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[For the Southern FieW end Fireside.]
THE ANNIVERSARY.
At twilight's calm and silent hour,
And at the day's grey dawn
When dew is on each leaf and flow'r,
That decks the verdant lawn,
Then most I think of thee, and dream
Thon may'st remember me,
E’en there where flows the pearly stream
O’er crystal bed to thee ;
But while I linger on the strand,
Where thou may'st come no more,
The world seems like some desert land
The simoom hath swept o'er;
Three years ago, three weary years.
We made thy deep, cold bed.
And laid thee down, embalm’d in tears,
And left thee with the dead.
And as the Winter's setting snn,
With bright, but transient ray,
Illumines all it shines upon.
Then sinks from view away.
Thus thy pure life hath cast on mine,
A passing gleam of light,
And with reflected hues of thine
Made mine almost as bright;
But it hath pass'd, and why repine ?
Will not, ere long, this breast,
Be just as cold, and still as thine —
Like thine, with thee—at rest ?
Augusta, June, 1559. Lois.
—
[For the Southern Field and Fireside.]
SATURDAY NIGHT.
BY MBS. CAROLINE IIENTZ BBANCII.
CHAPTER IL
“ Now why must I disturb a dream of bliss?”
It was near twilight a few evenings after, that
Lewis sat alone in the large bachelor studying
room. Generally Charlie was there too, and
since his accident he had been confined to its
walls, subject to the careful restrictions of Lewis.
Until this evening, he had succeed in curbing
the impatient spirit that had been less easy of
control than usual, but, upon returning from an
unavoidable absence, he found the study desert
ed. Charlie had gone out, leaving no traces of
the direction he had taken. Lewis, as if moved
by more than anxiety for his health, followed
eagerly every course which he imagined Charlie
might have taken. If he had discovered a clue
to his whereabouts, it was no pleasant discovery,
to judge by his unusually contracted brow.—
He had been overtaxing his strength, for the
veins in his white temples throbbed, and his
thin hands shook nervously. He sat by an open
window, watching out in the deepening twi
light for a coming figure, and now and then he
took a letter from his pocket and carried it to
the dim light, as if to examine the direction, and
he hastily thrust it out of sight, as the sound
from the window startled him in the belief that
Charlie was coming. It was a beautiful June
evening, the air soft and balmy, and rich sunset
clouds still lingered in the west, and sent a flood
of fading glory in at the open windows. The
glow fell full upon the anxious face of Lewis
peering out into the shadows, and Charlie who
at last came quietly upon the piazza unobserved,
saw the care-worn face, and hurried in, a little
conscience smitten, and resolving to atone for
his disobedience.
Lewis sprang up at the sound of his step, and
was in the shadow when Charlie entered, so that
he did not observe the very unusual expression
of his face.
“Well! my dear Cerberus!” he exclaimed,
throwing himself upon a lounge after having giv
en Lewis a hearty tap in passing, byway of
expressing his recuperated energies. “ Have I
outwitted you in putting to practice one of the
maxims of Horace ?
‘Quo<l adest memento,
Componere tequus,'
by slipping out in your absence ? You are
not going to be cross thereupon.”
Lewis stood silent as if irresolute, en
deavoring to suppress some rebellious emo
tion, for he could not bear to utter anything that
would damp the joyous mood or overcast the
brow upon which he had seldom seen a more
radiant glow. Charlie lay where the lamplight
from the hall irradiated his figure, but Lewis
still stood in the shadow.
“ Come here," cried Charlie, “ I must whisper
all this happiness to my twin soul, ere I realize
it in its fullness, its overpowering blissfulness I”
Lewis quickly responded to the call, and
Charlie went on whilst pressing his hand, as he
would have done that of a loving sister. “Oh I
what would my life be without your sympathy,
your better, purer nature tempering mine, and
saving me from myself? I wish I had your
spirit, brother, I wish in my soul I had, for what
can I do that is great or good, ever in a constant
combat with this volcano within me ?” There
was a short pause in which Lewis almost con
vulsively returned the pressure of his brother’s
hand, and he said after awhile, in a low voieo:
“ Think more of what my life would be with
out your presence—but bless you, my brother!
go on and relieve your burden of bliss, let us
both be happy.”
