Year: 1859

"Thank you, dear Olive, for your
sympathy. l am going now--give ME
good wishes" ~


:" FaresoeA, Harry Whispered and
he was gone. How much there was to
me in the one word 1 had spoken
farewell! ba.


did not sit up to wait for Harry's
return as ] at first intended to do,


By the time | began to expect him,
my head ached SO, and my eyes were
so swollen with crying, that l knew it
would not do for him to see me-. SO /
went to bed, and laid awake the whole
night through, and thought of cousin
barry, and how kind he had always
been to me, till my heart ached.


The next morning / was really quite
i'll and feverish, and kept my room all
day. But the suspense was intolerable
to mel longed to hear Harry's voice
again, even though his words struck to
my heart like daggers-therefore when
the darkness of twilight came | thought
might venture; so l slipped on a
wrapper and stole down stairs to the
little sitting-room where I knew he
would be sitting by the fireside.


Yes, he was there, and sitting verv
quiet and still. / could not tell any.
thing by his face as entered-bui per-
haps that was because had not cour-
age to half look.


l slipped in very softly behind him,
and before he could see me, was nes-
tied on the sofa by his side, with my
face screened behind his shoulder.


] thought he would be surprised, or
pleased to see me-or at least expect
ed him to speak to me, but he never
said a word-he sat still, looking into
the fire.


Then | knew how it was-he had re-
ceivcd a bittcr-a terrible disappoint-
ment. My heart snote me-what were
my girlish griefs compared with the
deep, manly sorrow which shadowed
that dear beloved face? / realized
that to see Harry unhappy was to me
the cruelest of sorrows-I put my two
arms around his neck and wept bitter
lily.


Harry turned then with such kind
gentle smile, and merely said,, as he
drew me to him. p.


+" Do not cry, my poor little Olive,
do not cry" He soothed me, caressed
me as if | had been child. After
wards he added, in sterner voice.


eyes, it is all over now, and l must
bear my Disappointment like man."


He did bear it like a man. / saw
and understood all his struegles-his
stern endurance of his sorrow / saw
how keenly he suffered, and yet how
bravely and cheerfully he bore himself ;
| loved him more and more and yet
was sorry for him, that if l had tho't
it would be of any use, | would have
gone myself to thelady whom he blessed
with his love, and pleaded with her for
him. But for this it was quite too late.
Miss Ruthersford was already engaged
to another when she returned home.


But much as suffered in seeing Har-
ry suffer, had one consolation. He
did not brood in moody silence over his
disappointment; beloved to talk with me
on the theme nearest to his heart He
liked to tell me again and again, all the
particulars of his acquaintance with
Miss Rutherford. OF the pleasant days
when they travelled together-of the
exceeding loveliness and of the many
little incidents ON which he founded
his hopes, his almost certainty of her
preference and of his utter inability to
account for the fckleness which had
prompted her to unite herself to anoth-
er. q


}, l did not suggest that the superior
fortune of the new lover might be his
attraction, for fear of paining Harry ;
but apart from all feminine jealousy,
that is my view of the case, from which
nothing can ever change me.
Be that as it may, Harry thought her
perfection he sorrowed and grieved
for her; and l had enough to do to con
, sole him. Oh, how thankful l felt to
| know that | had power to do so. And
J when | succeeded in chasing the gloom
clouds from his brow, and | saw him
smiling and cheerful, felt as happy as
a queen.


} One day he said to me,


: My dear, kind Olive, how well you
, know how to comfort me. How should
} you understand so we'll what l feel and
need-how have you learned %