LITERATURE.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 7811, 2 May 1905, Page 4

LITERATURE.

A TRANSPLANTED ROSE. (Contimrad). i Corolla felt a warmth and glow L dßout her heart when she look<*l up- ' 4 on the spires and roofs and smoke f oj Liverpool, as the good ship made V--. the port. f It was a bright, sunny September fe. day what Captain Lester bade her good-bye, having attended to her luggage and seen her comfortably enfe: sconced in the raHway carriage that e- wai to Oonvey, her to her mother. " Ifiopc when I meet you again fc - I shall be better able to thank you ft for your kindness," she seid. "No thanks arc GoodL bye again. God bless you '. ™ Corolla had sent a telegram ; so ;T when tihree hours later she arrived at L the station her uncle was there to E'"- meeti her. S " Prepare yourself to see hei; much fy. changed! "he told her as they fctf ■> drove home through the village, past L, the churchyard, with its carefullyST tended' graves, over which Ooweia fe" bloomed lovingly and birds sang I? * joyously, while the slanting rays of fj. the afternoon sun smiled in benedic- &>, tion, and kindled the church spire (? and the started windows with its t Biow- %• Mrs Burton. IB a soft grey dress, with deHcate Jacc round her neck and ?> ■ wriste, was propped up by pillows in an easy-chair. W- " Mamma—dear mamma ! you will live many years yet," she whispered, entwining her arms about her lovingly. And she retired to rest !'¥ that night under the dawn of this :' hope, and slept soundly until late f* the next forenoon, p Tell me about your home and J. your husband," her mother whisper- £'■ ■ ed ; "it will rest me to hear you , talk. It was the longing to sec you - i ihat achausted me."Corolla had to give her . minute p* particulars, and to masU her own unrest with a cheerful face, gt: That night fl)r her room she told ifc herself that she nust carefully guard 4? every word and look. £4e longed. r' for the privilege of laying her head i , upon her mother's breast, as she had done 'in childhood, and telling: nil her trouble. But it would not jjrj*; 40. H«r inothor's last hours must E., not be embittered by doubts of her JJ.' daughter's happiness. Through the stimulus of Corolla's presence. Mrs Burton kept up for f 1 sows days. Then the reaction set in. She could not be removed from • her bed. Corolla hovered round her, wearing a smile rather sad and pa- / ~ thetic, and soothed her last days ii, lovingly. The end Came gently and swoetly. S">, " Kiss me, Corolla," she whisperHf~ ed. " You will come too, before ijfc' long, and we shall be together." Ip Corolla complied. Then, as sho _ moved her fan gently, the mysteriW " ous change passed over the face, and - it was still. Corolla laid down her fan, and a quiet awe stole otci" her. - She Could not remove her eyes from the sight. A sw*etcr smile than they ■£ had worn In life was settling over . the foatnresf She could not realise tfiat this was death. But after the funeral a dreadful ■ . loneliness settled upon "her. Lifq r stretched before her so lonjg and deMlate. Her thoughts- would turn involuntarily to her husband, only to i be beaten back by tne remembrance of her shaken faith. She had recciv- * ed a cablegram and but one letter *" from him, which seemed to her cold . and unsatisfactory. She could not understand a halfway love. Her own * _ was so fresh, genuine,, analloyeJ. that she expected the same from her husband. " He would not care to soothe my ; .s: sorrow," She thought. " Miss Carew has engrossed his attention." bie had no heart to leii\t' Engr land, yet she teld herself she must) ii . go. The letter which was due from ber husband did not come ; but she had money enouA for her homo T paaioge, and felt so wretched and msettled that she resolved to start. ;..f. " Corolla has soma trouble on her mind, in addition to her mother's , death," said her aunt to her hus- * baad conCdentiaJly. '■ If she has such a good husband, why isn't she more anxious to return to him'? She has been here two months now." Hr Frotheringham, Corolla's uncle, atpompanied her to Liverpool. Ho •aw her safely on board the Peerless, and sent a cablegram to her husband to that cflect. It was late in the evening when they aailed. Before they were fairly out «f the Channel a thick fog ros?. They lost their bearing. Some time towurds morning the sleeping passen-: gers were awakened by a crash, the ship shivering and groaning like some huinan'inonlnS? in mortal, pain. They were on the rocks, not far from the coast, they judged. The blow was fatal. The ship went to pieces rapidly. A fire broke out in the engine-room, adding fresh horrors. All was confusion. There was mo fiance to get the boats out. Some jumped overboard, in terror of the flames. was a universal panic. Corolla afterwards remember- .' ad how, in the confusion, a gentleman had - given her a life-preserver, and bidding fIV follow his example, had jumped oWLioarct. Fear of the spreading, 'mounting flames had nerved her to make the plunge. The last she CouM recollect was floating ; : over the heaving waters, which were "• dyed with an awful but glorious .. -light " ; while through the

fund shroud 01' fog that enveloped everything, she could hear the ~"Dhouts and shrieks of men and woven belonging, to the doomed ship.. j t • * * v " AaA you thint now she will f reaUy recoucr, floctor ? " Yes : I think she will awake from this long*, refreshing sleep to a new life. Her good constitution and your good nursing have saved her." "I at£ very, very Ulankl'ul," Jliss Newton said. She was a lady of middle age, with a pure, earnest face from which all selfishness and passion had been swept away by a grout, f: purifying sorrow. I Dr. Ghudfcigh looked at his watch. ?' I fcave an engaigenient at three." hir satM. Goad afternoon, lli.'s r Sew ton." t- 'fliey had been standing in the * hall. She rc-ascendcd the stairs, and

