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Anaic, and Tl begin a new life; have pa-
tience with mo a little longer, and Helen’s
face looked sorrowful, as she looked up to
kiss me.
“That night, when I went to sleep, I
dreamed sucha queer dream. | There was
a handsome ship goin’ out to sea, and on the
bow, in great gold letters that dazzled in
the sun, was the name ‘Helen.’ The ship
hadn’t any pilot, nor any anchor; and it
drifted far out in the still, dark sea; and
went to pieces, and was all buried under
the water. But the name ‘Ilelen,’ that rose
higher and higher, till 4 beautiful white
angel came down out of a cloud and floated
away with it to Heaven. Then on the sky
I saw this, ‘Made perfect through sufferin’)
and then I awoke in a fright.
“I didn’t tell it to Helen, though, for I
didn’t put much faith in dreams, then; but
when, night after night, I saw Helen dress,
and go to some gay party or ball, that dream
would come afore me so life-like as to make
me afraid.
“T didn’t often go out with Aunt Howard
and Helen. Iwas a good deal more con-
tented to stay at home, and spend the eve-
nin’ with Uncle John ; and so I used to beg
off, and sometimes Helen would plead with
Aunt to let her stay with us; but she
wouldn’t often give her consent.
" “ Well, it wasn’t long afore I found that,
though my darlin’s smile was bright as ever
when she was with us, when she sat apart
by herself, it would go away, and her ‘eye-
lashes close down .over her cheek, with a
tired, troubled look. I knew my ‘rose-
» bud’s’ “heart -was heavy with sorrow. I
knew there was trouble between IIelen and
Walter Ifamilton, though I couldn't make
my sister speak of it to me; for ever since
our talk, my first night’ at Uncle John’s,
Helen had shunned to be alone with me.
I knew.she yearned to tell me what made
her so unhappy, so I waited patiently for the
time to come when she would tell me her
sorrow.
“ At first Mr. Hamilton used to call at
Uncle Uloward’s very often, and Helen and
Walter were very happy together; but that
+ Lieutenant Duncan, (as they called him,)
used to step in often, all dressed out in his
showy uniform, and somehow he always
seemed to come like an iceberg between
Helen and Walter, separatin’ them wider
and wider apart every time they met to-
gether. “Aunt Howard told me once, Lieu-
tenant Duncan had offered himself to IIelen,
but had been refused for Walter [amilton.
Ife loved .ber as well as a bad, bold heart
can love, and when he found himself reject-
ed, he left B. in a great passion, and
after bein’ absent a few months, came back
to town, and told Uelen he would at least
deserve her frieudsbip ; and my sister, in the
innocence of her heart, gave it to him,
though I'm afraid Helen was proud of hav-
in’ won the yay, handsome. officer, which
the greatest belles of B had failed to
do, and Vas afraid iny darlin’s , heart was
wrong, and she tried Walter's love too far,
when she smiled upon and trifled with
Lientenant Duncan. My poor darlin’s per-
verted heart! O, it was the world, the
wicked world that did it all!
“One day, I went into the library to
write a letter. Tt was comin’ on toward
the first of March—a windy day, dark and
rainy and dismal. Ihad thought to find
Ilelen in the back parlor, but she wasn’t
there, uor in the Jibrary ; so Isat down to
my writin’, expectin’ her along every min-
it. I hadn't long to expect, though, for
presently I heard my dear’s light step com-
Dodge's Literary Wuseum.,
in’ down the stairs, and she came’ softly in
at the parlor-door, and stood afore one of
the front windows, and looked out on the
storm. Then she came back to the bright
fire, burnin’ in the grate, sat down on a low
ottoman, with her hands clasped together,
layin’ idle-like in her lap, and sat there with
her pretty, thoughtful face lookin’ into the
fire. I never saw my ‘rosebud’ look fairer,
and I was just goin’ to take her in my arms,
and talk to her, as I knew my mother would
have done, when there was a quick ring at
the door-bell, and the servant flung open
the back parlor door, and Walter Hamilton
came in.
“Helen started up, lookin’ so white I
thought she was a-goin’ to faint, but she
didn’t, and she looked as proud as a queen,
as she returned Walter’s bow, and offered
him a-chair. I didn’t want to play the
eavesdropper, but there wasn’t any way of
gittin’ out of the library without goin’
through the room where they were; so I
just moved as softly as I could to the far-
therest end of the room, and went on with
my writin’, but I shook from head to foot,
as though struck with a chill.
