conlidenc,
had decamped with a large sum o
money. Our Fleurette eked out thei
now scanty income by painting on china
and very Cleverly the girl copied TN
birds and flowers on the white plates
She never complained, but to me it wa
more than veXatious to think that Their
was a good home waiting for her If he
mothers faults would allow her to nc
cept IL. Now and again | would Civ
John tidings of her. lie never sough
her, being far too proud to come to he
until she sent for him; and as in TIN
course of the next twelve months tn
unhappy Mrs. DOryauX experiences
three or four relapses, could see littl
chance of John ever getting the mes
sage for which he waited. | begge
Fleurette to persuade her mother to en-
ter n home for inebrates, but the gil
would not even breach the subject I
her; so here was youth drifting ava
from John and Fleurette-kept apaI
for the sake of wretched woman, an
was powerless to mend matters.
But did John and Fleurette ever maj
ryp You see, this is not n romano,
only little tale of real life, and, a
such, the only way out Of the deadloc
was sad and prosaic one-a way fo
which poor Fleurette could not eve
wish. Reformation, ! say, as medici
man, was out of the question.
hope Fleurette will not read thes
,, pages, in which am compelled to e.
press my true feelings by saying that,
short time after year had expire'
Mrs. Dorvaux was Obligng enough
die. say "obliging" advisedly, for 50
3 though il be to think so, her death mac
three people happy; indeed, as her Iii
= was so miserable to her. it may be
Y should have said four. Fleurette mourl
r ed her sincerely; all her faults wei
: buried in her grave, and left to be TO
7 gotten. Two months after her death
r wrote to John, babe him come to tow
+ and without even warning Fleurett
r sent him to see her. Then he -four
: that all things do indeed come to Il
g man who can wait-even the love In
= seemed so hopeless and far away.
j. don't think John ever knew, or, u
r less he reads il here, ever will kno'
d him aud stunned him for so long.
n knows from what | told him, that
g was noble, self-sacrlicing, and W
a manly motive led her TO reject his 10y
and is content with knowing this.
n feels the subject must be ever paint