Year: 1875

"You are talking the greatest folly that
person could conceive. did not think you
capable Of such," said my father, harshly and
angrily and sprnging up from his chair he
strobe away from me to distant part of the
room. watched him with perplexed, mis-.
erable feeling, longing for one word of sym
pathy, of tenderness from his lips. Never be-
fore had he looked or spoken in my presence
as he had done just now; much less to me- The
sudden crushing Of my newborn JOY over
powered me, and bowing my face upon my
hands, suffered my tears to flow silently and
fast. Everything had seemed 50 bright mo-
ment or two before; and now darkness en-
veloped ME like pail.


After know not how long an interval my
father approached me, and laid his hand upon
my shoulder.


"It greves me to distress you, Rosy" he
said, in tone which, though inexpressibly
sad, was more like his own. "But I cannot
suffer you to remain in error. 1t is necessary
that you should know my real feelings; any
concealment, any reserve between us could
only result in unhappiness."


l caught his hand between my own and
held it fast, covering it with my tears. MY
heart was too full for speech.


"You believe that love you, do you not ?"
he continued, presently, lightly touching my
head.


nodded, in reply.


"You believe it, but you do not realize it
enough. You think me cruel and unjust"


mot cruel" I managed to utter.


"But unjust. Confess, Rosy, that that is
the uppermost thought in your mind"


made no reply. What could 1 say? He
had guessed the truth.


II cannot explain myself" he went on. my
defense would be no justification in your eyes.
But do not feel that l am unjust to you: |
know that no one can love you as we'll as do.
do not think that any one else could make
you as happy. You have had happy life,
child, have you not ?"


eyes," l sobbed =


"And yet you wish ruthlessly to break up
all old associations to sever all familiar ties,
4 to leave your home-the home that has cher
ished and guarded you to leave your father
who would give his hearts blood for you, to
enter a new, unknown sphere of existence.
What guarantee have you that you would
6nd such happiness there"


"Papa he loves me"


"What proof have you of that, even Is
be not stranger p


I could have said-there are some things
which do not need proof there are convic-
tions which impress themselves with the clear
ness of sunlight upon the heart; there are
emotions too mighty to be held within the
cold, narrow boundaries of reason and of fact !;
there is a god-like radiance which G glorifes
our being and our perceptions, showing US
Faith in all its unquestioning simplicity, as
our guide and sway; and that radiance is the
light of Love.


But could not answer thus. listened,
silently, to what seemed to me the utterance
of blind, wlful prejudice. Gradually hard,
rebelious feeling took possession of me, quell-
ing softer emotions. felt that sacrifice
was expected of me which I had not strength
to make Ny tears ceased to flow; let
papa's hand slide from my clasp, and sat mood
lily looking upon the floor.


81 see that do not convince you, said my
father after another pause. IL did not sup
pose should. Well, Rosy, you are free, as
I said before, to act as you like. l lay no
command upon you. I do not exercise my
lawful authority, which virtually binds you
for four more years to come If you desire
to 20, %. Marry and be happy your own
way. You shall never Look upon me as
tyrant who forced you to act against your
will. You have my full permission to do as
you choose"


The permission sounded like a mockery.
1t was hard strait in which l stood. On the
one side, the love that seemed to me such
rich boon, to take or to refuse on the other,
the father whom had always looked up to
with intense affection and reverence, bidding
me choose between it and him! / felt that in
accepting it, I would be creating barrier
between US which might never be removed,
and trembled to think of voluntarily CON-
mtting such deed. I chanced to- raise my
eyes, and they fell on my mothers portrait,
which hung above the mantel-piece. l had
never known my mother; and in the atmos'
phere of tenderness and care which had al
ways surrounded me, had thought but little
of the missing link in the home circle, feeling
it no loss to me. But now the thought rushed
over me, that if she had been living, she
would have seen this matter with different
eyes. Her woman-heart would have sympa'
thized with mine not sought to crush down
its God-given impulse. fancied how l
could have thrown myself upon the warm
mother. breast and whispered there my happy
secret unchecked how those softly smiling
lips would have pressed my brow; those ten
der brown eyes have looked lovingly into my
face, while in the remembrance of her own
Youthful love she would have murmured a
blessing upon mine, and bid me, without one
selfish pang, go and be happy in my new life;
Never before had the longing for maternal
sympathy 80 assailed me; and in the intense
yearning for this boon, the inestimable value
of which 1 now seemed to realize for the first
time, and in pity for myself in my forlorn,
ness, wept again, passionately, violent, as II
my heart would break.


NV father was distressed, and tried by eve
ry means in his power to soothe me- yield
ed passively to his caresses, and listened un-
responsively to his afectionate words. which
seemed to fall meaning less upon my ear. MY
agitation exhausted itself at length; and see-
ing me more composed, my father brought me
a glass of wine, which he insisted | should
drink, and then sent me to lie down in my
own room.


fro BE CONTINUED NEXT WEEK.


A PARTICULAR MANA few days since
chap from Polk county, Oregon, went down
to Portland to see the sights He is sort OF
natural philosopher, who takes the world as
it comes, detests chronic growlers and boasts