but that he shrunk from witnessing the pain he stantly certain that it was some one sent by Auintended to inflict. gustus, to convey expressions of his sorrow, of his love, to insist upon her accepting his comfort and assistance.

"Stay a moment," said Clara, in accents almost choked from a variety of emotions, and coloring deeply, "and I will give you an answer."

He spoke to Clara in tones which were always soft, and would have been so, if he had been pronouncing a sentence of death, and A strauge female entered with stealthy steps, though he said nothing satisfactory or definite, and finding Clara alone, after casting upon her it was enough for Clara that he sat by her once an earnest gaze of curiosity, not unmingled with more, that he spoke fondly, that he looked kindly, compassion, asked if she were Miss Kaufman. and she gave herself up to the enjoyment of Upon receiving an answer in the affirmative, she these brief moments of bliss. As the hours wore handed Clara a note from Augustus. away, Augustus reminded Clara that it was necessary for her sake, that he should leave the house before the family returned from church; but assured her that she should soon either see or hear from him again, and urged strongly upon “Oh Miss, I guess there won't be no occasion her the necessity of concealing their engage- for any answer, and to tell the truth I don't like ment for the present. Clara felt now as if her to stay here no longer. You know a poor body's fate was surrendered into the hands of Augus-life is as sweet to them, as the richest lady's in the tus, and joyfully threw off the load of care, of land.” anxious uncertainty, which had oppressed her, satisfied with thinking that he would devise some plan for the future, until he could persuade his friends to consent to their union.

Miss Wood was astonished, on her return from church, to behold what a complete transformation a few hours had wrought in Clara, and she rejoiced to see her eyes sparkle with the pure, untroubled light that belongs to childhood, and her cheek glow with the bright bloom, which renewed hope had imparted.

The despairing, helpless look of entreaty which Clara cast upon her, could not have been without effect on a heart not completely obdurate; and the woman, softening her tone, said she would wait awhile in the street, and return when she thought Clara had had time to write an answer. Clara opened the letter with a trembling hand, and read the following lines:

"You, my dear Clara, who know the softness of my heart, amounting almost to weakness, can well believe, that in our last interview, I could

Brief indeed were these bright momentstransient the dream of happiness; but bitter be- not summon firmness sufficient to give you pain, yond all expression the awakening. Day after even though I knew it to be necessary for us day passed away; Augustus neither came nor both that the truth should be revealed to you. wrote. Clara grieved at his absence, and began But it can no longer be delayed; our childish to droop under the influence of disappointment, engagement founded on natural and innocent ilbut she did not think of doubting him. An in- lusions, must be dissolved: as my reason has defectious fever broke out in Mrs. Nelson's family, veloped, I have become sensible that we owe it Miss Wood took the infection; yet, notwithstand- to ourselves and to our friends, to respect the ing her sufferings, her greatest grief appeared to opinions of society with regard to the alliances be the dread of communicating the disease to we form. You could not, I am sure, be happy Clara; but at length overpowered by exhaus- united to a man whose parents would disown tion, she sank into a state of such deep stupor, him on account of his marriage with you; but, that she became unconscious whose hand wiped dear Clara, it is the lot of few to marry the obthe death damps from her brow, or whose tears jects of their first love; your attractions are too fell upon the cold hand which Clara clasped rare to permit you to remain long unsought; and within her own, as if her grasp could retain the trust the time will come, when respectably and departing spirit. suitably married, you may see me again with When all was over, and the first burst of grief calmness, and smile at our childish dream of had subsided for the loss to her so irreparable, love. Until then, prudence and honor forbid that Clara's first thought was thankfulness that Au- we should meet again, or attempt further intergustus had not been exposed to the infection; course; and to remove all temptation to such inthe second how she should calm his fears with discretion, and to escape all danger of contarespect to herself, and dissuade him from visit-gion, as some cases of this horrible infectious ing her until the danger was over. As she was fever have appeared near my father's residence, pondering over ways and means of gaining ac- I shall leave the city immediately. cess to the messenger, whom Miss Wood was in Adieu, lovely Clara, may you be happy: the the habit of employing to carry letters to Augus-best wish that I can make you, is to forget-tus, she heard a knock at the door, and felt in

