The Soldier's Wife — page 39: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

“Sweet, dearest girl, I must entreat you to re com pose yourself ! brit Lonsdale, covering her cheeks with kisses ‘* Have | not already “n= THE SOLDIER'S WIFE, | “ Tleavens! does the most devoted love that woman Can possibly testify, need such excuses as this ?” cried Frederick Lonsdale, again lavish guish sufficient in my heart to be spared the! ing his caresses upon the maiden, idea that I shall leave you thus terribly af- flicted—-thus woefully distressed? = T raniquil: n hope not-—and T feel that if is not so with }you’ returned Luey ; then wish the glimmering lize yourself therefore, beloved one, for my sake,” vot a smile upon her countenance——for she began “ T wall, I will,” responde rm Lucy in the hysteric: al accents of de apair —and she’ gazed with au earnest doting foudness upon her - but it was!to think that there was a hope of seeing her lit- tle plan realized, as Frederick thus suffered her to proceed wikhoue the fatal »nnouncement that it lover, all the ferver of her seul giving force and | was too /ate—-she said, “ Well, | was developing hers. “ But tell me,” she continued, ina “calme I voice, “is there nothing to be dove? can you not retreat from the step you have taken ?” s Again you ask me that question, dearest: Lucy,” said Lonsdale: “but were | to recall what I have done, should Tnot relapse into the same hopeless state as before ¢?” “ Listen to me, Frederick,” replied Lucy, wath a firmer as well as more tranquil demeanor than she had yet shown during the present 1- terview. forward in speech or conduct : for it is this cruel | emergency—ihis bitter crisis—which has nade | me resolve to speak as | am about to do. a wer to that tender and endearing gaze of my project to you. In this neighborhood i i is but too clear there is no hope for vou: but elsewhere the same tyrannical ban will not be set Upet your name, With my little savings, we might commence the world; and perhaps the educa- tion you have received may warrant the hope of your finding elsewhere some more suitable employ ment than that to which you have been accustomed. Frederick, dear Frederiek—within the last few days I have thought much and “upon many things: affliction and solitude ap- “Think not that the words I am pear to have given my mind seope for enlarging about to address unto you are inconsistent with! its experience. a young maiden’s modest y—or that [I am too I understand now wherefore it is that you have remained altogether in this humble and obseure village, and why you ‘have not endeavored to carve out for yourse lf some higher career or superior calling, in a city or love you, Frederick—full well do you know aoe town where your t talents and your requirements much [ love you. I have pledged my faith to) might be rendered available. Yes, Frederick, you; and heaven is my witness that I will never| I know that it was in order to be near me that be Paeiher 3. wife—I look upon you as my affianced husband. I hold myself as your destined | you have accepted so lowly a position hitherto ; and it is this consideration as well as “any other, If therefore it be possible for you to retrieve which has induced me to make of my own a. the rash step you have taken, I will not hesitate} cord the proposal I have set before you. to accompany you to the alate ”? For l feel, Frederick, ‘hat a love so sincere and so dis- Lucy had spoken with a calm firmness until) interested as yours requires whatsoever the she reached the concluding words that she had! world may consider to be a sacrifice on my part just uttered; and then her accents became low | —but which will be no sacrifice at all.” and tremulous ; and with halfaverted looks, she bent down her blushing countenance. “Oh! how fervently do I thank you for what you “ Luey, you have skei:ched out a plan of hap- piness which seems to be almost too bright for my beloved Lucy, how deeply andjrealization !” “Oh! do not tell me that I must bid fare- have just said!” exclaimed Frederick, pressing | well to hope,” cried the girl, gazing with the her to his heart. “But even were it possible,|tenderest auxiety on his countenance. “ Surely, would you not be wedding poverty ? would you) surely, there are some means foc you to retrieve not be rendering yourself an outcast from althe step you have taken. comfortable home, to share perhaps the wan- derings of a laborer in search of work—a mere vagabond—a tramp——Oh, heavens! it is im- possible that, adoringly as I love you, [ could be so int ensely selfic-h as to permit you to make guch a sacrifice on my account !” “Think not, dearest Frederick, that what | have just said,” replied Luey, speaking firmly and calmly again, “was the unpremedit ated rashness of a loving heart excited by the sense of a p ignant affliction, No: I have pondered upon the proposal | have just made to you ;— aid again | must entreat you to listen, dear Frederick. My father has never been sparing with his money towards me; and he has taken a plide i seeing me dress well—or at least he has urged me to dress even above my position. But Il have been frugal and economical with the resources thus placed at my command, In short, | have some ten or twelve pounds—my own little savings. Again must I beseech you Oh, do not say that It is irrevocable ——” “ No—heaven be thanked, it 1s not irrevoca ble!” replied Frederick : and as he thus spoke, a perfect torrent of joy shot forth from the eyes of his beauteous companion, her whole counte- nance becoming radiant with hope. “Tell me then,’ she cried, “ what is there to be done to enable you to rescue yourself from ‘the power of the recruiting-sergeant “To-morrow at half-past nine o’cloek, dearest Luey,” replied Frederick, “ I am to accompany him before Sir Archibald Redburn tu complete the formalities. Sir Archibald will ask me whether I still persevere in my resolve to be- come a soldier, I can say Vo. He will then tell me that if within twenty-four hours from that moment—that is to say, if by ten o'clock on Tuesday morning [return the bounty I have received, with twenty shillings smart money, and the payment of the sergeant’s expenses—— making some two pounds in all—I may be freed pot to consider my words unmaidenly or for-| from the shackles of enlistment.” ward-—” “Ob, heaven be thanked that it is so!” ep . Gomicbooks.co VJ ,