Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1890-02-08

0vilS. uiu eOi found this pace, and
here We have lived for many years, hap
pfly enough, and perhaps not without
Uoing good In our generation, but still
In . way unnatural to our race and
status Al first I thought that l would
let my daughter grow up In u state Of
complete ignorance, that she should be
natures child. Bat as time went ON, I
saw the folly and H., wickedness OF my
plan. I had no right to degrade her to
tho level Of the savages around me, for
II the fruit of the tree OF knowledge Is a
bitter fruit. still II teaches good from
evil. So educated her as well as was
able, till in the end knew that In mind,
as in body, she was in no way inferior
to her sisters, the children of the civil
tsed world.
She grew up and entered into woman.
hood, and then Il came into my mins
that was doing her bitter wrong. that
! was separating her from her kind and
keeping her In a wilderness where she
could find neither mate nor companion.
But though knew this, could not yet
mako up my mind to return to active
life; had grown to love this place.
dreaded TO return into the world had
abjured. Again and again put my
resolutions aside. Then at the COM
mencement Of this year fell III. For a
while l waited, hoping that might get
better, but at last realized that should
never get better, that the hand Of death
was upon me-"
"Ah, no, father, not thatr' Stella said,
with cry.
"Yes, love, that, and IL Is true. Now
you will be able to forget our separation
In the happiness Of new meeting" and
he glanced ut me and smiled "Well
when this knowledge came home to me.
determined to abandon this place and
trek for the coast, though we'll knew
that the journey would kill me. should
never live to reach II. But Stella would.
and 1t would be better than leaving her
here alone with savages in tho wilder
ness. On the very day that had made
up my mind to take this step Stella
found you dying In the bad lands, Allan
Quatermain, and brought you here. She
brought you, of all men In the world,
you, whose father had been my dearest
friend, and who once with your baby
hands had saved her life from fire, that
she might live to save yours from thirst.
At the time ! said little, but saw the
hand Of Providence in this, and deter.
mined to wait and SEQ what came about
between you. At the worst, II nothing
came about, soon learned that I could
trust you to see her safely TO the coast
after was gone. But many days ago l
knew how 1t stood between you, and
now things have come about as prayed
they might. God bless you both, my
children; may you be happy in your
love; may it endure till death and be.
yond It. God bless you both," and he
stretched out his hand toward me.
took 1t, and Stella kissed him.
Presently he spoke again:
ut is my Intention he said, "if you
two consent, to marry you next Sunday.
wish to do so soon, for l do not know
how much longer will DO allowed to me.
believe that such ceremony, solcmnly
celebrated and entered into before wit.
nesses, will, under the circumstances, be
perfectly legal; but Of course you win
repeat it with every formality the first
moment IL lies in your power to do SO.
And now, there is one more thing: when
l left England my fortunes were I'm u
shattered condition; In the course OF years
they have recovered themselves, the nc.
cumulated rents, rs heard but recently,
when the wagons last returned from
Port Natal, have sufficed to pay of al.
charges, and there is considerable bal
ance over. Consequently you will not
marry on nothing, for of course you,
Stella, are my heiress, and I wish tc
make a stipulation. II Is this. That sc
soon as my death occurs you shall leave
this place and take the first opportunity
of returning to England. / do mol
ask you to live there always: II might
prove too much for people reared in tho
wilds, as both of you have been; but
do ask you to make it your permanent
home. DO you consent and promise lhis?r
~ do" answered.
"And 60 do !, said Stella.
Every well" he answered; "and now
! am tired out. Again God bless you
both, and good night"