Year: 1860

!


story of love affair which has deeply


but will hardly be credited BY persons who


do not believe in supernatural apparitions
However here is the story in as few words
as poss'l le:


/ Charles R, born in q wealthy family
Of merchants. and an orphan from his child
hood, had been brought up at his unele's
with a cousin, whose beauty, sweetness and


graces, never failed to produce a lasting i'm


preston on all persons of her acquaintance


1t is consequently not at all surprising that
/, mate society, should have fallen deeply in


love with such a fascinating cousin. Nor


vas his love unrequitted; for, when proper


time came, she decided with the consent OF


her family, that their marriage should take


place as soon as he was twenty years Of age.


just about that time. his uncle having re-


ceived from Calcutta the news of the failure
Of a house with which he was carrying on
an extensive business, sent the young


Charles to that distant part to effect a liqui-
dation. The marriage was necessarily post
poned, and the young lover left Marseilies,
promising to write as often as God and the
ocean would allow, and return as soon as
his business was settled.


Four months passed on. and no news
came from the young traveller. His relations.
and more particularly his cousin. began 10
feel uneasy, and were already accusing him
Of neglect. when one unhappy day they read
in the papers Of the total loss of the steam
er on board of which they knew that
Charles had gone. The young Marsellaise
was almost MAD with grief, and after long
and dangerous sickness the poor giIl, dis
heartened, seeing before her nothing but
complete blank, resolved to spend the re-
mainder OF her life in convent. to mourn,
far from the world, for the only man she had
loved. 1t was 10 vain her parents tried to
dissuade her from that resolution All their
entreaties, their misery. their tears, could
not induce her to change her mind, and she
soon entered a convent of Marseiles as
"postulant."


Six months after that fatal day, just as
the time for her to take her vows was ap-
preaching. her family was pleasantly star
tied by letter from their daughter. inform
ing them that she had altered her mind and
wished to go back to hem, to the world, to
pleasure. to happiness. For the last three
nights, she said, she had seen in her dreams
her beloved Charles, entreating her. with
tears in his eyes and the sweetest voice, not
to fulfill her terrible resolution. not to COM
plete q sacrifice which would be the death
of them both For Charles was yet alive
and would soon be back TO keep his sacred
promise and end all her griets The nuns
of the convent had, good humoredy. laugh
ed at her, and tried to persuade her to stay
among them in that quiet retreat. where she
might undisturbed, lament all her life the
dear companion of her youth. But she


L e., - oil fhaty
entreaties she would answer that her be-
trothed would soon be back, and. OF course.
she must be at home to receive him.


Although the parents Of the young "pos
tulant" did Eot believe, any more than the
nuns. that such q strange dream would ever
be realized, they were SO much gladdened
by the letter of their daughter that they
decided not to say one word to undeceive
her. She might go on. from day to day,
hoping all the time for an arrival which
would never take place. aud by little and
little they thought the deep wound of her
heart might be healed.


Accordingly on that very day they went
to the convent, and IN less than one hour
their only child was crossing again the
threshold of the old family mansion. Her
first thought was for her little room, where
she had gathered so ina'iy oear 'oAe"s "u
from her cousin. She fastened
I'D stairs. and went so fast that her delight
ed parents could hardly follow her But
when she was on the landing, whom did she
see standing in the door of that room. so
long shut up! Charles, her affianced. who
looked at her. smiling with happiness. and
opened his arms to clasp her to his bosom.


Il was no longer dream! Charles held
her locked n his arms, kissing her and
minglug his tears with her own. Bat when
he opened his arms again, to receive the ca
resses of her parents. she sunk and drop
ped heavily on the door.


She was dead! dead with surprise and
happiness, dead without us,ering one cry.
without heaving one sigh!