VOL. XVI-44

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66

A. V."

Clara read every word of this cruel epistle; visited Mrs. Nelson, when she found Betty Price and held it for some moments in her hand after apparently absorbed in Clara's situation, rubbing she had finished it, as if pausing to drink in its her cold hands and murmuring soothing exclawhole bitterness; then with a scream of agony mations, as one would quiet a sick child, and so wild, so heart-piercing, that it brought Mrs. Clara herself still incapable of speech or moNelson and the messenger, who was standing in tion. the street, to her aid, she fell from the chair in When Mrs. Nelson perceived increasing sympa state of insensibility, with the letter, which had toms of returning animation and consciousness, given the death-blow to her happiness, clenched she told the woman she had better go, as the convulsively in her hand. They were both moved sight of her when Clara came to herself, would to compassion by the sight before them; and the remind her of her distress, and might produce woman, forgetting her dread of infection, assist-another attack. She would have added, she ed in unfastening Clara's clothes, chafing her must never come again on such an errand, but cold hands, and muttering exclamations of pity. "Poor young thing, is her mother living?" "No, her father and mother are both dead," replied Mrs. Nelson, "and there is no one to concern themselves with her carryings on; if she had been chick or child of mine, she would never have been getting letters this way from young men: more shame to them that brought it to her." "Dear me, dear me," said the woman, without heeding the reproach, "she is in a dead faint; can't you get a smelling bottle, or some burnt feathers?"

the woman left the room without giving time for further parley, casting a farewell look of compassion upon Clara, and muttering, “His heart must be harder than a millstone; if she was rich, and had friends to stand by her, he would'nt have left her this way."

Clara was taken to bed, but she remained in a state of imperfect consciousness for some time, and when her recollection was completely restored, she turned her face towards the wall, and lay for hours with her eyes closed, without speaking or moving. Why should she burthen the Rub her hands and feet, open the window, earth longer-why should she drag on an exand I will run for a smelling bottle," said Mrs. istence so desolate, so miserable, that its whole Nelson; for in the hurry and terror of the mo- bitterness could not yet be fully comprehendment, she forgot to maintain the degree of in-ed? Augustus no longer wished her to live diguation which she would have thought it ne-for him; and now the thought came over her of cessary to display at any other time, though she did not forget to possess herself furtively of the note, which had dropped from Clara's hand. This opportunity for the gratification of her curiosity, was too tempting to be resisted.

The woman's heart softened more and more, as she bent alone over the poor girl, who lay in apparent death before her; such utter desolation and hopelessness in one so young, so beautiful, strangely affected her heart. Betty Price, for this was the woman's name, though she had been hardened by poverty and evil associations, was naturally kind-hearted, and she watched Clara with comparative interest, ejaculating from time to time, Lord have mercy upon her,” until a faint dawn of color began to appear on her cheeks.

her poor father, of Miss Wood's devotion:-and the deep shades, the quiet of Rosendale, unbroken by any noise but the singing of birds, the humming of bees, or her own gay carols, rose before her with the vividness of actual perception, and she felt an inexpressible longing to die there. With returning consciousness, she thought of the necessity of concealing the note of Augustus for his sake, and then the dread that Mrs. Nelson might have picked it up, during her swoon, and read it, recurred to her; this idea, however, she soon banished as too unworthy to be enter tained for a moment: why should she suspect Mrs. Nelson, her good friend's cousin, of such meanness?

Mrs. Nelson perceived the wandering of Clara's eye and instantly guessed her thoughts; It was not until these symptoms of returning Mrs. Nelson belonged to the Utilitarian school, life had appeared, that Mrs. Nelson re-entered, and though she had never reduced her phifor she was convinced that Clara was only in a losophy to a system, no disciple of Paley swoon, and she was determined to snatch a few could more skilfully have weighed the matter in minutes for the gratification of her curiosity. She the balance of expediency, and found that the had no time, however, to ponder upon the inter- reasons for lying preponderated. It could do no esting discovery she had made, as she suddenly good, and might do much harm to say anything remembered that she had left the strange woman alone with Clara in the parlor, and she might possess herself of some valuable article and abscond before her return.

