Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1895-10-10

cot, with lively gratitude, if not wit
cheerfulness, and for few moments
their thoughts flowed in correspond
i; ing channel. Soon, however. the eff
fort to avoid the future became more
and more apparent; The conversation
tagged, at length it ceased. 1t be-
came evident that the point to which
Uhe thoughts of both irresistibly
tended could not be avoided in their
words; the exertion was painful, and
could be sustained but by unmeanins
| commonplace, or by emphatic 81.
fence. The pause was but for few
moments; it was broken by Adolph
VINO, deeming further forbearance
useless and unwise, frankly asked his
charge if she had yet formed any
plans for the future, and whether he
| would be allowed to assist in putting
them in execution. A blush at the
vivid recollection of her dependence.
succeeded by a deadly paleness, and
q sob Of deepest intensity, constituted
! the response. She could not summon
words to reply.
| Adolph was pained but not sur
prised. He felt the difficulties of her
position as truly, if not as keenly. as
the sensitive being by his side. But
he felt also that any proffers of as
.slstance, much more any protestations
| of devotion, which might have pre-
| coded this question, would have been
still more embarrassing, beside SEEM
ing to be untimely and obtrusive, in
view of her bereavement and desOla-
ton. Gently urging the subject as
one Of which necessity required the
frank considera ton, he forbore to az
gravate her painful sense of depend
ence by assurances that she would be
most welcome to such a home as his
means might provide her, so long as
she chose to accept it at his hands.
This was sufficiently understood. and
needed not the empty parade of words.
But when at length he had drawn her
to speak of her plans and her hopes,
he was startled and shocked in turn
by their repulsive barrenness. In the
simplicity of his heart, he had
dreamed out for her some scheme tof
life not dissimilar to MS oWn-a situa
ton as teacher, gOverness or, at the
worst, II some Of the more graceful
and delicate mechanical employments
of her SEX, in which the immediate
fl tGre could be passed TRANQUILITY and
~o"tHingly, leaving a bright vista be-
yond, irradiated by Hopes vague but
blissful gleamings. Alas. for none of
these was the maiden fifty qualified,
Her life had been passed in seclusion
from society; the instruction of her
mother had been able TO impart was
meager indeed; and the student was
not long in discovering that her
crushed spirit dared aspire no higher
than to some position in which she
would be allowed to earn the bread of
poverty by unremitting drudgery of
mental toil-and even for this, neither
her failing strength or gentle nature
was calculated to adapt her.
He took her hand in his, while his
frame trembled, and his voice became
at first husky and choked with emo
ton:
Dearest Bertha, be minel be mine
forever! God has willed it!
Let us not distrust His providence.
My home must be a humble one but
with you it will be paradise! Pow
erty and want are the appointed lot
of the scholar; but love can tighten
the heaviest burden and illumine the
loWliest cot. Be mine! and my after
life shall be one intense study to ban
ish care and evil from your lot, until
the past shall seem to your tranquil
and blissful spirit but the phantom of
fearful dream!'
He checked his outpouring rhapsody
for a glance had shown him that the
maiden was unconscious. Recovering
from her swOOn she broke the silence,
as soon as her strength permitted:
'My preserver! l am yours forever!
Heaven sent you to deliver me from
fate more horrible than death! May
It's mercy have granted you to be my
guide and my guardian through life!
am yours in all honor forever.'
Adolph resumed his studies with
calmness aud assiduity, if not with the
enthusiasm of his earlier devotion
Bertha gave her best energies alike to
book and toll; and Adolph had no rea-
son to complain of her proficiency in
the former, however he might have
wished that the lessons which pertain
to childhood had not been deferred to
this period Yet it was not long be-
fore the student began to feel a pain
full suspicion that all was not as it
should be-to suspect and accuse him
self of adoring his betrothed with less
intensity than he ought. Even before
a single month of their engagement
had passed, he had learned to feel far
less than rapture in her presence
less than misery when absent from her
side. His visits were neither fire.
quent nor protracted; yet the CONVEX
sation often tagged for want of
topics of mutual appreciation and in
terest. The silence of a few moments
was succeeded by a feeling of con-
straint.
Il hear you are to be married, my
son?' was the well-meant interroga-
tory of the professor, as soon as his
greeting had been returned.
'You hear truly, l believe" said
Adolph, coloring.
And to a young, unaducated
/ peasant girl, from a secluded hamlet,
whom you have known but these two
months ?"
, Neither is that unlike the truth"