Year: 1871

rose on his elbow when he saw
me, and smiled as' I approached
mm. He told me he had been
very ill-near to deaths door.
Now, he was once moro SLOWLY
recovering, but very feetle. I
read for him, and spent nearly an
hour at his bedside, SO very
pleasantly it seemed not more
than hive minutes. When I bade
him farewell, he lreld out his hand
for q more cordial leave.taking.-
When l placed my hand in his,
he carried it to his lips, and said
l had been a ministering angel to
him, and he hoped we shonld
meet again. l returned home,
and in q few days left OF a visit to
some relatives mp the country
My health Was not good, and my
father agreed for me to prolong
my stay, and to visit tile monn.
tains before my return. / was
absent more than q year. When
l reached home, / found a letter
from Greenville, South Carolina,
from Samuel Duval, in which he
stated'to me that no had written
to me several times, and, having
failed to hear from me, was afraid
my name had been changed. II
such was the case, he would like
to know it, and to know that l
was we'll and happy, as he had
never ceased to think of me as q
dear, kind friend to him in a
strange land. I was pleased to
hear from him, as the thought that
he forgotten me was not very
gladdening to my vanity. l will not
weary You with details enough
that ] wrote to him, and the cor
respondence then begun has con-
tinued ever since, with only q
short interruption occasioned by
the distracted state Of our country
after the surrender. For q long
while our letters were such as any
friends might write and until the
close of the war, the subject of love
was not discussed between us.-
After that time he boldly made a
formal declaration of his love, and
an offer of his hand. You, with
your strict ideas If propriety think
we ought to know each other bet.
ter before going so far. 1t is true
he is q stranger in one sense OF tho
word, but we have been SO long
exchanging sentiments and feel.
ings that l feel that l have known
him for years. He has never at
tempted to deceive me / think l
know his pecuniary circumstances ;
l believe him to De the very soul OF
honor. / received such a kind,
fatherly letter from his father a
few days ago. You know that,
for nearly two years, l have been
very lonely. my only parent hav.
ing been taken from me. I have
never known a mothers love, and
lie tells me his mother is very af.
fectionatc, and will welcome me
with open arms.


Now, dearest Nellie, l am to
be his very soon. about the mid.
die Cf January-and l have a
proposition to make to you: /
have no sister, and no relative
love AZ I do you. and I wish YOU
to officiate as first brides maid.
and accompany me to my bright
Southern home. Sammie wrote
me to secure you as travelling
companion, / think a winter in
the South will bring few roses
into your pale cheeks. Do not
refuse me, dearest friend, as !
have set my heart OIL having you
with me. have written to Nora
to gain your fathers consent. She
will be ut my marriage, which
will take place at an early hour in
the evening, 80 as to be at the
boat in time for Richmond. Do
rot fail me.


Yours, tondly,


LIZZIE IRBY.


There was not much pursuasion
required to gain Elias consent,
aud Nora's exquisite taste was dis
played in the purchase oi articles
necessary for such a journey
Mr.. Morrison gave free consent,
since he hoped his pet would be
restored to him in tho spring in
the bloom of health. There is
something strangely exhilaratine
and exciting in preparing for
journey, particularly when we
have in contemplation visit to a
land so balm and beautiful as our
own bright, sunny Sou,l,, aud FL.
las step became more clastic,
and q smile was, at times, seen to
hover around her mouth. She
had less leisure for study or med.
itation, as she had a great deal to
do before she could leave home
for so long a time, and her father
augured we'll from these signs
IL tl.a anticiNat;an oo,,ld a., -