The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-15


[ os oil sad words of tongue or pen,
M saddest are these: 1t might have been.
4N Whittier.
Late Monday afternoon Mr.. and Mrs
Woodbury. walked over to see the Morrisses,
who had returned to the city that morning.
FIorine, fearing she might meet Virgil, and
Failing UNEQUAL to such a meeting, declined
to accompany the lady and her husband
Shortly after their departure for the tobac-
conist's. the girl went out on the front
porch The mental suffering through
rs which she had passed had wrought a sad
rbarqe in her looks She had become
greatIy reduced in flesh; sickly pallor had
chased the hue of health from her face; her
checks had lost their plumpness; her eyes
81 their brilliancy, and in their inky depths
bsd settled sad, pitiful expression which
would have touched the coolest heart. For
three months she had not experienced mo-
ment's happiness Oh, the long, weary
81 davs and the anxious sleepleSs nights the
a c;etv had afforded her no enjoyment. The
inare of the man she loved had ever been
81 before her mind Her whole heart had
"a been with him in his sufferings. Nothing
| would have given her greater pleasure than
& 10 have gone to him, and watched day and
night by his bed; but pride had held her
81 bacl-his words, Il loathe you,n rang con-
Al tinually in her ears. Outside of her uncle's
and her own household she received but lit
tie sympathy. If she went out upon the
street-and that she seldom did-her feelings
were sure to be wounded by a light, cut
ting remark from the lips of some rude pc
des,rian.
III The news of Virgil's return to the city
greatly depressed her. If he were to be to
~ Fer in the future only a stranger or a mere
acquaintance, she felt that his presence in
81 Richmond would be very painful to her.
She reproached herself severely for having
81 50 far compromised her pride as to write to
him and more than once since she had
81 mailed the letter she had blushed with
8 shame.
She had Just seated herself on one of the
81 iron benches in the porch when the opening
of the gate caused her to glance toward the
& street She started and placed her hand
overher heart as if to silence its wild beating.
Virgil, roster and f1eshier than she had ever
seen him, was coming up the walk. A sec
81 Ond later he was standing before her.
"Florinen
He did not speak harshly. He could
& not have spoken more gently. A thrill of
4 delight ran through her being. She arose
and held out her hand, saving:
Good evening, Virgil. II am glad to
& zee you-glad to see you looking so we'll
Thank YOU ne replied, as he warmly
shook the extended hand, and then his eyes
took a hurried survey of her sallow, ema-
ciated face, from which the roses of health
had faded. Was the thin. hollow-cheek,
sNd-eyed woman standing before him the
beautiful and queenly Florine Morriss, who
but five months ago had returned from Eu
rope! He shuddered at the change, but he
made no comment on her appearance He
was too much of gentleman to wound her
feelings by any such allusion He knew she
was aware of the change in her looks as well
as himself
"Florine, sit down. please" he said, at
length, Il wish to speak with you"
She obeyed, and then he seated himself on
the bench beside her.
It received your letter Saturday." he
aid:
And you are willing to forgive all and
love me again" she cried, eagerly.
A look of inexpressible pain drifted over
his face. The duty he had come to perform
was far more painful than he had aEtici
pated. He knew now that she truly loved
hlm-that she had never flirted with him,
end, oh, how his noble heart was panied as
TINS truth dawned upon his mind. Yet sym
pathy was all he could give her. His old
passion for her was dead-dead as the flow
erS that lay blighted out in the yard by the
frosty breath of autumn.
florlne, you ask me in your letter to
forgive you" he said at length. 81 cheer
luiiy do so. If | could not forgive, would
consider myself neither Christian nor a
man When smarting under some injus-
uce or insult, we feel at the time that we
can never forgive the offender; but when
we kneel before God TO obtain forgivness
lot the oifenses we have committed against
MN, our malice toward our fellow crea-
lures passes away, and we realize then how
cohtemptlble such feelings are. When you
confessed to ME in the presence of Marvin
now dishonorably you had acted in promis-
ing to become my wife while you were al
ready betrothed to him, | fairly hated
you as told you, and had you not been
woman | think should have struck you in
my anger. But, thank God, my anger is
HeeClng. With all my weaknesses, | can
forgive. When | returned to con-
sS,ousness the day after the duel, and
tHearhed that God had preserved my soul
IRON the sin of murder, my malice toward
you and Marvin instantly disappeared, and
maj na'i either of you been in my presence |
could have held out my hand in token of
my forgiveness"
ne ne paused; then, with a sigh, continued:
- on ask also that you may be to me
"nat you once We're Oh, Florine, | will
TIe your friend; but more than friendship
cannot give you. The tie which bound
our hearts together once is forever severed.
VI, IN PLAIN language, my love for you is
uead, and can never be revivedm
lie turned and looked toward the street,
anu after a few moments of painful silence,
he abruptly said:
how is your mother, Florine"
,,,. She is not well, ;" the poor girl answered
with faltering voice.
May see herg'
Phirsn " 'Oi' "A '' o''N-0
Florine said:
Pauline is looking well, isn't she?"
the city, AVA ''''0 '--0 e'''' w.
., a lew more words were exchanged, and
S SGen' glad to escape, Virgil bowed and took
r MS departure. He never looked upon Flo
tihe Morriss againl
~; "A Few days after his return TO Richmond
rrIrigll received letter from his friend in
~; oSiumbus, expressing unbouDded delight at
DS proposing to remove to the latter city.