Year: 1879

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dull, quiet children, moderately good.tem
pered, and sufficiently well-behaved to cause
her but little trouble. She was required te
do good deal Of sewing for them, but to
this she was accustomed, and the occupation
was one which afforded her ample time fol-
thought perhaps, than was wholesome
for her.


And, oh, how far and wide her thoughts
travelled, as she sat hour after hour in the
spacious nursery, drawing the darning-wool
through many.colored stockings, or mending
little frocks and aprons, or fashioning new
ones, while the three plump, sober children
amused themselves decorously with their res
pective playthings around! How strange a
life of change had hers become; how strange
we're the chances which placed her here
And in these hours of self.communion, most
of all in the nightwatches, when not even
her hands were occupied and there was moth
ing to interrupt her, busy Memory took her
back to the past, SO blest, 50 fraught with a
joy brief, but exquisite beyond words, and re-
called every look, every smile, every fond
tone and word and caress that had created q
halo of brightness and beauty around her
life, until a yearning too intense for utterance
seized the 6bres of her heart and wrung them
with anguish and despair. Was the sunshine
of love blotted out from her path forever, and
was her portion to be naught but longing and
grief until she died?


For she loved her husband still. With all
the fervor of affection with which she had
first yielded him her heart; with full and free
forgiveness of the wrong he had done her
with patient suferance of the woes he had
brought upon her; with never'dying, ever
growing desire to see him once more and be
reconciled, and cancel all the misery of their
separation, without question as to the right
or justice of his inexplicable conduct, she
loved him still. She felt that to be reunited
to him, to know herself once again the object
of his tenderness, would be sufficient recon-
pense for all the agony she had endured
And yet, feeling all this-knowing that to be
brought near him, as of old, would be q
heaven upon earth to her, and that being
parted from him was unspeakable pain, she
had been forced to fly from him, to watch his
approach with dread, and hide herself tremb'
ling when chance brought him in her way
On that evening when, seated on Mrs. Stan
tons piazza, the unexpected apparition of bis
face and figure had passed before her startled
vision, so distinct and unmistakable in the
moonlight, that made the street as bright as
day, the keen thrill of terror that it had
awakened, made her realize how dread was
the barrier between them, how impossible ii
was that she should ever be the one to seek
the reconciliation for which she longed. Alas
that her unchanging love should be mingled
with such bitter fear!


What, she wondered, could possibly have
brought him to Drc~sievillef There were
moments when the possibility would force it.
self upon her that he had come there in search
of her. But then, how could he have learned
of her being there, and if he had, with what
intent had he gone to seek her? Had he moi
warned her to keep out of his way, to let nc
chance bring her across his path again, on
peril of her life? Had not she sickened at
the sight of the murderous gleam in his eyes,
which had never before rested upon her with
aught but tenderness in their glance, and felt
that his words were not idly uttered when he
threatened her thus? How, then; could she
have dared to linger where fate had brought
him, when such risk was involved in the fact
of his being near her? In haste and fear she
had gathered up the small belongings she was
able to carry, and fled, under cover of the
night, from the roof which sheltered her, feel
ing it impossible to stay for any explanation
or farewell. She felt pang at the idea OF
being deemed ungrateful by those who had
so befriended her; but the greater trouble
swallowed up the less, and chiefly absorbed
her thoughts.


"Rachel," said Helen Winfield, the eldest
daughter, coming into the nursery one day,
"here's letter for you. do believe it's the
first you have received since you have been
with us, isn't it?"


EYES," said Rachel, mechanically, as she
extended her hand to take the letter. Some
one in Drowsieville must have found out her
new hiding-place! A strong tide of agitating
doubt, mingled wonder and apprehension
rushed over her, but she was skilled enough
now in mastering her emotions to conceal
the sensations from Helen, who, actuated by
a somewhat intrusive curiosity, fingered after
delivering the missive in order to watch her
open and read it. She was disappointed, for
Rachel, not knowing of what nature were its
contents, would not venture to investigate
them in the presence of anybody, and, with
an outward calmness which belied her real
excitement, she concealed the letter in her
pocket from the prying eyes that were upon
her.


"How funny you are" remarked the young
lady, turning away with laugh; "when l
get letter don't put it in my pocket. l
read it at once. guess you don't care much
about the person it's from ?"


"Perhaps don't" quietly rejoined Rachel
"at any rate, I must finish sowing this frill
on Berries dress before I do anything else. D


"But as soon as Helen was gone, and she
felt safe, she tore the envelope open with
frantic eagerness A bank note dropped out
as she did so and in utter amazement she
read:


"M1ss RAY:-I am authorized to transmit
4,no b,,pd nd opd ffftu