Year: 1866




'No Charles it cannot be- AS friend shall
respect and esteem you but cannot be your wife.
Have compassion on me. and do not press me fur
ther." ...


Mary Granville stood before me as she spoke.
with her hands clasped and her head bowed, trem-
bling like an aspen, and as fancied there were
tears in her eyes.


She was beautiful girl and had thought her
as good and pure she was beautiful and, further
than this, had believed that she loved me.


She was orphan, and had been engaged du-
ring the past year in teaching one of our village
schools.


Of her early life knew nothing, save that she
had been educated and moved in good society :;
and had reason to believe that at some time her
parents had been wealthy, but her father had fail
ed in business, and it had been told to me, that
the sad reverse killed him. had known that Mary
was poor-that she was dependent on her daily Ia
Dor for support and the thought that could offer
her a comfortable home, with the advantage of
moderate wealth, had given increase to my pros
pective happiness.


But this unexpected answer dashed all my bright
hopes to the ground.


"Do you mean," cried vehemently, ''That you
dismiss me? Am I cast off?'


81 cannot be your wife, was the reply.


'Then," said [. with more warmth than might
have betrayed under other circumstances. II leave
you to yourself, and while try to shake off the
love that has bound me to you, will only hope that
ere you another into your net you will conclude
beforehand whether you will keep him."


She looked into my face with a painful fright
ened glance, but did not stop to hear her speak
further. turned and left the house


I remarked that under other circumstances
might have been more cool and collected in my
speech; and what do you suppose, dear readers,
the attending circumstances were?


I'll tell you candidly.


/ was little heated with wine. I had drank
just enough to warm my blood and give my brain
an extra impulse, and my words were not chosen,
oh
been absent.


AS I walked towards my home [ sought to per-
suade myself that had fortunately escaped the
snare of coquette, and that might be the better
enabled thus to reason stopped at the hotel where
found few of my companions, and helped to
dispose of half dozen bottles of wine.


On the following morning awoke with the
headache, and when [ called to mind the events of
the preceding evening, was anything but hap
Ply.


1 began to realize how much had loved Mary
Granville. There was an aching void in my heart.
and wept as I contemplated my loss It was
my first love, and its influence had penetrated
every fibre of my being. The beautiful girl had
groaned in bitter anguish when [ thought that
she was lost to me forever


I resolved that should feel very angry and in
dignant but when the sweet face was called up to
mental view, such feelings melted away, leaving
me sad and desolate.


On the following Sabbath attended church
where [ saw Mary once more. She played the
organ as she had done the past year, and as her
fingers swept over the keys fancied that could
detect tremulousness, which had never noticed
before. Was it imagination, was it really
plaintiveness-a sadness in expression of her mu-
sic


To me it seemed at times as though the organ
moaned and wept. It was like the wailing of the
daughters of Zion by the rivers of Babylon.


When the services were over, and went out
of the church, saw Mary's face It was pale and
wan, as though she had been sick. What could
it be Was she suffering as I had suffer
ed? The thought flashed upon me that some
one had told her something to my disadvantage.
had enemies who envied me because had in
herited some wealth-and I fancied enemies who
envied me the love of Mary Granville.


Another week passed and I became more and
more sad and lonesome. My business was irk-
some to me, and my books and papers afforded
me no respite. In fact could not read for my
mind was never on the page before me. Another
Sabbath at church and saw Mary again. Ssh
was paer than before, and her eyeslooked though
she had been weeping.


During the succeeding week. received d visit
from my college chum Jack Stanton, who had just
opened law Office at Berryville. After supper,
as we sat in our cosy parlor smoking our cigars,
suggested that bottle of wine would not be amiss,
Jack shook his head.


''No Charley" he said, 'we1l leave the wine to
those who need it.


''You used to drink, Jack"


eyes, but it never done me any good


s'And do you think that it ever did you any
harm ?"


GAS to that will not say, it never shall do me
harm. / know it has harmed others strong
I am. By the way, Charlie, isn't Mary Granville
here


eyes," said l.


ssDo you know her ?"


I turned away my face and pretended to have
heard something at the window.


81 have seen her" replied, when had COM
MS a in he ch11rch


''She and was schoolmates," pursued Stanton;
.sand speaking of wine brings her to my mind
Do you know anything of her early lie"


Nothing" I answered.


sPoor Mary never think of her without feel
ing my resolutions ftotal abstinence grow stronger
together her father the wealthiest man in
Berryville, and she and her brother were among
the happiest of the happy.


s'Mr Granville was in the habit of drinking
wine, and the habit grew upon him until he could
not go without his brandy.


''He was of a social disposition, and in time it
came to pass that he often grossly intoxicated
Of course, under such circumstances, one of two
things must happen-them man must reform must
sink. Mr.. Granville did not reform, and ere many
yearshe died'a drunkard's DEATH leaving his family
il poverty and suffering.


''Thomas, the son-four years older than Mary
became dissipated, and at the age of eighteen
was killed in street fight in New York Mrs.
Granville survived her son but few months-ab-
solutely dying, the doctor said of broken heart.


''Poor Mary thus left fatherless and motherless
without brother sister, at the age of fifteen was
forced to earn the bread she ate-and nobly has
she done it. If you know her, Charley, you know
one of the noblest women that ever lived. But
what's the matter? Why bless me, you look as
pale ghost


struggled hard with myself, and told Jack
that had swallowed a lot of cigar smoke. rose
aDH IF he r1rood ouf