Year: 1861

skill.


"From morning to night she sat
by herself on the sofa, her one hand
on the other resting on her knee, and
her eyes reading, as it were, the leaf
of curious page Of vacuity in the
threads and pawtron of the carpet.
She thought of nothing but Of time.


"When l went into her room in
the morning, she would say, is not
this Wednesday,. or Friday?' as it
might chance to be. And as often
as l went again during the rest of the
day, she would ask the hour. It
was melancholy to see herdesponden-
cy, and how pleased she was when
the time seemed to have run a little
faster than she expected. How pa
tient and how beautiful she was in
all this; but oh! how plainly her
heart was breaking.


"When more than eight mournful
months had come and gone. seeing
that, by the courseof nature, she was
soon to become a mother, I thought
it my duty, in a .far-otf way, to re-
mind her that it was ncedful to pre-
pare tor stranger.


"She looked at me, thought re-
proacbfully, but her eyes were full
Of tears, and she answered, no, l
have here within, conviction that
my sin and shame will pass from this
cruel world together. l dreamt last
night that I beheld my venerable
grandfather-he was a holy and reli-
gious Notwithstanding at gate to
which / had come with a baby at my
bosom, and he took me by the haQd,
led me in and made me known to all
my ancestors, even to Adam and Eve.
No; the life that should be is not; it
becomes my condition.; ahusbandless
wife, childless mother -


81 reasoned against her despair,
and entreated herto he Of good cheer,
but she smote her bosom and said,
How can that be? l am not guilt
less; but there was no other but him
self in all the world by whom ! could
have been undone. Stars Of light
and purity! eyes and Gracles of heav-
en-! We know my chastity! But how
can he believe it! Oh! scorned by
him, what is left? where now is IN y
place in the world? The grave.''


After a season Of some days, the
wild lamentings and continual cries
Of Il spirit in agony began to mode
lrate into ighs and low heart=murlnur.
ings. l cntreated her to let me send
for her father, or for one Of her sis,
ters; but she was absolute and would
not have them, At last the mother
time arrived, and she became, as she
toretold, a mother without child.


"Place," she cried, the mute wit:
ness of my infirmity before me. i
was not in sin, hut in the full conf
dence of faithful love, that this mon
ument of frailty had a being"


1--WE accordingly placed the dead
born baby upon pillow, covered by
a danask servits, an a chair by the
bedside. 1t was punishment enough
for many a sin to see what then en-
sued.


"Shc raised herself on her elbow
and studied the beautiful thing as il
it had been an Alabaster image Of GU
rious handicraft. What was in hel
thoughts no one could tell, but ever
and anon she cast her eyes upwards
and smiled as if she had discovered
some pleasing similitude, and once
she said, how lovely and how like!


"She then laid herself down, ant
seemed to be communing in prayer
After while, she raised herself again
and covering the body with servit
she made sign for it to be laid o.
her bosom, which I did with my owl
hands.


cat that crisis, the door opened
and the Captain stood at the foot o
the bed; Austered he was, and had I
wild look. She saw him, and reach