The melancholy cadence which had hung up
on Charlie’s last words, gave place to the rich
accents of joy, as he responded, and a less plea
sant voice than his might have grown melodious
in lingering upon a like vision. As if wielding
the brush of an immortal artist, and dipping it
in tints of life and passion, he brought the vision
before the mind of Lewis.
“If you Could have been with me, Lewis, to
have seen her as I did, in such exquisite pallor,
when I remembered why she was pale, with
her soul-full eyes, beaming with such depth of
feeling, feeling so true and holy, and the trem
bling modesty with which she vainly endeavor
ed to hide the wealth from me—the wealth ol
a heart that is all mine—all mine now and for
ever!” He closed nis eyes for an instant as if
to live it over again, and then went on dreamily,
“ The air was redolent with love and joy as it
came whispering in, and kissed both our lips
—bathed as her lovely face was with the glory
from the heavens. Oh! I ask no truer light to
shine into her heart, that it might reflect upon
mine a more effulgent tide of glowing affection
than that which now fills it to brimming bliss!
Are we not both happy, my sympathizing broth
er, my better heart?”
It was so like a wild enthusiast, as Charlie
was to burst out thus, that Lowis might have
smilingly joined in with him as he had often done
before, had not a something deeper than boy
hood’s dreaming fancies been slumbering beneath
all this lightness. Wrapt, as Charlie was, in
the gilded fancies of “ love’s young dream,” he
was aroused and startled when Lewis question
ed him rapidly in reply, in an unguarded an
guish. he seldom allowed to over-master him:
“You leave me in painful ignorance of whom
you speak. Explain in mercy! ”
Charlie raised himself and tried to penetrate
through the gloom, but he could not see the face
of Lewis and it was well, or the pang which
came again as it had before when they had stood
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together in the church with Ellen Farmer, would
have been far deeper; but recollecting himself;
he replied gaily, for he knew the truth would be
a present relief for that sorrow of his poor broth
er, if it should prove no more.
“ Whom could I mean but Aliene ? The day
star of my earliest visions—the sun of my dawn
ing manhood I Why your sepulchral tone quite
startled me,” and he threw himself back again
ending with a laugh which sounded somewhat
forced, his half satirical rejoinder.
Lewis suddenly arose and made several turns
up and down the room before ho spoke, and
then it was not in his usual calm, healthful spirit
His deep dejection so mocked the attempt at
sympathizing with his joy, that Charlie asked, a
little impatiently:
“What can be the matter, Lewis? Your
manner is really ominous of some calamity.—
Pray be more frank!”
“ I am sorry that an unconquerable dejection
of mine should have come at a season like this,
to dampen your happiness,” said Lewis, taking
once more the seat he had left, and going on
sadly in spite of liis great efforts to suppress the
tone. “ I have a letter for you, and when you
have read it, perhaps you will not wonder at my
being gloomy, selfishly so, I’ll confess, and
therefore it was culpablo.”
Lights were called for, and whilst Charlie’s
thoughts were gliding into a different channel,
Lewis continued:
“ I came whilst you were weakest from your
accident, and thinking it might appertain to bus
iness matters which concerned us both, I opened
it. You were unfit for the demands it made, so
I reserved it until to night—perhaps unwisely,
as it has proved, umvise because I was just too
late.”
He buried his face in his hands after he had
delivered the letter and arranged the lights, and
with almost a groan, he went on murmuring
to himself:
“ Was I wise or not—have I defeatod my own
purpose ? Oh it is God that disposes, and such
conjectures are as harrowing as they are sinful.
