Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-10-14

No man in your station should so far
humble and forget himself as to offer
honorable love to peasants daughter.
end there is at least one peasants
daughter who will not suffer herself to
be made the toy and wanton OF even
roval lover. Go back to your family,
your friends, and your art. and leave me
where am and what / ana peasant 8
daughter and grape strpper."
mo other woman shall ever be my
wife,I swear" he exclaimed impetuously
al offer YOU honorable marriage and the
frs, love of nv life. Family. art. every
thing should be put aside for you, were il
necessary, but it is not. My family will
receive nv wife without criticism. be she
peasant or princess, and you will do my
race credit. You will be the inspira-
ton which will make me glorify my art,
| if glorified BY me it ever is. Once more
ask you to be my wife"
"And once more must l decline the
honor you offer me. do not forget my
lowliness now, and neither will you for
get it in the DAYS to come-when the
mention of it would CRATE harshly upon
my ears. Then, too, woman should
| love the man whose name and hand she
accepts"
You care nothing for me, then?"
"How strangely you ask that question.
do not understand you.'
81 saw you write my name in the sand
one night, and it made me hope that you
at least sometimes thought OF me-"
For moment her face softened and her
eyes glistened more kindly. But she soon
controlled herself and answered him as
coldlv as ever.
"A woman writes the name of the man
she loves in her heart-not in the treach-
erous and ever-shifting sand"
You are willing, then, to blight my
| life and blast my hopes" he cried. "Oh,
God If could only move you to compass
SION"
She stopped and faced him.
"If you are really so much in earnest
she said, CLOVER yourself to my level. Put
off your gentleman's dress for the peas
ants blouse. Toll in the vineyard as do,
and when the vintage is done, if you are
still faithful, will be your wife. That
will make me safe, and no one can ever
then taunt the wife with doing that which
the husband has not also DONE"
81 will do it," he said, kneeling at her
feet and kissing her hand as if she were
some great lady.
He kept his word. All through the vim
tage he worked as if he had never known
any other sphere in life. Lucette never
gave him one smile or kiss through all his
long period of probation, and the brave
Casaban never once murmured against her
GOODNESS, or the tasks which she had i'm
posed.
One day they came to her with dreadful
news. A vicious horse had bitten Casaban
in the throat and be was dying. With a
face stamped with pam and anguish she
sought him. His eyes frightened as she
flung herself on her knees beside him and
took his head upon her bosom.
"You love me?" he whispered.
"Yes" she cried land yet have sac
rificed your life ~
IL die happy" he said, with smile.
The peasants, awed and hushed, stood
around them with bare heads. They saw
the color of death come into Casaban's
face. but still his head rested upon Luz
cette's bosom. After little while her
father bent over her, but he recoiled with
a cry of horror. The other peasants then
pressed forward and shuddered, for they
saw dead woman with her dead lover
clasped in her arms.