The Grenada gazette., 1888-01-14
STORIES OF A TOPAZ.
Belle Believed the One and jack
the Other.

1hey hau pouSnt music boxes l
Geneva, quaint old silver designs i
Amsterdam, and had picked up some
thing of historic interest in almos
every city Of Europe. When they re
turned to London before sailing hom,
they had q collection of odd trinket
and jewels which was as valuable fo
its historical associations as for its in
trinsic value and more. There wer,
quaint old silver spoons with the head
OF the apostles on the handles, whicl
had been hammered and carved out o
solid silver way back four hundred
years ago, little Chinese gods which il
was believed ante-dated the Chris tian
era, broad silver shoe buckles which
had been worn by some old burgo.
master in Germany who lived three
hundred years ago. curious Jeweled
rings which had been heirlooms for
centuries, and then found their way
into the pawnshops. 1t was colloc.
tion that any tourist would be proud
TO carry back to America, but they
were not yet satisfied. London, the
greatest market for relics of past
age. was still to be ransacked, and n
pilgrimage to Green street and the
neighborhood of the British Museum
was necessary before the mementoes
OF European tour should be parceled
. and packed so as to attract the least
attention in the New York Custom
House.
" One Of these celebrated pawn
shops back of the National Gallery,
which Americans visit with as much
interest almost as the tower, Jack and
his wife found enough to empty their
purses and fill their trunks. but one
little gem with its story was most
precious in their eyes. 1t was topaz,
cut into a prismatic seal and mounted
for a watch-charm. The stone was a
beautiful and valuable one. but the in
scriptions on the faces made it more
valuable in Jacks wife's eyes, which
filled with tears as she read them over
and listened to the story. The first
face was inscribed with tiny forget.
me-not. cut deep enough to bring out
the flower very perfectly in the wax
seal Of a letter. On the second face
was cut the word For" yew tree. n
human eye, and the word "live" Cor
you ! live). The third face was in.
scribed with: Tho lost to sight, to
memoly dear"
The story had been told many times
to those who had admired the stone,
and each time it had been told the
would-be purchasers turned away in
sadness. 1t was not the kind of me-
mento to wear upon your watch chain
and feel iovial or jolly. 1t was like |
taking sprig from wreath of inn
mortolles 10 wear in your button.hole
or a bit of Grape from the hearse that
had carried friend to the last resting
place-a memento to be buried away |
and only looked upon when sad |
thoughts crowded in upon the mind.
Way back in the last century
young noble of England had worn
this beautiful stone as charm to fill |
his life with sunshine as bright and |
golden as was reflected from its triple |
face whenever he looked upon it
When he met and loved the beautiful |
Gwendolin -. one of the proudest |
heiresses in the Kings realm. he said |
the topaz had wrought its charm, and |
on the day Of their betrothal one
face Of the stone was carved with the |
mysterious device Of the yew tree and |
the human eye ('for you Lively. He
did live for her. and for her alone. No |
lover was ever truer. and after mar.
riage no husband more devoted than |
he. Their life was like a dream-full |
Of love, devotion, and beauty. The
Inscription on the seal spoke for both, |
and II they were separated for a day |
his letters came sealed with this holy |
assurance: For you live"
But after few months Of this hap
piness the young husband was called |
to high position in the government
and sent to India on an important
mission. At that time he could not
risk the life Of bis wife in the far
East. nor did his title to one Of the
richest Earldom's in England permit