Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1889-11-27
struction Rut t called nllilosonhv ma

not com iorteti; that is, after knew Nav
was irrevocably welded.
Two months passed. / deemed N.Y.
self sufficiently fortified with good reso-
lutlons to return once more to my
chosen pace ofresidence. It was high
noon when / drove up the principal
street A carriage dashed by me-a
light vehicle. In another moment it
had turned, and Frederick, Nays bus
drew in my horse. My friends face
denoted anguish, intense and concen-
trated.
'For Gods sake. DIR. Lane, my early
friend, do not stop till you reach DIR.
Kendall's! My May lies there-sick-
dyingp' he gasped.
How ashy and pale he was My face
bla ched. felt a singular tremor. He
dashed ahead, neither speaking; and in
fifteen minutes | stood 10y the couch of
the young bride. That was an awful
hour. At its close, I pressed her white
eyelids over her dull, glazed eyes. All,
Heaven thought l. kneeing with an
aching heart, can such beauty be dead
And still, after all, there was triumph
in the feeling-triumph until / beheld
the awful grief ofthe bereaved husband
saw the big drops bead like blood his
him from the grasp OF despair, clasping
her to mis- bosom-kissing the white lips,
the whittier cheeks, even the gold locks
that ay damp and uncurled over her
shoulders.
And, when / left that house of
mourning, was it not strange, the calm
ness L felt settling over my spirits?
Could this thought, even in the faintest
tracery, pass through my mind at such a
time? We'll, she is not mine; and
neither is she his. I am G. d that, as
she could not be mine only none but
death can claim her now"
fear, had conscience rightly applied
her touch, she might have read those
scathing words written on the crimson
portals of my heart.
The next day | went over to be pres
ent at the funeral service, and still I
felt that sorrowful happiness. Poor
Frederick was at times raving, then
stupid with his great grief. The
mourners ssembled; the beautiful
dead lay robed in satin in her coffin; al
ready the large parlor was filed with
weeping friends. / took my station at
the head of the corpse. With unutter-
able tenderness, yet without a tear, |
gaZed upon that heavenly countenance.
1t looked not like stern death, but soft
and smiling slumber. there were all
her young companions present, village
maidens, robed in white, whose silvery
voice Joined in a simple funeral song.
But, oh how those voices wavered,
trembled, until tears and sobs
che ked out their music. and one
heartrending wall sounded
through the room.
At last the hoarv- headed man of God
10 T
SO mournfully tender, so simple, SO
powerful. How gently he spoke of her
youth and goodness; the circumstances
under which God was pleased to call
her, just, as it were, standing on the
Threshold of her happy life, and look
ing toward the rose-colored future
[ still kept my place at the head of the
coffin. My eyes, full of tears now,
never moved from that holy face.
Was it fancy? l thought the dear
features were dim. My sight was fail
ing, or-I bent closer to the corpse;
drew back, wiped my eyes, looked
again. God of mercy God of COM
passion! What sent a wild shock
through my frame, and struck my brain
as with a wand of fire | reeled. I
moisture on the glass-moisture that,
when / applied my sleeve, would not
come off-moisture upon the inside of
the glass. AS was customary, every
face was bowed toward the earth in
prayer. What must | do? There were
fearful risks to run. My knees trem-
bled and knocked to ether; my heart
beat against my side till my body
rocked like pendulum. The voice of
the pastor whistled in my ear. Each
was an hour; and yet-the con-
hlct-the horrible temptation warning
with my better nature came again. It
was awful awful! IF / kept my ST.
lence she was still the bride of death;
and as much mine as another's; if |
spoke she was again the wife of my
rival
dare not recall some of my emotions
when that fendish temptation beset
me, and whispered me to let the dark
grave claim me, if might not.
The pefspiration welled up from ev-
cry pore but the agony was passed.
could have throttled the old pastor that
he did not cease, yet l feared for the
life of the poor husband should he
know the truth too suddenly. There
was tingling from my head to my fin
gers ends. | shook like an open leaf.
''Amenp' On, how I thanked God
for that sound | chung to the coffin
for one moment, weak and helpless as
an infant. The chief mourners were
called first, that they might be spared
the shock OF beholding the dear one
borne out before their eyes. The poor
husband tottered out, supported on each
side. What were my feelings as he
passed me Next moment the sobbing
mother. Now was my time.
"Quick friends ne1ghbors /
"call the sexton +! Now, man,
off with the coffin lid For Gods sake,
delay not She is not dead %
| rather shrieked than said the last
words.
The change that came over that as
semblyl Many swooned awav-a crowd
rushed to the coffin-I pressed them
back-the hand of the undertaken
rembled-screw after screw fell rat
thing to the foor-my heart beat dull
and heavy with the excitement of hope
and fear.
The coffin top was thrown aside. In
my arms bore the fair creature to a
couch. AS returned for moment I
saw her only sister-a girl of 16-stand-
ing as if rivlted to the floor, her cheeks