“Pretty soon I heard Helen laugh, a low,
scornful laugh. Then Walter commenced
walkin’ the floor, and as he passed the half-
shut library-door, I saw a heavy frown on
his forehead, and his iips were white and
firmly shut. Suddenly he stopped in his
walk, and without knowin’ what I did, I left
any seat, and stood lookin’ at them. :
' “*Tfelen, choose now and forever between
me and Charles Duncan.’
“* There lies your answer, sir” and Helen
tore the betrothal ring from her finger, and
threw it at Walter’s fect, and he set his foot
on it, and broke it. ° .
.“ Then my darlin’ grew ghastly as death,
and went down on her knecs, cryin’ out,
“+O, Walter, Walter, forgive me!’
- * But he threw off the hand she laid on
is arm, and was goin’ out of the door, when
I called out,
“¢Walter Hamilton, you have killed my
sister !’
'“ He turned, and I believe he would have
forgiven Helen the wrong she’ had done
him, in her thoughtlessness, if Charles Dun-
ean had not opened the door, and stood
there with his great black eyes fixed on
Helen, who covered her face with her hands
and shuddered.
“When Walter broke away from me,
and left the house with a curse on his lips,
my poor, sinful dear fell forward, with a
moanin’ cry, on the carpet, and lay like a
crushed lily, her face against the broken
ring.
“We carricd Ilelen to her own room, and
for three weeks she was very sick, wild,
callin’ for some one to take off her heart
the heavy load that was breakin’ it; and it
wasn’t until she was quite strong again, that
we dared to answer the question she had
asked so many times—
“©Where is Walter?”
“And when we told her he had taken
ship for Europe, she put her arms round my
neck, and said,
“Its a just punishment for my folly. I
will pray to bear it; but take me home,
dear Annie, take me home to my mother
now.”
“ Aud so, when it got to be settled goin’,
I took my sister home—to the dear old home
she had never ceased to love. I wrote to
our parents all that had taken place, and
prepared them for Helen’s changed looks,
The May sun was just goin’ down behind
the hill, over the brook, when the stage,
with Helen and I, drove in sight of home,
and as we came nearer, we- saw father and
mother standing in the back door stoop,
waitin’ for us. Then Helen put her hand
up, and cried aloud,
“God bless father and mother!’ and
she kept her eyes closed, till we stopped at
the door, and father took her in his arms,
and then she said, ‘I come back to you like
the prodigal son of old, mother,’ and fainted
away for joy of bein’ home again.
“Thad hoped the warm, pleasant weath-
erand the sweet singin’ birds would bring
back the bloom to my ‘ rosebud? but every
day it faded more and more, and I began to
be afraid I should lose it altogether. I knew
Helen had repented sorrowfully of her sin-
fulness. Like gold that is passed through
the fire to cleanse it from dross, so was
Helen purified by sufferin’, and I thought
she was again worthy of Walter Hamilton’s
love. So, without her knowin’ it, (may God
forgive me! it was the only time I ever de-
ceived her,) I wrote to. Mr. Hamilton how
Helen had changed, how she loved him so
dear it was breakin’ her heart to be parted
from him. I told him to remember what
misguided teachin’ the poor lamb had had,
and he’d forgive, and come back to save her.
“The ship Walter left. America in was
bound for Liverpool; so I directed my let-
ter there, and waited for the answer. And
one July evenin’, when Ilelen was in the
front yard, tyin’ up a rosebush, and I sat on
the door-step lookin’ at her, a man rode up
to the gate on horseback, and callin’ to
Helen he’d got a letter for her, threw it into
the yard, and rode off. For a minute I
hadn’t strength to goto Helen, who had
picked up the letter, and stood lookin’ at it
like a person half-gone crazy. -
“Don't be frightened,’ said L
promise you good news.’. é
“¢You open it_ for me, Annie; if it is
bad, Ithink I can bear it—only open it
quickly—for I'm, very, very faint said
Helen.
“ So I read it, then put it in her hand,
and went into the house, leavin’ her readin’
it, without bein’ afraid of it’s givin’ her sor-
row. In the evenin’, when we were all set-
tin’ in mother’s room, just afore. prayers,
Tlelen told us, with bright smiles. shinin’
through her tears, that Walter had forgiven
her all her folly and sin, and was comin’
home to her in the autumn.
