LITERATURE.

Globe, Volume IV, Issue 411, 6 October 1875, Page 3

LITERATURE.

A HOMELY HERO.

{From the Saturday Advertiser.)

( Concluded.)

I regretted this much, because I knew he was not Avorthy of her, and I longed the more to tell my love, so that she might be saved from being sacrificed to him. I was, therefore, greatly relieved when I heard one day that she had refused him. But, at the same time, it opened my eyes to what I was doing myself. I was glad if I had been the means of preventing her accepting Burton ; but I might stand in the way of some one even more worthy of her than I, for I loved her truly and well, and would, I think, have made her a good husband, could that have been. Up till this time, I had half hoped that my sisters would get married or that I would be able to wed her; but now 1 saw clearly that I must either speak or indicate by some means that I did not intend to do so.

The former, I had already decided, I ought not to do ; so after a struggle I resolved on the latter course. Oh ! it was hard, hard ; but I did it. The first chance I had of conversing with her alone I spoke to her in a careless manner about marriage, saying that I would not marry as I was too fond of my freedom ; that I had never seen the girl yet, whom I should care to call wife. That I liked to have lady friends, such as she was ; and a great deal more in the same strain. Heaven forgive the lies I told. I saw she was astonished and hurt, though she said very little ; and this confirmed me more than ever in the course I had taken. I was thankful, I can tell you, when that interview was at an end. It was all I could do to keep from falling at her feet and saying : " My darling, it's all nonsense ; I love you." A couple of months afterwards, Burton, with his characteristic impudence proposed. to Mote again, and she, poor girl, accepted him. It was more than I could stand, and I applied to be removed, which was done very shortly after. From what I can hear, it has turned out as I expected—Mote's marriage to Burton has not added to her happiness. He is not actually cruel to her, but he neglects her, and has no sympathy with her. I don't think he means to make her unhappy, for he is in a way proud of his pretty wife, but he is a cold, unfeeling man, without a spark of love or sentiment in him. It's a sin to covet another man's wife, but I do that, often. Even yet, a day seldom passes without my thinking of her. I never could love anybody else. So you see, if I was free to do so to-morrow, I could never marry now. But I have been talking in a very extraordinary way. Don't breathe a syllable of what I have told you to a soul, like a good fellow. It was not right of me to tell you all this, and I should not have disparaged my own kith and kin to any one ; but somehow it came out before I thought of what I was about. But now, my boy, you must not sit up too long, you know.' He helped me into bed and smoothed my pillow as tenderly and gently as a woman. Poor old Drummond ! how I admired his self-sacrificing nature. In my eyes he was a greater hero than even he who volunteers to lead a forlorn hope. There was not the slightest chance of his winning honour and glory, not even from his selfish, unappreciative mother or sisters ; and yet how nobly had he borne his weary burden without a murmur. Aye, thought I, even in ordinary life, one may be called upon to perform acts of heroism as difficult of performance as those which have been, in all ages, accounted noble deeds ; and yet the world know naught of them. But the truest heroes are those who, like this great simple soul, never think of any reward.