The Freemason's Daughter: A Novel — page 234: what you’re looking at

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

THE FREEMASONS DAUGHTER. 227 through struggles in which mere feeling would be im- potent and passion useless. Faithful to his promise, the warm-hearted friend of her lover, William Bowles, was a daily visitor at the cottage. If he could not remove the cause of Amy’s sorrow, he at least could soothe it, by speaking of Beacham, and predicting a bright and happy future. Hopes are to lovers like toys to children—they amuse and pass the hours, which else would hang with fearful heaviness. The evening before the widow’s dissolution, the lethargy which, like a nightmare, seemed to have spell- bound her faculties was dissolved—it was the last flicker of the expiring lamp, ere its light is changed to darkness ; and it seemed more brilliant by the coming contrast. Amy was delighted at the change, and, for the first time since her brother’s death, began to indulge in hope. . ‘Don’t be deceived, Amy,”’ said her mother, faintly. ‘IT have but some hours—perhaps not so long——to live. God has mercifully given me a few moments’ conscious- ness, that I may bless my child before I die. Forgive me!” she continued, as the weeping girl sank upon her knees by the side of the bed, and clasped her attenu- ated hand, covering it at the same time with kisses. *“‘ Forgive me, Amy; I know I ought to have struggled for your sake, after poor Richard’s death, and not have abandoned you, in a harsh, unfeeling world; but I could not: my heart was crushed, Amy—crushed.” Q 2 COniiclooecl SS (SO