The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1889-10-25

an embrace before which oven tho an
gel Death must have stood powcrlcss.
And SO they met at last, these two
waits upon the ocean of life, met mover
to part by the grace of God.
In that humble parlor that night
they sat with their arms cntwined,
while the story of that strange sopaca-
'tion was told.
"Your father Clarissa Clifford said,
"had ono fault which marrcd m other
wise noble nature re--jealousy. He WAS
Jealous of me from the first; why,
heaven only knows, for L WAS n fai H.
full wife, and have remained faithful
to his memory over since, as the good
God, WHO has given you back TO me,
is my judge. At last, shortly before
you were born, the crash came. His
easily aroused feelings had Eecn
worked up by his sister, Mrs. Boydrn,
who had ever been my enemy because
my existence threatened to divide the
family estate until he could bear his
unjust suspicious no longer. One
night he burst into my chamber,
swearing that the child boro was none
of his, and commanded me to leave his
presence, and never to look upon his
face again. Overwhelmed with an
guish and despair. l obeycd him; /
went away and you were born among
strangers. Brought almost to ths
brink of the grave, 1 lay. unconscious
for days, and when ] recovered my
senses they had robbed mo of you.
They told me you were dead"
"Poor motherl" sObbed little Oracle;
"what have l suffered in comparison to
you2"
"Then came tho future to face. I
was alone in the world, but | had my
voice and it was we'll trained. Dis
guising myself under the name of
Madame Clarisse, / went to New York,
and gave music lessons until / had
money enough to go to Europe. There
II have remained all these years, until
heaven guided mo home to you, my
ilnrling child"
She drew Gracic closer to her rs sho
uttered the heartfelt words, and pressed
her lips upon the low, sweet brow.
You have heard of fathers death ?"
the girl asked.
"Yes," she answered, with an invol.
untary shuddcr, land he died in ig.
;norance of my innocence, he died with
unforgiveness in his SOUL"
Perhaps not, mother dear"
"Why?'
"I have kept n letter addressed to
you, which came to me in strange
way, which I will explain some day"
IA letter--for mc?"
| tsSar answer, little Grucio drew from
she S1S LEM SSI1oM rnr smoSl1rs mcsE
| :, ..1ding the samc to her mother she
inquired:
DO you know the handwriting
Clarissa Clifford rose from the sofa
] upon which she hal been sitting with
Oracle, and with the envelope between
her hands, approached the table where
on stood the lamp, and there read her
own name scrawled in the uncouth, ill
formed writing.
No, she ssid, after a thoughtful
pause, during which she studied the
supcrscription closely, "to the best of
recollection l have never seen this writ
ing before
Perhaps not. rrjoined Oracle, from
the sofa, while Lawyer Edgar, who had
been an interested auditor of the inter
view between mother and daughter,
Strengthened himself in his chair to
note what was about to be said; at is
quite possible that you may never have
seen the handwriting, mother dear, but
do you recollect n man in the past by
the name of Nicholas Garland?"
ITO DE CoNTINUED.l