Some compunctious twinges of conscience

to Clara in her present situation, which might produce an attack similar to that from which she had just recovered. Much too, as she blamed Clara's imprudence, she could not view her without compassion, and she would not willingly

have inflicted upon her another pang, so she un-place it before me, I will give you some trinkets hesitatingly gave the note to Clara, and told her to dispose of, which I have been told are very she had not read it.

valuable; they will I hope pay my debt to you, Satisfied with this assurance, Clara took the and as I feel, Mrs. Nelson, that I shall not trouble note from Mrs. Nelson's hand, but she felt a you long, I hope there will be enough left of the sharp and sudden pain through her heart as she money to prevent your losing any thing." again touched it, she would not again have read There was something in Clara's look and man. those words, which had so blasted her whole ex-ner which silenced Mrs. Nelson, who obeyed istence, for untold wealth. She asked Mrs. her, with a strange mixture of feelings, in which Nelson in a tone so faint, so expressive of the some shame mingled, some unrelentings, but these crushing anguish of her soul, to hand her a small she conquered, and took from Clara's hand a writing desk that stood on a table in the room, brooch set with rubies, and a locket, which from that Mrs. Nelson, awe-struck, complied in silence, the peculiarity of the workmanship and setting for even a glimpse of the depth of anguish of was an unique.

which the human heart is capable, will awe and "I am going to be very ill," said Clara, presssilence for awhile the coarsest natures; we shrink ing her hand to her forehead, "but do not emfrom a revelation of the capacity of suffering ploy a physician, I beg, even if my senses should which exists in our common being. Clara leave me, for I could not pay him and it is best taking a small key from her bosom made a vain I should die; I will try to give you very little attempt to unlock the desk. trouble."

Mrs. Nelson took the key from Clara, and having unlocked the desk, and placed the note in a small drawer, carefully relocked it, but not before her eye had rested on some old trinkets, with some speculation on the value of which, she gave the key back to Clara.

Mrs. Nelson found Clara's hand was very hot, and she was instantly struck with the fear, that she was taken with the typhus fever. Lie still," she said, "try to compose yourself, and don't give way so, perhaps if you could sleep awhile, you would feel better."

The thought passed rapidly through Mrs. NelAnd taking the trinkets, she left the room, son's mind, that these trinkets might afford Clara leaving Clara to sleep awhile. Clara looked some means of discharging her rent, which had around her, and felt that she was indeed alone, been some days due, for after discharging Miss alone; she felt as if she had already passed to a Wood's funeral expenses, she had literally nothing separate state of existence, as if her spirit stood left, and the distraction of her mind was such, on a cold, bleak shore of utter loneliness, where no that the very circumstance that the day had voice could be heard, no form seen, and she shudpassed by on which her rent ought to have been dered. Wild, incoherent fancies passed through paid, escaped her attention, and Mrs. Nelson her brain, strange forms seemed to hover near could not quite find it in her heart to remind her her, oh were these the shadowings forth of that of it. But now, she thought a word of sugges- spiritual world to which she was passing, passtion would not be amiss; indeed disagreeable as it ing without a word of love or pity, to a world, was, she most perform the duty which she owed cold, dim and distant, perhaps to be arraigned her five children and herself, to collect what was before a dread tribunal! due to them.

The first insidious stages of typhus fever were With some hesitation, she observed, "Miss creeping over Clara, before she had received the Clara, those are very fine stones in those old letter which sealed her doom, and beneath the lockets and brooches, I should think you could combined influence of disease and unspeakable get something handsome for them, and as you are distress, it is not wonderful that she soon lost all so much in want of money just now, I will try consciousness. if you wish me, to dispose of some of them for you."

Meanwhile, Mrs. Nelson pursued her way to Mr. Vincent, the jeweller's, who unlike all This speech and the manner in which it was jewellers ever before commemorated in prose or made reached Clara's wandering thoughts, and verse, was an upright and honest man, and who she remembered her debt to Mrs. Nelson and also at once agreed to purchase the trinkets at a price that these jewels afforded her the only means of far exceeding Mrs. Nelson's most sanguine exdischarging it. The very thought of parting with pectations. The sum arising from the sale was these trinkets, endeared to her by a thousand re- not only sufficient to pay the debt which Clara collections and associations, would once have had already contracted, but to cover any probacaused Clara a bitter pang, but she felt now, that ble expenses, that it would be necessary to incur nothing could increase or diminish her wretched- on her account. But Mrs. Nelson prudently reness, and she replied without hesitation- solved, as she perceived Clara's utter helpless"If you will once more unlock the desk, and ness, to reserve as much as possible of this fund

for contingent expense, and endeavored to pro- ture boarding with me, that I have good reason to cure her medical attendance free of cost. believe is entirely destitute, and I don't think she has any kin in the world; her father was a German, and he died not long since."