But these regrets—these regrets—how painful
they are. Had I been sooner—or had he been
less precipitate ”
Charlie was deep in the perusal of the letter,
and did not hear. It was from one of the firm
of a banking house in City, and was ad
dressed to Charles Grey, Jr. It contained these
lines: >
“ Your presence is demanded here at the ear
liest possible moment, on business of a very im
portant nature, and no substitute will supply
your place. You will learn something to your
advantage or your disadvantage, as the case
may prove. Respectfully yours, Ac.”
“The date,” ho cried, examining curiously,
“is more than ten days back. llow singularly
worded, and how provokingly mysterious!” He
sat re-reading and pondering over it, whilst Lewis
looked up into his handsome face, studying it
with a kind of painful tenderness. The flicker
ing shadows of the lamp lit it up with an un
certain, wavering glow, and to Lewis it was an
emblem of the varying emotions, flashing out
and irradiating it like a meteor, then fading as
quickly, leaving a cloud of unrest upon the clear
mirror—his face. What a host of warring ele
ments there was in his character! All good,
yet so sadly unbecalmed, like the vessel which
rides upon the rocking waves, following a tem
pest, and dares not cast her anchor until that
mighty voice, thundering ever mid the breakers,
has spoken “ Peace be still!”
Now the time had come when the voice of
guiding affection, could not follow his pathway
as it had ever done. He must battle with self
amidst the rocking waves of life—lift his own
implonngs to the ear that ever hoars—distin
guish the “ Peace, be still ” amidst the sounding
surf of sinful passion.
Then Lewis thought of Aliene, and of how lit
tle she knew of the spirit of him she loved, of
how poorly fitted she was to meet his changeful
moods to bear with his restlessness, to temper,
to ennoble him, for the storm tossed wave was
but another emblem of her impulsive, proud self.
Ilad Charlie forgotten Saturday night and its
revealings? Lewis wondered, and had ho been
less tender of the brother’s feelings, he would
have asked the question to-night. But what
would it avail?
He knew them both when they were blind to
their own natures, and he read another in its
depth, its purity, its rare strength and loveliness
as Charlie did not—but could he wish it were
otherwise ?
Charlie drew such a loud, deep inspiration as
he turned towards Lewis, that it dispelled his
reflections. “ I must go, Lewis.”
“ Are you' strong enough to venture soon ?”
“ Pooh! yes—that was a trifle—beneficial, per
haps,—but this strange affair. I’m completely
mystified, and shall be uncomfortable until it is
explained. Yes I will go, and I grow impatient
to be off. The train leaves early.”
Instantaneously a shadow came over his face,
and lie looked at Lewis, exclaiming with eloquent
simplicity:
“ Aliene!”
Lewis echoed with Ins usual quiet firmness:
“You can write your actions, and leave ex
planations with me. It is better, thus believe
me,
‘ part at once,
All farewells should be sudden,
Else they make an eternity of momento.’ ”
Charlie grew extremely wretched. Lewis
might have smiled, but to-night there was a
mighty torrent rushing through his heart, and
sweeping away with it all mirth. He only laid
his hand affectionately on his brother’s shoulder,
and leaned upon him as he had done through
life, in away so mutely expressive of depen
pence, saying softly :
“ Brother, the study will be very lonely when
you are gone.”
Charlie flung an arm impulsively around him,
looked tenderly into his face, and his wretched
ness gave way to nobler emotions.
Lewis had accomplished his purpose.
CHAPTER V.
“ Thou sow’st and plantest, but no fruit muat ace,
For death alas 1 is reaping thee.”
Travel-worn and excited, Charlie reached
his destination, after a few days passed in the
confused tumult of transition from car to boat,
from boat to omnibus ; jostling with rude hu
manity, from omnibus to crowded, noisy hotels.
In such a one he found himself at last, in the
heart of city, and it would have been
far wiser, and less fatal to his future, had he
taken rest then. His system, scarcely recovered
from the shock it had received, was only borne
up from complete exhaustion, by the force of
mental stimulus. Full of the impatience and
zeal which had ever led him to heedless lengths,
and without the controlling presence of Lewis,
ho determined that the mystery should be ex
plained at once. In this state, to have slept
would have been impossible, and a few more
turns in on omnibus, found him in front of the
grand banking establishment of "Withers A Co.
