Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-10-23
THE LOST BRIDE,
A LOVERS HATE.

OR
A LOVERS HATE.
A woman's jealous hate has ruined Cyril
Thorpe's life, and made him a reckless
wanderer over the face of the earth, search
ing vainly for rest. Years before he had
married Mirrah Gay. She was eighteen.
and innocent as a child. The very day of
her marriage, just when about to set out on
her honeymoon, she had disappeared.
The mystery of her departure was cleared,
when letter was discovered in her room,
forged in imitation of his handwriting. The
writer stated that his only object in
marrying her was from pity and not from
love. Many other cruel things was in this
letter calculated to torture such sensitive
mind as Mirrah's and provoke her to run
away in despair.
Cyril was heartbroken at the thought of
his tender young wife wandering helplessly
about the country and took every possible
step to find out where she had gone. But
all his work was in vain.
One day as he was passing through green
country lane he saw a young woman pass
by so much like Mirrah that he was tempt
ed to cry cut
''Mirrah My wife-my darling Don't
leave me now-it is l, don't you know me
1t is Cyril-your husband p'
But she might have been spirit from
some other world for any notice she took of
him, and almost fearing that she was-that
she would disappear as suddenly as she had
come-he followed slowly after her.
But Mirrah did not disappear She kept
steadily on, never pausing or turnin g
around until she came to little cottage on
the edge of wood; and when she entered
by the open door Cyril entered after her.
She was sitting by small table sorting the
violets she had taken from her hat, and she
seemed to neither see nor hear him. An
elderly lady was sitting in wooden chair,
and the crutch that leaned against it told
that she was cripple, for she not rise
to return Cyril's salutation. though she babe
him pleasant good evening and pointed to
another chair near that occupied by Mir
rah.
To his eager words, and the story of his
search for Mirrah and bis relationship to
her, the crippled woman told a short and
simple story in return.
s'She came to us one evening last fall
She wore just such dress as you describe.
I have put it away safe, and you can see it.
She was very pale and red-lookiug, and
her shoes were worn and dusty, as if she
had walked long way-perhaps for days +;
and her eyes were wild and bright, as if
she hadn't slept for a long time. She dldn't
speak to u.s. and we have never heard her
voice; but she came right in and sat down,
and we were joyful to have her. We had
buried our only child few weeks before,
my old man and me, and we were nearly
crazy with grief; and it seemed as if Heav-
en- had sent this girl to take her place. She
has never noticed US or returned our
love the least bit, but we are grateful all
the same, for she saved US from going
mad withi sorrow for our Mary, and now
we've learned to bear our loss with
patience. We thought this poor girl was
dumb, and deaf, too, at first; but after a
while we noticed that she always looked up
and smiled when she heard the birds sing
ing: and sometimes she turned and smiled
on us when we called her name; for we call
ed her Mary, and maybe it sounded like her
own name, sir; you see they re not 80 differ
emit, Mary and Mirrah. Well we called her
Mary and she was as our own child to us;
and she wore our daughters clothes, and
came and went about the house as she
pleased. But we've always felt that she
was only sent for a time, and that by and
by her own would find her and claim her.
We've been prepared for that, and we're
willing. Why didn't we advertise it. or
see anythin' about it in the papers? Why
sir, we never see paper in this lone place,
not once in a month; and if we did, perhaps
we'd have taken no notice. There's nothin'
so selfish as grief, and she seemed sent to
us. But she's done her work here, and
you've found her. We're glad, an we're
willing to have her CO."
And Cyril took his wife home with him;
and at first there seemed little hope that she
would ever be everything but the dumb,
statue-like creature he had found her. But
gradually there came change. Mirrah
spent nearly all her days in the garden
among the flowers and roses she had loved
so we'll; and it was the familiar things about
the house and her mothers voice aud sweet,
anxious face that first stole back into her
heart and mind; and then she took to talk
ing to the flowers and birds when she was
alone, and gradually to the people about her.
Her recovery was very slow, and to the anx-
ious mother and husband it brought almost
as much sorrow as gladness for there was
something very sad in watching the veil
lifting from a mind opc3 SO bright and hap
by. But it did lift at last, and like a cloud
through which the sun has burst at last in
sudden splendor all the past rushed back to
Mirrab, and with cry of piercing joy she
threw herself in her husband arms.
',Cyrill Cyril! Is it you? Am l with
you? Was it all dream, and that letter.
that letter-No, no; did not dream that!
1t is printed on my hearth"
Forget it, my angel. There was not
one word of truth in it, he answered calm
ly, for he saw that the only way was to
speak and quiet her mind at once; for mem.
DRY had awoke at the very point where it
had been lost. ''That letter was written by
wicked woman to part you from me. She
was a woman who said she loved me, but
whom 1 despised. But about. that, my
darling, you must trust me. There are
things a gentleman must not say about a
woman, even when she deserves them. 1t
is enough that 1 never saw the letter till
after you had read it, and if you would have
trusted me enough l could have told you
the same then"-
"Ob, Cyril!-my husband!-can you for
give me? But that cruel letter turned my
brain. did not know what did,"
81 knowit darling. Let us never speak
of it again"
"But it was our wedding day! Can you
forgive me, Cyril?"
"Dearest, this, and all days to come,
shall be our wedding day." And Cyril
Thorpe then kissed his wife on the fair and
blushing face held up to his.
One of tho Brightest Charms
OF a fair face is fine set of teeth. The la
i 1. ELL ~. l. s1 g. Oh