Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1888-06-30

dictate, Agnes was induced to take
up her permanent abode at sunny
side.o as their much-loved and hon
ored adopted daughter.
rs it not better so?' sue reason
ed my dear mamma is now no
more. tue home Of my childhood has
passed into the hands of strangers,
and. although | am welcomed by my
nearest remaining relative it is hard
for ME to brook the frivolities of city
life, which / regard as but snares'
nor can | tolerate the platitudes of
the fashionable circles in which my
uncle's family moves. Here | am
surrounded nv friends who have TAX
en- the greatest fancy to me from my
resemblance to their lost child, to
whose declining years | will be
comfort, while my restless spirit has
at last found the desideratum my
soul has so often longed, with an in
tense, earnest, yearning, burning, de
sire which refused to be quenched---
rest, sweet rest And SO it came
that Agnes staid.
The tiny household pet was christ
ened Marguerite, that name so dear
to all. Agnes never tired of fond
ling the little innocent, and anxious
| ly looked forward to the time when
it would learn to prattle its first in
fantile words.
In the interim, how fares it with
DIR. Preston? Immediately after the
interment of all that remained of the
lovely Marguerite, in perfect frenzy
of grief, as though seeking to flee
from the scene where. he had exper-
fenced so much suffering, the discon-
solate husband boarded the first re-
turning. train for Richmond. But
not to enter again his desolate home,
for now, he felt, the light of his life
was forever extinguished, and every
thing would combine to remind him
more forcibly of the departed.
Despair, however, sis never quite
| DESPAIR" and his numerous profess
sional engagements coercing him,
however disinclined, to activity ex-
erted most salutary influence in
mitigating his sorrow.
In the following spring, when the
sanguinary war, between the North
and South, broke out, he enlisted In
| the Confederate ranks as surgeon.
Before his departure however, it is
needless to say, his inclination natur-
ally carried him to "Sunnyside" in
order to visit the child of whose
marvellous growth and beauty he re-
ceived so many glowing accounts I;
nor could he resist the desire to pay
last farewell to the tomb of his
wife.
As soon as the genial warmth OF
spring erased, from hill and dale, all
traces of hoary winter, one of the
chief pleasures of Mrs. Kingsley and
Agnes was their daily visit to the old
churchyard, to keep green the grave
and fresh the flowers Of the deceased
loved one.
| While. Agnes was sojourning in
Washington she was the recipient of
frequent calls from her old admirer,
| Mr.. Hamilton and indeed, when a
week or two after she left the city,
he found it convenient to follow her
to Mr.. Kingsley's, it was generally
rumored that quite a serious GBdlre
Glamour was on hand; but, however
that may be, evidently the old wild
over knew how to bear his disap-
pointment with stoical fortitude, and
not many months later, with little
difficulty, succeeded in persuading a
Southern belle that it would be very
pleasant to be an "old mans darling"
He lived to ga green old age" and
the happiness which rendered golded
the remainder of his life more than
compensated him for the clouds
which cast their shadows upon other
! Iaxre