Wichita eagle., 1886-11-05

may Ia.l IN Other hands DuJ yours. cnOke
the outpourinSs OF my poor heart lest other
eyes but yours should read them. "1iy sacred
love to be profaned by being laid open to
scoffers" is a thought that fills mo with dread
The ribald can find a jest il the hottest OF
matters, and TO have your sweet name made
byword by Tao careless would wound me
keenly. But, Of a surety, l shall find some
means Of sending a few words to You, and
perhaps you may hear concerning mo from
my enemies, who make loud boast that
they have crushed and taken prisoner Mont
rose and his army. Therefore, sweet, it's
only farewell for few days that am writ
ing now. Only, Janet, do not fatter your
self with false hopes. There viii be no par
don for me. Nor do desire ono uontrose
doomed to die, l could not wish to live.
Heaven help me if these words seem unloving
to my sweetheart. But my life has proven
so unlike my iu,aginings of it. NY sweets
have become bitter, my golden visions black
realities; all my ends so different from my
beginnings. am too near my death to think
of new possibilities. 1 can but so over tho
events OF my life, and dream Of my Janet!
Sweetheart, fare thee well, and grieve not
nightly over your true lover, u.s.
P. S.-The sun is shining brightly to-day,
Janet, and long for you with consuming
| longing. A little gust of wind, full of tho
| fragrance of the heather, has brought back
to me memories OF you. The glad days we
| spent together among tho heather, sweet! It
maddens me to think OF them How careless
and happy we were, and how bonny you
were! Janet, thoughts of joy, when the soul
is overcast by sorrow, are like the tortures of
hell
Janet, III reviewing those graces in you
that had loved had often been in doubt as
TO what manner of yours pleased me best.
doubt no longer, for know now that loved
your manner most when you bravcd bolts
and bars and the tyranny of my enemies
(whom L fully forgive, even as 1 pray thu
Lord may forgive r,e), and tho churiishness
of rt,de jailels, 50 that you could kiss mo
good-by, sweet
The joy Of it! Janet, you cannot imagine
what this glimpse Of you has boon to me.
Sure am l that thers never b eathcd so
proud a condemned felon, nor one with half
such just reason to rejoice Since Janet--her
fears forgotten-ca,no TO me- in my prison |
cell, what matter letters or aught that my
enemies can urge against me? II all that |
which their malice can invent be chronicled |
aught that is bad since Janet kissed me,
When you entered nay cell perchance you
observed that [ was toEgue-tied, that no
words could force their way to my lips, that
my eyes seemed daZed and could not realize
that it was my dearest mistress standing be-
fore NE. You wero SO pale and wan, love,
your pitiful face has haunted no ever since
Sweet, l an to do; you know it. I swear
to you that death has lost its bitterness since
l have seen you. You cannot imagine how
the thought that L never should sec you more
has pursued me. Night and day, since tie
disastrous day when We lost all, I have
yearned for a glimpse Of you, and yesterday
you gave it to he.
Sweetheart, who was to have been my wife,
if it were not for you should feel right glad
that my short span Of lie is nearly over.
Twenty-siz years only have l lived, and have
already seen the death OF all cared for
fear no death, not even that Oh the scat
fold, but l fear to carry about with Inc into
tho next world that great unassuaged desire
tho desire for you, Janet. | cannot shake it
of; it overpoweTs me. Il will outlast life, nay.
Outlast death. Yea, on tho very Judgment
day twill be you only that viii bring peace
to my tortured soul. Brave heart! You have
suffered so much for me that 1 scarce like TO
lay another Sutfcrance On you. It's a great
boon crave Of yoU-no need to urge you by
telling you It's tho last. 1 know you well,
Janet, and, knowing you, scarce hesitate to
crave this last favor, which, IL it be not too
great, pray you grant.
Janet, viii you sec mo die9
Not in the midst Of the crowd, sweet, but in
some secluded spot, whence, when my last
comes, you viii nlurmur through
your tears "Dear soul! God give him rest
He loved me welli'
To tell you how l love you were impossible;
% make you understand what you have been
% me in sweetness and tenderness since the
irst dag my eyes fell Oh You, equally impos-
ible, and to bid you Good-by most impoS-
ble of the three. For though my pen cease
writing, l shall not cease bidding you fare
veil until the ak sewers my head from my
Body Gf, indeed, am favored so much as to
lie by steel in lieu of rope, though it matters
out little to me}; even then long "good-by'
10 Janet viii be found on my lips by those
who can read such language. Even now
have omitted to give you thanks for your
sweet pleadings il my behas. Twas great
yricf TO think that you should thus humble
yourself for mr. worthless life's sake; yet was
it grief mingled with sweetness, for had you
not bravcd all for mc2 And nothing can hui
initiate You, sweetheart; not even the churl-
sh denial which tho boon you craved met
with from my enemy; but l thank you again
for your courage l love You for it; twas
Il,a You.
The little spriG of rosemary, Janet, still lies
close TO my heart. There will it lie until my
heart beat 10 more; and then, when 1 am
lead, methinks il must blossom out afreSh
from my grave. Was it not a love token from
yous Can such love as ours. or its einblems,
ever die' 1t must be everlasting A little
;tir in my cell tells me they are coming to ,
that l must soon mako ready to
iie-that death viii claim me from Janet
If but die as nobiy rs Montrose died, so
hat my dearest heart, il days to come (Fhen
;he can bear to talk Of it,, viii narrate, her
voice thrilled with pain, and 1 hope little {
pride, how her true lover met his death! You
viii be quite old then, Janet, your soft brown
hair silvcred, your eyes dimned, your voice ]
luaverins, and l shall be everlasting young,
Janet, gone to my death in the fullness of my ]
years. wonder shall have long to wait for s
you, Janet? Are You going to leave me
onely for long, my bride!
Oh! Janet, must now write my last, last ]
words TO You. l feel that l have not lived my s
life quite invain, since it has been given 20 me I
o gain your love. Ny whole being gives you
thanks for the inestimable boon
If your affection. You have sweetened my :
ife, Janet, have even robbed death Of its
bitterness. And / love you with my whole
leart, nor have I ever loved another maid
Ut yen.
can scarce write the word farewell"
Ie.hinl,s it should scorch the papor. See,
sweetheart, have kissed this just here. Lay
your warm Ina o., fha s-lot vl,er, r-,-,e ara