For Woman's Love Part- 2, Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth [reading list .TXT] 📗

A Minute Till I Call A Boy To Take

Your Chaise Around To The Stable. And,  Oh,  Sit Down. You Are Going To

Stay All Day With Me,  Too,  And Late Into The Night--There Is A Fine Moon

To-Night. Or Maybe You Will Stay A Week Or A Month. Why Not? Oh,  Do

Stay," She Rattled On,  A Little Incoherently On Account Of Her Happy

Excitement.

 

"No,  Dear," Said Cora,  "We Can Only Stay A Very Few Minutes. The Rising

Moon Will See Us Far Away On Our Route To New York."

 

"W-H-Y! You Astonish Me! How Sudden This Is! Where Are You Going?" Asked

Violet,  Pausing In Her Hurry To Call A Groom.

 

"Let Me Explain," Said Cora,  Taking One Of The Quaker Chairs And Seating

Herself. "Sylvan Has Just Received His Commission As Second Lieutenant

In The 3d Regiment Of Infantry,  Now On Governor's Island,  New York

Harbor,  But Under Orders For Fort Farthermost,  On The Extreme Frontier

Of The Indian Reserve. He Leaves By The Afternoon Express,  And I Go With

Him."

 

"Cora!" Exclaimed Violet,  As She Dropped Into Her Chair. "I Know You

Have Talked About This,  But I Never Thought You Would Do Such A Wild

Deed! Please Don't Think Of Going Out Among Bears And Indians!"

 

"I Must,  Dear,  For Many Reasons. Sylvan And Myself Are All And All To

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Each Other At Present,  And We Should Not Be Parted. More Than That,  I

Wish To Do Something In The World. I Can Not Do Anything Here. I Am Not

Wanted,  You See. I Must,  Therefore,  Go Where I May Be Wanted And May Do

Some Good."

 

"But What Can You Do--Out There?"

 

Cora Then Explained Her Plan Of Establishing A Missionary Home And

School For Indian Children.

 

"What A Good,  Great,  But,  Oh,  What A Quixotic Plan! Sylvan,  Why Will You

Let Her Do It?" Pleaded Violet.

 

"My Dear,  I Would Not Presume To Oppose Cora. If She Thinks She Is Right

In This Matter,  Then She Is Right. If Her Resolution Is Fixed,  Then I

Will Uphold And Defend Her In That Resolution," Said The Young

Lieutenant,  Loyally. But All The Same His Secret Thought Was That Some

Fine Fellow In His Own Regiment Might Be Able To Persuade Cora To Devote

Her Time And Fortune To Him,  Instead Of To The Redskins.

 

After A Little More Talk Cora Got Up And Kissed Violet Good-By. Sylvan

Followed Her Example With A Little More Ardor Than Was Absolutely

Necessary,  Perhaps.

 

At Rockhold Luncheon Was On The Table,  And Young Mrs. Rockharrt Waiting

For Them. Mr. Clarence Was Also At Home,  Having Determined To Risk His

Father's Displeasure And To Neglect His Business On This One Day--This

Last Day,  For The Sake Of The Niece And The Nephew Who Were So Dear To

His Heart.

 

After Luncheon Sylvan Went Out To Oversee The Loading Of The Farm Van,

Which Was Drawn By Two Sturdy Mules,  With The Many Heavy Trunks And

Boxes That Contained Cora's Wardrobe And Books--Among The Latter A

Large Number Of Elementary School Books. Mr. Clarence Stood By His Side

To Help Him In Case Of Need. Cora Went Up To Her Room,  Where Nothing Was

Now Left To Be Done But To Pack Her Little Traveling Bag With The

Necessaries For Her Journey,  And Then Put On Her Traveling Suit. She Had

A Quantity Of Valuable Jewelry,  But This She Put Carefully Into Her Hand

Bag,  Intending To Convert It All Into Money As Soon As She Should Reach

New York,  And To Consecrate The Fund,  With The Bulk Of Her Fortune,  To

Her Projected Home School For The Indian Children.

 

As She Sat There,  She Was By Some Occult Agency Led To Think Of Her

Grandfather's Young Wife--To Think Of Her Tenderly,  Charitably,

Compassionately. Poor Rose! In Infancy,  From The Day Of Her Father's

Death,  An Unloved,  Neglected,  Persecuted Child; In Childhood,  Driven To

Desperation And Elopement By The Miseries Of Her Home; In Girlhood,

Deceived And Abandoned By Her Lover; Now,  In Womanhood,  As Friendless

And Unhappy As If She Had Not Married A Wealthy Man,  And Was Not Living

In A Luxurious Home. Poor Rose! She Had Lost Her Sense Of Honor,  Or She

Never Would Have Married Mr. Rockharrt,  Even For A Refuge. But,  Through

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All Her Sins And Sorrows,  She Had Not Lost Her Tender Heart,  Her Sweet

Temper,  Or Her Amiable Desire To Serve And To Please. She Had Now A Hard

Time With Her Aged,  Despotic Husband. He Had Not Gratified Her Ambition

By Taking Her Into The Upper Circles Of Society,  For He Seemed Now To

Have Given Up Society; He Had Not Pleased Her Harmless Vanity With

Presents Of Fine Dress And Jewelry; No,  Nor Even Regarded Her Services

With Any Sort Of Affectionate Recognition.