ji" noiSAessly _ opened the <lo<»r «i a pleasant, "roomy chamber. In one IT- Coraer, on a low while bed, Corolla her senses all lacked in the lifell&jgiving slumbers. The furniture was Epr. Wasteful; the windows draped with lace curtains. A bouquet of hotfeglllo tabic. The curtains of the winj|S>£*"dows ooar tho bed were closvly " ; but across the room a square lav on the soft drab|r / carpet. JFis.s Xewton sat y-• down near the sunny window to - t r m The doctor had sakl slie woulU ['" "toon wake. • 0 * * eyes unclosed, wandered K'ro»m, and. closed again. confused at first, waa The unfamiliar room fur-

denly the fiery scene which had burnt itself into her memory, flow - ed into recollection. In its light t,ho foregoing events retnirw.il to lur : Her dead mother—her sorrow—h i' husband—Miss Carew—Mrs Doiigl.i-. How long -hail she been lying on that bed ? Was Bhe in England or America ? She had a Rip-Van-Winkl; i'e, 1 ine about herse'l. | She drew a long, deep sigh, which reached Miss Newton's ears, \vh > stepped lightly across the carpet to ;her bed'ide. Corolla opened her eye-! JagaVn, to meet the sweetly eariust face bending over her. Where am 1 " she aaked.

" Among friends," was tlie answer, with a quiet smile. *' Let mo give you this,'' djipping a spoon into the fc-iass of dark-colourod liquid which she held.

Corolla swallowed it quietly. It seemed cool and grateful to her parched lips. Am 1 in' England ? " she uskosl, when Miss Newton had set down the glass. !

" Yes. in Ryeport. You were found floating about on a life-preserver. Some fishermen picked you up."

" I remember." she said. " The Peerless went on the rocks in the fog—the fire broke out—l, with others, jumped overboard." She paused a moment. "This is not a fisherman's house ? " she said. " No, it is mine," said .Miss Newton with a smile.

I " How long have I been lying •here ? "

" Four weeks. You were insmisiblo fat a long time after tliey brought you ashore. Soon after you showed signs of life, fever set in." Corolla' improved rapidly. She was reticent about her past life, and M'i.-s Newton did not ask many questions. " ' Corolla,' a rare, but very pre-- ; fey naime," she said when she heard jit. v Have you no message to send jto your friends ? They will be an.xioua."

" 1 have no friends who will care to hear. .My mother died shortly before X sailed for America. My father is'dead. I have neither ibrothei s nor sisters." Miss Newton detected the ring of pain in her voice. Sbe said no more 'for the time. | When Corolla was convalescent, a strange thought was shaping, in her brain. The news of the loss of the

Peerless tad reached America. The papers had announced that only one man had reached shore, Miss NewI ton told her. Her Tmsband would be-

lieve her dead. Why go back now, .an unwelcome interloper ? | " Gilbert could marry Miss Carew, and be happy," she thought: His attentions to her, that kiss i n the twilight, were proofs to Corolla that he lowed her.

I The more she pondered the higher seemed the barrier between them. ,The fact that she was his lawful jwife, and had a right to his home and protection, if she could not command his love, had no weight with her. She mufct be everything or no- ; thing to him. An inherited pride, which disdained to enter where )she was not warmly-welcomed, furthered .her resolve. " How foolish I was to accept his offer of marriage so eagerly." she thought. "I ougfit to have reflected." [ The scheme seemed more and more practicable. Her aunt and unci.', I with others, would think she was ,lost. She would bo Corolla Burton again, and go out' as a governess. She loved children. It would not Ijj a heavy cross. I Miss Newton guessed she had an unhappy secret, and, out of kindness, mado several attempts to elicit it. | Corolla at last begged her not to question her, and asked lier aid in procuring a situation.

| " You can have a home with in as long as you choose," said Mis Newton.

I "1; have had a home with you too Jong nlready," she returned' with a sad smile. ■" I loive children. If 1 could get a situation as governess, •I should bo so grateful." I " After you are strong again, my dear, we will see what can be done : that is, if you think you will be better contented." | " I should feel more independent," said Corolla ,- and she added, " I hope to be able some day to repay you for your kindness." I "Do not mention it," said Miss Newton. * ! It his ibeen a positive pleasure to me to have you here. I find all my happinessi now in such things. Like yourself, 1 am without .near relatives in the world. When 1 .was not much older than you are, an act of selfishness on my part, prived me of a noble love.-. With | him wont all that made life desirable. I was rebellious for a long |tiinq. |)iit came 'back to live at last jto find tfiat there was something else besides self to live for. It ia a [luxury to me to make others happy. My life would be intolerable .without it."

I A few weeks later Miss Newton received a letter from a friend in Manchester, in which she mentioned I that she was looking for a governess , f or her. little Lulu. I can send you, I think, a perfect treasure," Miss Newton wrote ,'n replv. Preliminaries were arranged. In a ,week Corolla was domiciled in Mrs Erskine's cheerful home, with light ! duties, and treated in all respects an ejual. Miss Newton's patronage was all-potent.

| This took placo at the beginning of I the New \ear. Six months, which ifiF r. f, bcun ha PW oncs had she |fceen Corolla Burton in realitv, pass,ed over her. head. Then Mrs Erskinu | sickened and died. Lulu was moth.eriess.

I At Mr Erskine's invitation an el°f his Cume t0 preside jOver has home. lie begged Corolla |to remain m charge of Lulu, who had grown warmly attached to her Lorol a was glad to comply. She f' a " 1 f r om Soing ollt into the *orld again, * * * # (To bo continued.)