He was ushered into the private reception room,
and upon giving his name, was not allowed to
remain long alone, restlessly glancing around
1 the luxurious vacant apartment. A little man
with twinkling grey eyes, dubious colored
whiskers, nearly concealing his thin face, and a
wig which showed a fringe of grey hair peeping
out from underneath it in the part behind, and
who was continually rolling his hands together
over and over —came in, and closing the door
very carefully behind him, he ceased the roll
ing, long enough to offer a hand very graciously
to Charlie, saying with a strange mixture of
pomposity and affability—
“ Mr. Charles Grey! To whom I have had
occasion to address a letter appertaining to bus
iness of import-
“ Mr. Withers, I presume!” rejoined Charlie,
rising to receive the patronizing hand, and both
bowed so nearly together, and Mr. Wither’s
movement was bo extremely aspiring, that his
head camo in slight contact with the nose of
Charlie, who was by a head the taller.
“Be seated !”; resumed Mr. Withers, quite
unconscious of |lie cause of an irrepressible
smile lurking around Charlie’s mouth. He seat
ed himself in a high chair which stood before
an open desk, and took up a pen instinctively.
“Ihope you are enjoying good health sir.”—
He relinquished the pen and began rolling again.
“ I am well, thank you sir,” Charlie answered,
looking very sick and impatient. “ That is, I
lam at present. Your letter reached me when
I was suffering from a slight accident, and my
brother withheld it until the time, when being
able to travel, I came on directly. You will
probably find some excuse, sir, for the great im
patience I feel to lean the object of my jour
ney!”
“ Certainly, certainly ! It is not surprising,
or at at all culpable, that you should feel a con
siderable degree of inpatient and curious inter
est. I feel if to a great degree, myself, for this
is, I assure you, quite a singular and interesting
case; I assure you it i■ 1”
Charlie sat eagerly attentive, but Mr. With
ers kept his hands rolli ig, in polite expectancy
for a response. Charlh prompted again—
“ You were about toexplain—”
“ Ah, yes!” Mr. Wi hers cried, settling him
self in his chair, and to his wig, both at the
same time. “ This is * curious business. You
are a native of the Sotth, I think —”
“ Yes, sir.”
“ You are the younger brother, eh ?”
“ I am the older; w> are orphans, and com
prise the surviving pofions of our family,” re
plied Charlie, hoping by the revelation to hasten
matters.
“ Younger brother, a little unfortunate —Ah!”
continued his tormento-, getting into a compas
sionate mood.
Charlie’s brow grew hot, and he answered,
haughtily:
“ I see that you aro not inquiring into our
private affairs, from the fact of your ignorance
of them. You will pleise refrain from touching
upon subjects which are sacred, and certainly
irrevelant to the business m question."
Mr. Withers grew very pompous, and more
haughty than Charlie hal supposed possible, but
he responded in unruffled politeness—
“ You may find yourself mistaken, in your
last assertion ; but we nay as well proceed to
the business. I presume the necessary infor
mation, I shall have no difficulty in our future
dealings to obtain ?”
Charlie bowed, and eyed eagerly some papers
which Mr. Withers drew from his desk, holding
them very tightly, as if afraid of their being
seized by force, whilst l.e delivered himself of
this speech:
“ I commit into your hands this paper, which
you had best peruse at your room, as it is well
to inform you now, that I am not at liberty to
reveal anything more than you will learn there
in. I would only add, in a friendly spirit of
caution, that it would be well to cultivate a
manly resistance of the impatience and curiosi
ty which will certainly assail you after perusing
all you are allowed to learn of this matter.—
The utter vanity and restlessness of the feeling
should induce you to curb it. I wish you good
morning sir, presuming our separation will bo
transient, and other duties await mo.”
