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394 THE PORTRAIT.
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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?- ¦ Chapter Ix.
hung * over the brown wood , and the purple-tinted water—purpletintedbecause it was evening—and a violet-colored hazefilled
the vallev , and marked the river's course . Not a leaf stirred , , on tree or bush ; the winds were asleep ; no sounds disturbed the air ,
the sereneness of nature was perfect . The solemnity of the hour was upon me , and a deep earnest sense of gratitude penetrated
my entire being . I was sitting within the porch of ray unostentatious dwelling ,
"watching the varying forms and changing hues of the clouds as in slow procession they gathered themselves into one glowing mass ,
• whereon to pillow the sinking sun . Softly he descended , leaving _, behind a g _lo _^ lpus blaze of crimsoned lihtbright herald of as bright
g , . a morrow . _^ _Iplie spell of the majesty and beauty of creation was over all . In the universal hush I seemed to hear the rustling of the
wings of the spirit of peace . Like the outer world , my soul Was wrapt in repose . The past was not regretted , the future not feared .
The present at that moment -was beautiful , and the present alone was mine . What though the scent of the hawthorn was gone ; roses
had come in its stead . And what if the roses had withered and were dead , the fragrance of other flowers perfumed the night air .
I ¦ was " Emil sati y sfied ! " cried , and Mrs at rest . Richards . who was seated at an open window
, not far from me , " the dews are falling : come in ; of what are you dreaming ?"
" Of nothing , " I answered , starting up at the sound of her voice . "I thought I saw some one at the gate" she added .
, I turned round and looked in the direction of the entrance ; and hi the winding walk dignified by the name of avenue , I certainly
perceived an approaching visitor . "It is Dr . Osmond , or my brother Charles" I carelessly replied ,
, and advanced to meet the coming one . The interval of years became as many hours . It was only as
the night succeeding that autumn evening in Russell Square , when the poor Italian passed with his organwhen the trees had looked
, parched , and all looked mournful , when the last rose of hope had been rudely torn from its stem . Now the landscape was flooded
with gorgeous light . A voice whispered " Emily . " One moment more—the hand of Cleveland was clasped in mine . The past fled
like a troubled dream in the morning light . Time was , for the momentannihilated , / the stars were shining above us as m
, former years , the same cool air fanned my cheek , and the same earnest eyes were looking into mine .
Words were not needed to tell me why he was come—for what purpose , on what errand ? My heart divined it all ; and
there as I stood with Cleveland in that solemn hour of our reunionbeneath that glowing autumn skyI felt that our happiness
was more , perfect , our love more hallowed , than if we had not ,
suffered . A sombre messenger from another world had rent
394 The Portrait.
394 THE PORTRAIT .
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Citation
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English Woman’s Journal (1858-1864), Aug. 1, 1861, page 394, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ewj/issues/ewj_01081861/page/34/
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