Union County courier. [volume] (Elk Point, Union County, D.T. [S.D.]) 187?-1913, 1896-08-06
XII.

huida had expected surely to receive
some communication from Olaf Brun,
but weeks pa;e II and months without q
single letter. OF course she could not
believe after his urgent protestations Of
love for her that he included her in tho
resentment which he must naturally
feel toward her mother. She had no
doubt that he had written. but that the
vigilant eyes which now guarded her
had recognized the handwriting, and
that the benevolent despotisn which
had intHrceded so ruthlessly in her fate
had prevented his letters from reaching
her. Knowing the name Of his uncle,
the minister Of state. she addressed two
letters to him in the latter's care, but
received no replies. She poured forth
her soul az q flower exhales its perfume.
with all the sweet eloquence Of q loving
heart. Never for u moment did it occur
to her to doubt his truth. She knew
the hostile powers which bcset him as
well as her, and she fancicd him con-
sumcd by the same tender yearnings,
hopes and desires that agitated her.
Fortified by her beautiful inexpericnce,
she built a castle Of illusions and dwelt
In it patiently. hopefully, nay, almost
happily. Her indomitablo faith in him
was in itself n source of felicity, for it
would have lent sweetness to martyr
dom itself. She woke up every morning
amid the familiar cackling Of hens, low
ing of COWS and voices Of children, but
instead Of leapinR instantly into her
consciousness as formerly the sounds
stole upon her with vague. half won
dering tread and had each time to be
identified aud accounted for. She seem.
ed to herself like a traveller who return
ed from o long journey to tho scenes Of
his childhood. And Magda, who lay ut
her side in her serene, virginia. slumber,
untroubled by sentimental woes, how
she felt from her, how strangely
alienl Did she belong to another and
superior species? There were, to be sure,
times when her sisters maidenly sim.
plicity and the childlike vacuity Of her
sleeping face aroused a tender pity in
her breast, and she would stroke her hair
and kiss her and watch her gradual and
difficult awakening and her relapses rs
soon AZ she was left alone into the land
Of nod. What ages and ages it seemed
since she was herself in this unawaken-
chrysalis state, and how happy she
was that she had escaped from 1t.
Life in the country is apt to move in
q wholesome routine Of duties and
pleasures, which follow each other with
tho regularity Of the seasons and leave
but little time for absorption in senti-
mental suffering. The alternate weeks
in the kitchen as housekeeper which fell
to the lot Of the two eldest daughters Of
Pastor Brinckman appeared q terrible
hardship to Hulda while her SORROW
was yet new. During the first month,
Olaf's departure. she was In .
state Of what I may call @olian sensi-
tiveness. tremulously responsive toevery
.faintest breeze Of emotion. To be-
obliged to weigh out sugar and coffee to
servants and farm laborers, to snperin-
tend the measuring Of the milk and the
husbanding Of the cream for butter
making aud to interest herself in the
Of tho bill Of fare for dinner
seemed while this condition lasted sor-
did and degrading. To don q long white