To win the way to it, there must be not only earnestness of
love, but earnestness of life.
Weeks roll by, and other letters pass and are answered,--a glow of
warmth beaming on either side.
You are again at the home of Nelly; she is very joyous; she is the
confidante of Madge. Nelly feels, that with all your errors you have
enough inner goodness of heart to make Madge happy; and she
feels--doubly--that Madge has such excess of goodness as will cover your
heart with joy. Yet she tells you very little. She will give you no full
assurance of the love of Madge; she leaves that for yourself to win.
She will even tease you in her pleasant way, until hope almost changes
to despair, and your brow grows pale with the dread--that even now your
unworthiness may condemn you.
It is summer weather; and you have been walking over the hills of home
with Madge and Nelly. Nelly has found some excuse to leave
you,--glancing at you most teasingly as she hurries away.
You are left sitting with Madge upon a bank tufted with blue violets.
You have been talking of the days of childhood, and some word has called
up the old chain of boyish feeling, and joined it to your new hope.
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