Mr. Withers went out, bowing and rolling his
hands.
Charlie was not long in retracing his way to
the hotel, and to his room; then, as night had
come on, he lit the gas, and proceeded forthwith
to the reading of the mysterious manuscript.
On a sheet of plain foolscap, the following
singular revelation was addressed to himself. It
was headed very carefully, with statements
proving his identity with the Charles Grey, Jr.,
to whom the writer addressed himself. Over
the signature and date, a paper was pasted, con
cealing them entirely, with the injunction written
below, that it wa s not to be removed until a period
which would be indicated in the communication.
The writing was in uncertain, eccentric char
acters, now bold and clear, then wavering and
feeble, as if the hand grew tremulous, when
there were, not cursing and bitterness, arming
the pen with passion’s might. It began boldly:
“ I address him whom I have chosen to be
my heir. Read, young man, as if the dead were
given voice, and a restless tenant of a tomb stood
before thee, and school thy heart and mind to a so
lemnity as awful as if the thunder of the Al
mighty's accents were thrilling in your ear. Mr.
Withers, a man of honor, and whom you will
have met before this meets your eye, has in his
possession the deeds which will substantiate
your heirship to the gold which I have hoarded
through a lifetime. You will be master of im
mense wealth, if you submit to the conditions I
shall name here, cowering, writhing, as I am,
beneath the frowns of an outraged God, let me
swear to thee, as thou fulfillest not my condi
tions, as thou swervest one iota from their limits,
. not only wilt thou forfeit the heirship, but the
gold lying useless and unemployed, shall rise up,
so many avenging demons, haunting thy path
way, adding horror to thy dreams, and shriek
ing in thy ears the curses of a soul, plunged in
the horrors of eternal hell, shall thus wreak
its remorseless revenge on thee. Yes ! listen;
this is no weak phantom of the brain of an old
dotard, but the living wailing of a deathless
soul, that from that place of gnashing agony,
shall dog thy pathway on earth with eternal cur
ses /”
The writing here grew bold and violent. The
sweat drops stood out on Charlie’s brow, and a
horrible presence seemed to make the air heavy
and rushing, as if stirred by the wings of de
mons. Again the tracings subsided into a trem
ulous waver—
“ Thou shalt reveal this matter to none —not
even to thy brother, thy twin soul; neither
will it avail thee to question any one concerning
it—do as I bid thee, and happiness shall crown
thy manhood, and peace surround thy dying
pillow— refuse, and it shall prove as unblest as
mine I I bid thee seek among the daughters of
earth a helpmeet. Choose her for her humility
and truth, prove her beyond a doubt to boa
Christian—an earnest, working Christian; bold
in her faith, yet modest in all else ; ono who
loves thee, and yet far beyond that love, loves
the laboring in her Father’s vineyard—to whom
thy love will be a far lesser boon, than the
smiles of the Saviour with whom she walks day
by day—and who will prefer for thee thy salva
tion, above all earthly treasures. When thou
hast found such a one, and proved her to be all
these, ask of her ‘How wealth can be best
used in the service of God ?’ If she shall an
swer after this wise— 1 Those of God’s children
to whom He giveth riches, He giveth also the
knowledge and the ways to use them in His ser
vice’—if she shall auswer thee thus, (and be
ware of any other reply) take her to thy heart,
marry her, and then, after ye are one, and ready
to become faithful stewards, thou canst learn
whose gold will fill thy coffers, and who thus
will send it abroad among the suffering children
of earth. She will teach them how, for she is
one of God’s children. Young man hearken to
me: I know her ; I have seen her, who liveth for
thee ; who will make the gold rest lightly in thy
purse ; not from expenditure, but from Peace!
Peace which I have not!
My conditions are named. I-have warned
thee how thou disregardest them. Dare not
cheat thyself with the belief that my spirit hath
no power to watch thee and detect thy short
comings. There are others whom thou dreamest
not, can follow thee, who can revenge my spirit
upon thee, if thou failest— thine own soul will
bear witness against thee, if thou art not TRUE.