“So the shadows went away from Ilelen’s
face, and the sunshine seemed to live in her
heart day and night. Aunt Toward wrote
again and again for IIelen to come back to
B—, and once she came for her herself,
but Ielen was firm in her refusal never to
leave home again until Walter Hamilton
took her away, a wife.
“There was a grand house goin’ up in
B for Walter Hamilton, and Helen and
I were busy all through: the summer days,
with heaps of linen and bits of calico, Alas!
alas! :
“ Well, summer glided away into autumn,
and the mornin’ of the 24th of September
came. It was about the time the Coquette
expected to anchor in the harbor at B——,
It was the ship Walter was comin’ home in,
and Helen had watched the clouds and
prayed for fair, weather for weeks, But,
though the sun never rose fairer. than on
that mornia’, by noon it was clouded ov er,
and the sky was one great field of sullen,
smoky clouds. Though there fell no rain
here, we saw the blindin’ lightnin’ flashes,
and heard the heavy, moanin’ thunder; and
Helen prayed with white cheeks and quiy-
erin’ lips for one at sea. ‘There was a fear-
‘T dare
ful wind, too, and it Went wailin’ through .
the house long after night had come down,
dark: and starless—in the morsfin’ it was
still and clear.
“Helen knew Walter couldn’t come to
her until the second day after landin’; so
she went wanderin’ about the house, count-
in’ the hours, till the expected day came.
Then she dressed herself in Walter's favor-
ite color, and watched and waited for him
tocome. Watched and waited till the great *
red sun got lost behind the hills, and the
night came on slowly. Then she put her
little feverish hands in mine, sat down ona
low stool, and laid her head on my knee—
still waitin’, still watchin’.
“Then, my dream of so long ago, O, how
heavy it lay on my heart! I sat, holdin’ my
darlin’s head, prayin’ God to be merciful, till
mother lighted the candles, and closed’ the
curtains.. Then, of a sudden, Helen raised
her head and listened. I listened too, and
heard carriage-wheels comin’ fast, nearer
and nearer, till they stopped at our own
gate. Helen started up and went from the
house like a flash, and was at the gate by
the time the carriage had fairly stopped,
and a gentleman had sprung out, followed
by a lady. Itwas Uncle: and Aunt How-
ard. I grew sick as death, for I heard
Helen ery out,
“«Where is Walter? O, uncle, don’t
tell me he is drowned !”
“I knew it was so—I saw it in Uncle
John’s face, as he came in, with IIclen cling-
in’ so tight to his arm; and my stricken
lamb saw it, too, for she stood a minute as
though changed to stone, then puttin’ both
hands to her head, she cried in a wild voice,
“*My God, my God, why hast thou for-
saken me !’ and fell with a dull, heavy sound
to the floor. .
“Yes, the Coquette—O fatal name !—was
wrecked in sight of land, and the great
waves closed over Walter Hamilton when
his dyin’ look was upon his native shore.
“Through all the bright autumn days,
my broken bud lay on a low couch, and
watched the’ risin’ and settin’ of the sun,
knowin’ all the time the sands of her own
life were ’most run. It was aheavy blow to
us all, and it was very hard. to: say, ‘Thy
will, not ours, be done,’ but’ we put our
trust in God, and only asked for resigned
hearts, when we should hey up our treasure
in Ileaven.
“O, my darlin’ grew so lovely, that one
mornin’, when the red was fresher on her
cheek, and the light in her eyes brighter
and softer than I had’ known it for a long
while, I hoped she might be spared to us.
And when I'd brushed out her curls, and
they lay so bright on the pillow, I said,
“¢You are better to-day, my darlin’ ??
“*No, Annie,’ said she, ‘not so well, but
happier. Call father and mother to sit in
the room. “I want to look at them as long
as I can.’
“So they came, and I got the last flowers
from the garden, and was leanin’ oyer to
put them on her pillow, when: I noticed a
wanderin’ look in her eyes, as she looked up
to kiss me,
“«Is the sun goin’ into a cloud?” she
asked. «
«No, dear, it is shinin’ very bright?”
“ Then she called, presently, -
““*Jather, come kiss me; good by. Rest
my head on your shoulder, mother. Now,
Annie, hold my hand tight, and sing to me,
while I po through the dark waters. Sing
something gentle? 7 8
“So I choked down the sobs, and sung, .
‘ There is a home of peaceful rest, to weary
. |
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