woman, and best business-man of the society, always made speeches in
favor of Brother Spyke and his mission (a special one), he never got
off to Antioch.
“Feeling forlorn, smarting under disappointment, and undecided where to
go after I left the house in Mercer street, I looked in at the house of
the ‘Foreign Missions.’ Mrs. Slocum, as I had many times before seen
her, was warmly contesting a question concerning Brother Spyke, with
the good-natured man in the chair. It was wrong, she said, so much
money should be expended, and Brother Spyke not got off to Antioch. So
leaving them debating Mr. Spyke’s mission to Antioch, I proceeded back
to the house in Mercer street, and inquired for the landlady of the
house. The landlady, the woman that opened the door said, was engaged.
The door was shut in my face, and I turned away more wounded in my
feelings than before. Day and night I contemplated some plan by which
to ascertain Anna’s place of abode, her pursuit in life, her wants.
When we parted she could neither write nor read: I had taken writing
lessons, by which I could communicate tolerably well, while my
occupation afforded me the means of improvement. A few weeks passed (I
continued to watch the house), and I recognized her one afternoon, by
her black, floating hair, sitting at a second-story window of the house
in Mercer street, her back toward me. The sight was like electricity on
my feelings; a transport of joy bore away my thoughts. I gazed, and
continued to gaze upon the object, throwing, as it were, new passion
into my soul. But it turned, and there was a changed face, a face more
lovely, looking eagerly into a book. Looking eagerly into a book did
not betray one who could not read. But there was that in my heart that
prompted me to look on the favorable side of the doubt-to try a
different expedient in gaining admittance to the house. When night
came, I assumed a dress those who look on mechanics as vulgar people,
would have said became a gentleman; and approaching the house, gained
easy admittance. As I was about entering the great parlors, a familiar
but somewhat changed voice at the top of the circling stairs that led
from the hall caught my ear. I paused, listened, became entranced with
suspense. Again it resounded-again my heart throbbed with joy. It was
Anna’s voice, so soft and musical. The woman who opened the door turned
from me, and attempted to hush it. But Anna seemed indifferent to the
admonition, for she tripped buoyantly down stairs, accompanying a
gentleman to the door. I stood before her, a changed person. Her
recognition of me was instantaneous. Her color changed, her lips
quivered, her eyes filled with tears, her very soul seemed fired with
emotions she had no power to resist. ‘George Mullholland!’ she
exclaimed, throwing her arms about my neck, kissing me, and burying her
head in my bosom, and giving vent to her feelings in tears and
quickened sobs-‘how I have thought of you, watched for you, and hoped
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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