Listen to the dying words of a wretched Miser!
I have lived to find my hoardings rise up around
me, scorching my heart, as with the fires of
hell! Sleep is murdered, food I loathe, disease
is consuming me, but the plague spot within,
more terrible than the ‘ Black Death’ is remorse.
God gave me plenty. He showered blessings
around me ; blessed my labors a thousand fold,
but my own evil nature tempted mo, and I yield
ed. i kept the talent ‘ hid in the earth.’ No
man guessed of my riches. I forgot that the
Almighty is Omnipotent, and that my safes and
vile screens kept not His eye out.
His just retribution has begun; a wretch
upon the earth, lost to Hope ; sinking, unloved,
into that grave, where in place of rest, I hear
even now the awful tones of tkat voice which
shall thunder in my ears : ‘ Cast ye the unprof
itable servant into outer darkness ; there shall
be w’eeping and gnashing of teeth.’ ”
, —then the last
words were traced feebly as though the hand
was already stiffening in the death grasp—
“ Thou canst redeem the lost treasure, the
unemployed riches. Take them, be a cheerful,
trusting steward, and when thy feet shall land
on the shores of Jordan, the just God shall meet
thee with the soul-cheering words— 1 Well dono
thou good and faithful servant —enter thou into
the joy of thy Lord.’ ”
CHAPTER vi.
By the apostle Paul, shadows to-night
Have struck more terror to the soul of Richard,
Than the substance of ten thousand soldiers ”
Charlie read and re-read in such a whirl of
excited feeling, that to think rationally would
have been an impossibility. He thrust the pa
per in his pocket, when he had scrutinized each
of the strange characters, at least a dozen
times over, and began walking about the room
in a kind of wild way, vainly endeavoring to
restore order to the chaos within him.
“ This will not do,” he cried, at length, when
the throbbing and piercing pain in his temples
became more violent. He recollected that he
had brought with him some Turkish smoking
tobacco, strongly impregnated with opium,
which he had found once or twice to exert a very
soothing influence on his volcanic nerves. Never
had they been more in a state bordering on an
eruption than at that moment. He hastily filled hls
long German pipe with the narcotized weed,
and drew a large arm-chair in front of a window,
so that the air came fluttering in through the
blinds, and fanned his hot temples, nc sank
wearily into the luxurious seat, and soon wreaths
of white smoke went curling away on the flut
tering air, scattering into many a fragmentary
wave before they were lost, now amid his rich
brown, tumbled hair, or in the space beyond!
In a little while, a delicious sense of rest stole
over his weary body, and tranquillized his too
active brain sufficiently for him to think.
And what his first definite thought ?
“My beautiful Aliene! will she bear the test
of so many exalted requisitions ?”
He hugged a fond hope to ' his breast, and
dreamed it was that which brought peace, for
how could cool judgment sit in state, where
Love was so ardent ? He was bewildered; the
helmless bark of his mind tossed about in' this
strange gale of fortune. It was no unalluring
prospect, to a youth, just starting in life, that of
being the owner of great riches, and Charlie,
though he had never wasted a moment in a
weak desire for affluence, was human, and felt
that wealth was a desirable good. Air-castles
began to mount rapidly in his brain. He would
take Lewis to Europe, carry out a long-nursed
hope of putting him in the way of restoration
to health, and perhaps, with the best aid, his de
formity might be ameliorated I Ah! he would
travel himself—glorious prospect! . How the
air-castles went tumbling down, as the condi
tions flashed upon his remembrance, and he
started in terror at the thought of having in
fringed upon them, even in air-castle building!
Was he not in prospective forming plans of self
gratification, unmindful of a higher end ? He
was unfitted for the trust, he felt it, and again
fell to bewildering over the conditions. His
restless eyes closed, he went off into a slumber,
scarcely less exhausted with giants of thought,
that tramped heavily through his brain, leaving
burning tracks behind them, than his waking
had been.
