Year: 1866

nau Deen undertaken. These cir
cumstances had nearly passed from
her mind when she was introduced
to him.


Peyton had fallen in love with
her from his casual view of her at
church, and the eulogiums of his
friends affianced bride who looked
on Mrs. Sinclair as "bright par
ticular STAR" and had deepened the
impression. The circumstances of
her marriage threw a romantic in
terest around her history, and when
he looked on the youthful brow
with shade of placid pensiveness
that seemed to breathe a hallowed
charm over her beauty, he felt that
she was the only woman he had
ever known before to whom his
heart could bow with the homage of
affection.


Yet how speak of love to one
who still wore the deepest mourn.
ing-who never joined in the mirth
of the light heartS 1t would seem
almost like sacrilege to breathe in
to her ear the wild passion that fill
ed his heart, yet its very hopeless
ness appeared to add to its fervor.


But ere long anew hope dawned
on him. Ellen was surrounded by
the gay and joyous of her own age.
Her disposition was naturally
buoyant; her spirits rose; the chord
she had believed forever snapped
again thrilled to the touch of JOY.
When the bonds of grief were once
severed, the reaction was complete.
She still reverenced the memory of
he first love, and if her heart had
whispered that she could ever be
faithless to his ashes, she would
have shuddered with superstitious
horror at the thought. The posi-
bility of breaking that. solemn
promise had never occurred to her
but time teaches many strange
lessons. rr tff ta ,rsye.'i p


Peyton fingered in the neighbor-
hood a constant visitor at Wy
combe,- but his attentions were not
sufficiently marked to attract the
observation Of others. Her own
family were too desirous of the
match to hazard the final success
of her lover by alludiug in any
manner to his passion for her.


Peyton won his own way slowly
but surely. The fair widow began
unconsciously to regret the VOW
which had ascended to Heaven
with the spirit other dead husband.
AT length he spoke of love and she
listened with trembling awe to the
out-pourings of spirit which was
too noble 10 be trifled with, and
too highly appreciated without a
! pang. ....


Her parents agreed with the low
er in his views of the case-and,
urged on all sides, her own heart a
traitor, Ellen yielded to their wish
es, and betrothed herself to Pey-
ton. .-----h


AS the day appointed for their
marriage drew near, the words OF
her vow appeared to be ever ring
ing in her ears. With a restless
and fearful spirit, she saw the hour
approaching which was to witness
her second espousal.


| Preparations were made for a
splendid bridal. All the members
of her family assembled beneath
the parental roof, and every effort
was made to divert her mind from
dwelling on the fantasy that pos
sessed it.


The appointed evening arrived,
and the ceremony which made her
the bride ofanother was performed.
Several hours passed in dance and
song. 1t was near midnight when
Ellen found herself standing on the
portico in the bright moonlight with
Peyton beside her. The gay throng
within were still dancing, and the
sound of merry voices mingled with
the bursts of music that swept by
on the dewy and fragrant air. e.
len started as Peyton spoke beside
her, and for the first time for sever
al hours, the recollection Of her fa-
tai vow intruded on her mind.


"What glorious night" she re-
marked;w never saw the moon
shine with greater splendor."


"May it be happy omen 10 us,
my fair Ellen" replied Peyton; and,
as he spoke, he turned to a white
rose bush which had wreathed it.
self around one of the pillars of the
portico, and culled several OF its
half.hlown fIo1Uars