Year: 1864

room 2. Oh mol Lkbew her spirit came


to me IN that lonely hour to take a lasl


farewell, to breath parting benedictiou


on my unworthy head


] That ring was her gift. She placed il


on my finger the day after We we're mar
! ried; sad promised her solemnly, with
her earnest brown eyes looking into mine,
that I would never part with 1t in life OF
in death. As I sat there holding it IN
my hand sweet memories Of old times
/ flashed across my mind, ike sudden sun
burst over a darkened landscape.
thought Of the time when I first asked
her to be my Wife-ehild as She vas. It
was not so long ago-only two years; and
they had been such pleasant onesl She
was very young, was Alice, WhenI first
brought her to my hOme-only seyenteoni
and I was her senior in years. Accus-
toned from very early lif; to act and
think for myself, had acquired the habit
Of domination unconsciOusly: and Alice,
with her tiny figure and fair young face,
and, elinging, caressing ways, l never
could think of but as beautiful child, to
be spoiled, and pettcd, and loved, and
governed. Heaven knows how I loved
and cared fyr herl But she bad Beyer
before disobeyed M. Never before had
she so Wouudod-not my love for her,
but my love Of authority.


But my heart was softened now. I
thought of ali her caressing, pretty ways
how she had nurSed me during a long
illness in the past fall-hoW she would
bound into my arms when I came home
every evening; and then I thought how
dreary my home would be without her;
and all the repressed tenderness Of my
nature welledup.


"Poor child /" I murmured, regre'ful-
ly, chow l have made her suffer Twas
harsh, God forgive me- Oh that she
were here now that might take her to
my heart and soothe her into forgetful-
ness, my p or wrOnged darling -


I looked at the clock. The hands
pointed to ten. She never staid out
later.


''She VII soon be here" I said, trust
fully; and then I rang the bell, and
had the fire replenished and the room ar
ranged against her coming. I drew her
favorite chair up into the bright blazo,
and placed my own beside it; then I went
to the window, and looked impatie9tly
down the moonlit avenue. Not coming
yet! I walked up the floor once or twice:
and then, to beguile the tedious mo-
ments, entered into an investigation of
the contents of her little work basket,
which stood on table First, there was
her tiny thimble and scissors, and spools
of different hUes; then I took up small
piece of & mel embroidered in various
cabalistic designs--which last caused me
to smile curiousIy, for could not under
stand the meaning of so much work, all
crowded on one small peice of stuff. But
I dropped it quickly, for I heard
'the carriage coming mp the avenue. I
Wasat the door as soon as it stopped, and
opened it eagerly. Ny wife sat with her
face turned from me, and quite hidden by
the large woolen hood


care you not very cold and tired, dear?"
I said, my voice trembling with impatient
tenderness as I extended my hand to as
sist herto rise; but there was no answer,
and she remained quite still


"Alice, love, speak to ne Do you
not bear?"


Silent sill Then Thought she had
fallen asleep, aud took her hand 10 awak-
en- her. It was so cold that I started
back chilled.


CHOW cold you are, dear Alice! Are
you i'll ?" And I leaned forward and
pushed the ho1d from her face. twas a
very still, white face so motiOnless it
might have been carved in stone. The
Moonlight shone upon it, and on the pre-
cious blue eyes, wide open, but dimmed
and filmed.


Dead 0 God! MOI


I would not allow myself to think oft.
"She has tainted, I said; and I carried
her swiftly into the house and laid her on
the sofa. I knew nothing of the gather
ing crowd of terror-stricken servants
around me-saw nothing, heard nothing,
felt nothing for a time Every thought
every faculty was concentrated in my
anxiety for her. Ikuelt beside her, and
chafed the dead hands aud temples, and
pressed my warm, living lips to the
beautiful cold mouth, as if seeking to
breath into them again the breath of
life. Vain vain She never looked
on me or spoke tn me again.


A hand Wss laid on my shoulder;
quiet, kindly voice babe me move aside
moment, and our grave, gray-haired fami-
ly physician laid his fingers on the white
wrist, and then placed them on the still
heart, and then, shaking his head sad y,
turned away. Iheard the words 'Dis-
ease ofthe heart" That was all.


They LIFT me alone with nv dead At
last. There in that room where I had
seen her alive for the last time-where 4
had so wounded the dear heart whose last
thrOb was for me The fire glowed as
brightly as ever. There stood her piano,
still open, with favorite song upon it.
There was her Workable with her little
basket upon it, and the book she had been
reading, with a bit of ribbon to mark the
place There on table were the things
she had bought that evening, together
with the piece of silk which had Causel
so much grief! The apron she had worn
was thrown carelessly over the chair
which I had drawn up to the fire to be
in readiness when she returned. She had
come back to me. But it seemed as if
she had come 10 some terrible dream from
which I can never awake.