Ho was with Aliene once more, her hand lay
confidingly in his, and the light of her glorious
eyes sinning upon him. All was delicious
peace for a while, and that journey with its
strange revealings, was but a night-mare. But
the riches, the gold, was his in his dream,
though the miser, with his conditions, were for
gotten. He had built upon transatlantic lands,
on the border of a beautiful lake, a palace, such
as Claude Melnotte pictured for the enraptured
Pauline; Aliene was to perfect every allurement,
by her presence, her love and beauty! He was
to surprise her with the gorgeous loveliness of
their home, for his wealth had been his own se
cret.
They were married.
He carried her to the palace, as if it had been
another’s. He drank in the rapture of her ad
miration ; then as he turned to clasp hor in an
embrace, and exclaimed,
“It is thine—all thine!”—a horrible void
screamed in his ear—
“ Hast thou dared so soon, falso-hearted
wretch, thus to mock my warnings ? My curse
is upon thee —thee and thy ill-gotten wife! Thy
bridal shall end in realms of darkness ”
A mighty flapping of wings stirred the air,
which grew dense and black witli sulphurous
vapors. He saw a pair of mighty claws seize
upon the form of his beloved, and bear her
struggling away. Demoniac voices yelled deri
sion at his impotent cries. He saw the monster
bear her into the palace, which was ono crack
ling, hissing mass of flame. He saw her out
stretched arms, and glance of appealing agony,
through the lurid glare—those beautiful eyes,
which had never beamed upon him, but in love.
Spirits of darkness could not hold him—love
was mighty in its holiness, and must triumph
over their lawless power—he grew strong,
dashed forward, plunged into the dames, and—
awoke! He sprang to his feet, nearly suffoca
ting, for a dense cloud of smoke was in reality,
blinding him, and flames scorching him in living
intensity. The covering of the chair in which
he lay dreaming was in a light blaze, and the
flames were fast communicating to the curtains.
Dizzy and confused, yet roused to prompt action,
he seized a rug which was close to his feet, and
smothered the flames by a great exertion. A
spark from his pipe had probably fallen, and the
cloth had slowly ignited In the first glow of
gratitude for his self-preservation, he was un
conscious that one of his hands was badly
burnt. The pain soon grew excessive, but too
weary to call assistance, he bound it up care
lessly, and, in desperation, again used an opiate,
and at last fell into a heav y rest.
A feverish prostration followed upon this
slumber, in which he found it almost a relief to
feel incapable of action. For more than a week,
he lay languid and ill, and in an apathy from
which little Mr. Withers labored in vain to
arouse him. His stated visits were paid, a due
number of friendly inquiries were made, and
both were received with indifference.
Charlie was indeed alone.
One afternoon, a servant brought to his bed
side a note, and there was something so tasteful
in its appearance, that the apathetic faculties of
the young man were aroused as he examined it.
He opened the perfumed envelope, aud as he
read the delicate characters inscribed upon a
card, like lightning the fires came back into his
heavy eyes, and energy into his weary body.
Aliene was in the city, with his aristocratic
aunt, who had penned the card of invitation.
As Charlie rushed down the stairs, he nearly
upset Mr. Withers, who was ascending in the
discharge of his daily duty. Charlie, without
appearing to observe him, brushed by without a
word. Mr. Withers settled his discomposed
wig, but attempted in vain to smooth the ruffled
condition of his feelings.
“A most singular youth,” he muttered;
“ most singular. Rather a wouderful selection,
I should say the miser made, in the disposal of
a fortune. There are others, less inclined to in
sanity, who might have made a better use of it,
I imagine.”
The unconscious object of these reflections)
made his way rapidly towards the residence of
Aliene’s aunt, where a liveried servant ushered
him into a luxurious apartment. Charlie was in
a disordered dress, his face so pale and haggard,
and his eyes stared so wildly, that the servant
seemed to hesitate about admitting him. But
Aliene was awaiting—he heard the rustle of
rich garments, as his foot pressed the soft Wilton
carpet, and soon a pair of bewildered, yet beau
tifully loving eyes gaxed into his.