"Fortunately," she exclaimed mentally, "there are some good Samaritans still left in the world," though it did not enter into her head to enact this unprofitable part herself, and briskly turning down another street, she walked on without stopping until she arrived at an old looking, brick house at the door of which she knocked.

"Is Dr. Lieber at home, my good woman?" she said to an old domestic, who opened the door. "Yes ma'am, but he is very tired, he has been out all the morning, but walk in ma'am, it is well known he never spares himself, and nobody else spares him," said the woman with a significant nod, which Mrs. Nelson passed on without heeding.

This was touching the right chord, for Dr. Leiber had not left Germany, until that period when the heart strings have taken root in their native soil, and cannot be eradicated without tearing them away; to be of German extraction, was at once, to possess a claim to his services.

There was a visible softening of tone and manner when Dr. Leiber inquired the name of the girl, and the nature of her illness.

"Oh Sir, I have little doubt, that she is taken with typhus fever, her hand was burning hot, and her mind wandering like, when I left her. But I forgot you asked me her name, it is Clara Kaufman. She is as simple, sir, as a new-born baby, and I may say, as helpless."

The woman opened the door of Dr. Lieber's sanctum, and Mrs. Nelson bustled in after her. The room was strewed with every variety of odd things, marking strongly the peculiarities of the "You had best return to her as soon as posworthy occupant, and the incongruity of his pur-sible," said Dr. Leiber, whose interest was now suits. Here lay a German violin, there some fairly aroused, "unless you have left her in stuffed birds, here bundles of dried herbs, there careful hands, and I will follow you in a few anatomical preparations, shells, chemical vessels, minutes." mixtures and decoctions of his own invention, which had never found their way into any pharmacopoeia.

Dr. Leiber had determined to enjoy this short interval of leisure to the utmost, and was busily engaged in compounding a mixture of his own invention, when Mrs. Nelson entered. He looked up, at her entrance, with a momentary gesture of impatience, and pushed rather than handed her a chair, "Good morning, madam. I hope you do not want me immediately, as I am very busy, and have scarcely had time to eat for these three days."

"Indeed, I am sorry, Dr. Leiber," said Mrs. Nelson in her blandest tone, "to interrupt you, as I know how little rest you have, but there are so few charitable people about, that if it were not for you doctor, I don't know what would become of all the sufferers in the community, especially in these dreadful times."

Dr. Leiber was eminently benevolent, both in feeling and action, but he had an especial horror of cant and imposition, and was by no means conciliated by the complimentary strain of Mrs. Nelson's address. He eyed her with a glance much too penetrating to be agreeable, and answered in a tone marked rather by sincerity than politeness.

"But you understand me, sir," said Mrs. Nelson, with some embarrassment, though without hesitation, "that is a case of charity, for the poor, young thing has no friends, and as I am a widow with five children, you know it is as much as I can do to keep our heads above water."

"I shall not charge a cent in such a case as this, Mrs. Nelson, and shall be fully paid, if I can do any thing to help this poor girl, but I shall certainly expect you to see that she does not want proper care."

Mrs. Nelson gave the required promise, and there was something in Dr. Leiber's looks, which convinced her, that it would not be easy to evade the performance of it; she was very slightly acquainted with him, but his well known character for benevolence, had induced her to believe that an application to him in such a case as this was not likely to be made in vain, and yet she was somewhat disappointed in the sort of man she expected to find.

Dr. Leiber was a man of strongly marked and peculiar character, combining so many apparently contradictory points, that he would have afforded a puzzling, but highly interesting study to those who delight in exploring the mysteries and understanding the varieties of human nature. Though advanced beyond the middle "Of course, madam, all doctors who deserve riod of life, he retained the warmth of feeling, the name will help those who cannot help them- and impetuosity of character belonging to youth, sslves, may I ask if it is for a person of this de- which the experience that every man must pass scription, that you wish to engage my services?" through, who has to work his way, in a strange "Yes sir" replied Mrs. Nelson, rather shrink-country, to professional eminence, was continuing from his glance, there is a poor young crea-ally checking and restraining, and it was often

pe