"Yes, dear! Brother is gone," sobbed the mother, taking the last child that remained to her, and hugging it pa.s.sionately to her bosom. It was a long time before she could resume her work, and then so deep was her feeling of desolation, that she could not keep back from her eyelids the blinding tear-drops.
CHAPTER VI.
PERKINS" NARRATIVE.
THE efforts made by Perkins to find the residence of the stranger proved unavailing. Half suspecting that Michael had deceived him, he returned to the shop of Mr. Berlaps, and asked the direction anew.
It was repeated precisely as at first given.
"But I have been there."
"Well, wasn"t she at that number?"
"No."
"I don"t know any thing about her, then. It often happens that these sewing girls deceive us as to their whereabouts?"
Perkins turned away disappointed, but with his interest in the stranger more than ever excited.
"Who and what can she be? and why do I feel so deep an interest in a perfect stranger, who cannot possibly be any thing to me?" were involuntary questions which the young man endeavored, but in vain, to answer.
That night, as he sat alone in his room, his friend Milford came in and found him with the miniature before alluded to in his hand.
"Whose sweet face is that? Bless me! But she is a lovely creature!"
said Milford, as his eye caught a glimpse of the picture which Perkins made a movement to conceal. "Aha! Mr. Sober-sides! have I found you out at last?"
But seeing that his remarks had the effect to disturb, even agitate his friend, he said, in a changed tone--
"Forgive me if I have thoughtlessly jarred a string that vibrates painfully! I knew not that you carried in your heart an unhealed wound."
"And yet I do, my friend. A wound that, I fear, will never cicatrize. Five years have pa.s.sed since I parted with the living original of this picture. The parting was to be only for a few months. We have never met since, and never will, in this world! The sea gives not up its dead!"
There was a solemn earnestness in the voice of Perkins, that showed how deeply the loss still affected him.
"To me," said his companion, after a pause, "it seems strange that you should never have alluded to this subject, even to your nearest friend."
"I could not, Milford. The effort to keep my feelings under control has been severe enough, without permitting myself to speak of the matter at all. But now that it has been alluded to, I feel inclined to talk upon the subject, if you have any desire to hear."
"I certainly have an anxious desire to hear," replied Milford.
Perkins shaded his face for a few moments with his hand, and sat silent and thoughtful. He then gave, in a calm voice, the following narration:--
"You are aware that, when I came to this city to reside, a few years since, I removed from Troy, New York. That is my native place--or, at least, I had lived there from boyhood up, when I removed to Boston. It is now about ten years since a man named Ballantine, who seemed to possess considerable wealth, made his appearance in the place, accompanied by his daughter, a young girl about thirteen years of age. He came from New Orleans, where his wife had died, and where he was still engaged in business. His object in coming North with his child was to secure for her the advantages of a good seminary. He seemed to prefer Troy, and after remaining there for some months concluded to place his child in the family of a newly-married man, whose wife, somewhat matronly in age and in habits, happened to please his fancy, as a maternal guardian for his child. After making every requisite arrangement in regard to her education, he returned to New Orleans, from which city money to defray her expenses was regularly transmitted. Once a year he came North to visit her, and remained in our town for a few weeks.
"I happened to know the family in which Eugenia Ballantine was placed, and became acquainted with her immediately. I was then but a boy, though some four years her senior, yet old enough to feel for her, from the beginning, something more than a mere fraternal regard. And this sentiment was reciprocal. No place was so pleasant to me as that which was cheered by her presence--no smile warmed my heart like her smile; and I could always see her countenance brighten the moment I came where she was.
"Gradually, as year after year pa.s.sed, and she still remained among us, our early preference for each other, or rather our early affection, a.s.sumed a more serious character. We loved each other; she was just seventeen, and I twenty-one, when I ventured to tell her how deeply, fervently, and purely I loved her. The formal announcement did not seem to create surprise, or agitate her in the least.
""I never doubted it," was her innocent reply, looking me tenderly in the face.