For a time, he forgot the interval of their sep
aration, and yielded himself to the sweet influ
ences of her love and presence. She thought
him strangely silent in regard to the cause of
his sudden departure and abrupt leave-taking,
and said, at length, reproachfully:
“ You do not think me worthy of your confi
dence.”
He answered her only by an enquiring smile.
“ You must know,” she continued, “that you
are quite a lion in rumor. Not only in our own
quiet Georgian home, but in this city, you are
the theme of conversation.”
“And what do they say of me?” asked he,
whilst the remembrance of his strange secret re
turned like a night-mare upon his spirits. Aliene
did not reply, and he saw by the deepening color
on her face, that some womanly instinct chained
her tongue. He broke the silence, in a voice so
changed, that Aliene recoiled.
“A great calamity has befallen me; lam
very wretched, Aliene.”
“Calamity!” she exclaimed, “you are the first
person I ever heard terra the reception of a leg
acy, a calamity 1 What do you mean?”
Charlie began walking the floor rapidly, in the
abandonment to miserable reflections. He could
not unfold his burthen, for well ho remembered
the strict injunctions to secresy that the manu
sript contained; yet he would most gladly, at that
moment,have given up all title to the riches, which
seemed to bo threatening destruction to his
peace, had Le dared to disregard the solemn
charge of the miser. Then the condition came
in array before lum liko embodied spirits, refus
ing to stand aside, and with the abrupt energy
which characterized him, he turned towards
Aliene and asked:
“ Are you a Christian?”
He was in solemn earnestness, for he had re
ally never questioned himsey in regard to
Aliene’s piety.
She was awed by his manners, and now no
ticed how sick and wretchedly he had looked all
the while. A deep foreboding oppressed her
heart, and so confused her thoughts, that she
answered at random:
“ I am going—that is, I think of being con
firmed.”
“ Confirmed 1” echoed Charlie, as absently as
she had spoken: “ Not that, Aliene—are you a
disciple of Jesus —do you trust and love your
God, more than you do me ?”
Aliene burst into tears.
“Don’t weep, in mercy,” cried Charlie, as he
caressed her passionately, yet pursued his ques
tioning to the climax. “ Answer me one more
question, and answer from your heart, dearest.
Should I become the millionaire the world now
believes me to be, and were you my wife, how
would you teach me to use my wealth best in
the service of God ?”
Aliene smiled through her tears, as she looked
up with childish trust into his face, and replied:
“Why, have charity schools, found orphan
asylums, pay the minister, support missionaries,
and all that sort of thing, of course.”
The knell of hope sounded in Charlie’s heart;
his heated imagination discovered demoniac
forms pressing in between himself and his be
trothed, and breathing curses on their unblest
love—everywhere, above and around, and even
in Aliene’s love-lit eyes, was the reflection of
the miser’s death-struck face and ashy lips,
breathing in sepulchral tones, “Beware,Beware.”
One embrace, in defiance of demons, and he
tore himself away from her without a word, and
rushod out as he had come, nor stayed to hear
Aliene’s moans, or to see that she sank terrified
and half insensible, upon the floor.
(to be continued.)
Poor and Proud.— A highwayman under
took to rob Major Jones. He met Jones in a
wood ovor in Jersey. lie asked Jones for his
pocket-book. Jones refused to yield. High
wayman took Jones by the neck, and undertook
to choke him. Jones made fight, and kept it up
for half an hour. At the expiration of that timo
Jones caved; at the expiration of that time the
highwayman commenced rifling his pockets. —
The contents amounted to eighteen cents. “Is
that all you’ve got?” “Every cent.” “What
made you fight so long?” “Didn’t want to be
exposed. Bad enough to have only eighteen
cents; a great deal worse to have the whole
world know it.”