 

Cora Sat There Feeling Sorry That She Had Ever Shown Herself Cold And

Haughty To The Helpless Creature Who Had Always Done All That She Could

To Win Her (Cora's) Love,  And Whom She Was About To Leave To The Tender

Mercies Of A Hard And Selfish Old Man,  Who,  Though He Highly Approved Of

His Young Wife's Meekness,  Humility And Subserviency,  And Held Her Up As

An Example To Her Whole Sex,  Yet Did Not Care For Her,  Did Not Consult

Her Wishes In Anything,  Did Not Consider Her Happiness.

 

Cora Sat Wondering What She Could Do To Give This Poor Little Soul Some

Little Pleasure Before Leaving Her. Suddenly She Thought Of Her Jewels.

She Resolved To Select A Set And Give It To Rose With Some Kind Parting

Word.

 

She Took Her Hand Bag And Withdrew From It Case After Case,  Examining

Each In Turn. There Was A Set Of Diamonds Worth Many Thousand Dollars; A

Set Of Rubies And Pearls,  Worth Almost As Much; A Set Of Emeralds,  Very

Costly; But None Of Them As Lovely As A Set Of Sapphires,  Pearls,  And

Diamonds,  Artistically Arranged Together,  The Sapphires Encircled By A

Row Of Pearls,  With An Outer Circle Of Small Diamonds; The Whole

Suggesting The Blue Color,  The Foam,  And The Sparkle Of The Sea.

 

This Cora Selected As A Parting Present To Her Grandfather's Young Wife.

 

She Took Them In Her Hand And Hurried To Rose's Room,  Knocked At The

Door And Entered. Rose Was Seated In A White Dimity-Covered Arm Chair,

Engaged In Reading A Novel. She Looked Surprised,  And Almost Frightened,

At The Sight Of Cora,  Who Had Never Before Condescended To Enter This

Private Room.

 

"Have I Disturbed You?" Inquired Cora.

 

"Oh,  No; No,  Indeed. Pray Come In. Please Sit Down. Will You Have This

Arm Chair?" Eagerly Inquired The Young Woman,  Rising From Her Seat.

 

"No,  Thank You,  Rose; I Have Scarcely Time To Sit. I Have Brought You A

Keepsake Which I Hope You Will Sometimes Wear In Memory Of Your Old

Pupil," Said Cora,  Opening The Casket And Displaying The Gems.

 

Rose's Face Was A Study--All That Was Good And Evil In Her Was Aroused

At The Sight Of The Rich And Costly Jewels--Vanity,  Cupidity,  Gratitude,

Tenderness.

 

"Oh,  How Superb They Are! I Never Saw Such Splendid Gems! A Parure For A

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Princess,  And You Give Them To Me? What A Munificent Present! How Kind

You Are,  Cora! What Can I Do? How Shall I Ever Be Able To Return Your

Kindness?" Said Rose,  As Tears Of Delight And Wonder Filled Her Eyes.

 

"Wear Them And Enjoy Them. They Suit Your Fair Complexion Very Well. And

Now Let Me Bid You Good-By,  Here."

 

"No,  No; Not Yet. I Will Go Down And See You Off--See The Very Last Of

You,  Cora,  Until The Carriage Takes You Out Of Sight. Oh,  Dear,  It May

Indeed Be The Very Last That I Shall Ever See Of You,  Sure Enough."

 

"I Hope Not. Why Do You Speak So Sadly?"

 

"Because I Am Not Strong. My Father Died Of Consumption; So Did My Elder

Brothers And Sisters,  The Children Of His First Marriage,  And Often I

Think I Shall Follow Them."

 

Mrs. Rothsay Looked At The Speaker. The Transparent Delicacy Of

Complexion,  The Tenderness Of The Limpid Blue Eyes,  The Infantile

Softness Of Face,  Throat,  And Hands,  Certainly Did Not Seem To Promise

Much Strength Or Long Life; But Cora Spoke Cheerfully:

 

"Such Hereditary Weakness May Be Overcome In These Days Of Science,

Rose. You Must Banish Fear And Take Care Of Yourself. Now,  I Really Must

Go And Put On My Bonnet."

 

"Very Well,  Then,  If You Must. I Will Meet You In The Hall. Oh,  My Dear,

I Am So Very Grateful To You For These Precious Jewels,  And More Than

All For The Friendship And Kindness That Prompted The Gift," Said Rose;

And Perhaps She Really Did Believe That She Prized The Giver More Than

The Gift; For Such Self-Deception Would Have Been In Keeping With Her

Superficial Character.

 

Cora Left The Room And Hurried To Her Chamber,  Where She Put On Her

Bonnet And Her Linen Duster. She Had Scarcely Fastened The Last Button

When Her Brother Knocked At The Door,  Calling Out:

 

"Come,  Cora,  Come,  Or We Shall Miss The Train."

 

Cora Caught Up Her Traveling Bag,  Cast

 

    "A Long,  Last,  Lingering Look"

 

Around The Dear,  Familiar Room Which She Had Occupied When At Rockhold

From Her Childhood's Days,  And Then Went Out And Joined Her Brother.

 

In The Hall Below They Were Met By Rose

 

"Be Good To Her,  Poor Thing," Whispered Cora To Sylvan.

 

"All Right," Replied The Young Lieutenant.

 

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Rose's Eyes Were Filled With Tears. It Seemed To The Friendless Creature

Very Hard To Lose Cora,  Just As Cora Was Beginning To