Year: 1859

faiil0g IN Such graceful lOldS about her little
fgure---the golden curlS just yelling but not
coDcealing the snow Of her neck, aud her arms
cleaning through misty lace Most men would
have been proud o. her but had known one
woman whose simple superiority to all outside
decorations so far transcribed all the aids of
dress and fashions that could not triumph in
the mere beauty of the external.


For once the consequences of my indulgence
was disastrous. That night Nellie took Sc
we're cold. In few days it settled upon her
lungs, and then medical skill was of no avail
She grew rapidly worse. and they made her a
grave beneath the cold gray sky of March
Through her illness | had been patient nurse
She died with her head on my bosom. With
almost her last breath she told me had made
her very happy. when | stood over her grave
| mourned for her sincerely. / would have
given much to call her back to life nay,
would have been wilIing--life was not so pre-
ciouS to me- TO have taken her place under the
mould SO that she could have walked forth
again in youth aud beauty, and yet as weeks
passed o. God who judgeth not as man judg-
eth, will forgive me if wild thrill of joy did
sometimes make my heart culver when thO't
Of the love Of my youth aud remembered that
was free


After time went home to Ryefeld I
sought Berthas society. At first it seemed to
me that she tried to avoid me But l perse-
vered l know she must felt to the core of
her heart the sincerity Of my love. Would
she ever again return il ?


At last, one night asked Der to 90 with
me the next morning to the hill overlooking
the valley, where we had stood together SO
many times in other days She consented


We vent up the hill almost in silence and
when We reached its summit We stood sieatIy
for a time


At leggth turned to her,


Bertha, there was a time when, as the
morning mist rolled away from your heart, and
saw its hidden treasures, your love for me
have sinned since then: but oh. Bertha.
have suffered. loved you first, last. always.
With all the might Of NY soul love YOU now
VIII YOU take me, and weave the broken threads
ci nv life into brightness at las.


She looked ct me Steadtastiy aud sorrowful-
Iy.


Frank, she said, with 4 gentle, plying
aspect, Il came here because you wanted to
ask NE that question. | could see you were
cherishing hopes about me that | ought not to
let you cherish any longer 1t was all in vain
| will be your friend Frank, your warm tender
friend. but the day for anything else is past
There was q time when / would have gone
with you to the worlds end but you yourself
made my love sin | co0ld not cherish it for
the husband of another Frank, | conquered
it, and on earth it can have no noresurrectiou-
By the Wild agony of its death-throes l know
that it is dead-dead utterly You can never
again kiudle the life in its cold corpse. If you
wrongpd NE once, | forgive you. II v5u are
unhappy | pity You On earth / never can
have dearer friend than you. bat the fame
on nv hearts altar is burned to white ashes
| can never be your wife"


looked in her clear. friendly eyes. An
angels pity softened their glance. but they
were not ouce cast down. | could see in them
30 shadow Of hope. | turned aw5.y from their
wIsttul look. uttered 10 more prayers |
only clasped her hand in mine aud some tears
| was not ashamed 10 shed fell over It. Then
| let 20. Oace more she went down the bill
alone, and was left upon its brow 70 s;rug-
SIe sith the anguish of my despair. On,
Bertha, Bertha