""And do you love me as truly as I love you, Eugenia?" I asked.
""Have you ever doubted it?" was her quiet response to this, also.
"From that moment I was bewilderingly happy. My family was one of wealth and standing; and I immediately wrote to Mr. Ballantine, who, after sufficient time to make inquiry in regard to the character and position of his daughter"s lover, returned a cordial a.s.sent to my proposal for her hand. Thus far every thing had gone on as smoothly as a summer sea. We smiled sometimes together at the carping adage, "The course of true love never did run smooth," and referred to our own case as a signal instance of its falsity.
"During the summer succeeding our engagement, Mr. Ballantine did not come on to the North. In the ensuing spring, Eugenia"s term of instruction closed at the seminary, after having been in Troy nearly live years. She was a tall, beautiful woman, with a mind highly cultivated, and externally accomplished in every respect. I was proud of her beauty and acquirements, at the same time that I loved her with fervent devotion. Spring pa.s.sed away and summer came; with the advancing season her father arrived from the South. He had not seen his child for two years, during which time she had grown up into a mature and lovely woman. I could forgive the jealous pride with which he would look into her face, and the constant tenderness of his allusions to her when she was away from his side.
""I do not think, Mr. Perkins," he would say to me, sometimes, "that I can let you have my Eugenia, unless you will go South. I am sure I cannot part with her again."
""Why not come North, Mr. Ballantine?" I would suggest.
"But he would shake his head as he made some disparaging remark in regard to the North, and playfully insist that I must go with him to the sunny South. It was about the first of September that I asked that our marriage might take place at an early day. But the father shook his head.
""Be content that the flower is to be yours. Do not become too eager to pluck it from its parent stem, I must have my dear girl with me for at least one winter. In the spring she shall be yours."
""Oh, no! Mr. Ballantine," I said in alarm. "You are not going to rob me of her for so long a time?" I spoke with warmth.
""Rob you of her!" e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.ed the father, in seeming half indignation. "You are unreasonable and very selfish, my dear boy!
Here you have had her for five years, and after a little while are to have her for life, and yet are unwilling to give me even the boon of a few short months with my own child. You are not generous!"
"I felt the rebuke, and confessed that I had been moved by too selfish feelings.
""If you think the time long," he added, "all you have to do is to take a packet and come round--we shall welcome you with joy."
""That I shall no doubt be compelled to do, for I will not be able to exist for five or six long months away from Eugenia."
""So I should suppose. Well, come along; and after I get you there, I will see if I can"t inoculate you with a love of southern people, southern habits, and southern manners. I am sanguine that you will like us."
""Well, perhaps so," I said. "But we will see."
"The time for the departure of Mr. Ballantine and his daughter was set for the first of October. The few remaining days pa.s.sed on fleet wings, and then, after completing the necessary arrangements, Eugenia left Troy with her father for New York, thence to go by sea to her native city. I accompanied them down the river, and spent two days with them in the city, previous to the sailing of the ship Empress, in which they were to embark. Our parting was tender, yet full of hope for a speedy meeting. I had already made up my mind to visit New Orleans about January, and remain there during the winter.
Our marriage was then to be solemnized.
"After the sailing of the Empress, I returned to Troy, to await the news of her safe arrival at New Orleans. I felt gloomy and desolate, and for my uncompanionable humor received sundry playful jibes or open-rebukes from my friends. In about a week I began to examine the shipping lists of the New York papers, in the hope of seeing some notice of the good ship that contained my heart"s best treasure. But no record of her having been spoken at sea met my eyes as I scanned the newspapers day after day with an eager and increasing hope, until four, five, and six weeks had pa.s.sed away. So much troubled had I now become, that I went down to New York to see the owners of the ship.
""Has the Empress arrived out yet?" I asked, on entering the counting-room.
""Not at the latest dates," was the reply, made in a voice expressive of concern.
""Is not her pa.s.sage a very long one?"
""We should have had news of her arrival ten days ago."
""Has she been spoken on the pa.s.sage?"