The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-06-19 00:00:00

A ROMANTIC REALITY.

(BY MRS. CLEMONS.)

IN THREE CHAPTERS-CHAPTER I.

TUE following story is founded upon good authority, and I
have every reason to believe the circumstances perfectly true,
as some parts of it came under my own observation. I may
remark that I have allowed myself the privilege of giving
fictitious names to the characters.

Henry Harling was the younger branch of a noble family ;
his father died when he was about fourteen years old, and his
mother, the Honourable Mrs. Harling, was a woman of
haughty imperious disposition, who had but a small jointure
to, suppoft her hereditary pride, while her mind had dwelt
long and ardently on attaining a suitable match for her son,
who had no fortune to step into when he came of age, nor
were his expectations of future title and estates more cheer-
ing : as there were four between him and the possession of
such distinctions, for his uncle, Lord Molestock, had three
sons, youths of nearly the same age as himself, all of good
constitutions and likely to live and marry, thereby rendering
the removes from the title still more distant.

Henry Harling cared little for money; he was.of a bold
generous dispOsition; and the small sum allowed him by his
mother for his private expenses while at college was amply
sufficient. He entered not into the vices and follies of the
young men who were his fellow collegians ; he was fond of
books, and could seldom be tempted to join in any of the
larks, as they were called, or the variety of expenses in which
the young men were in the habit of indulging. They would
say " Oh, Hailing is at his Greek and Latin, it is of no use
asking him to join us."

Harlini, while in the country, found, with the most
rigid economy, that she might with more eclat be seen
amongst the fashionables in London, during the winter
season. She gave out that she much preferred the country at
all times; and it was only at the earnest solicitations of her
friends that she came to town for a few months in the spring.
She had a handsome house in Clarges-street, and kept a set of
servants while in town, but all on board wages, while her car-
riage was only hired for the season. In the country, her
establishment was small, consisting of only two female
servants, and one man, who was gardener, footman, and
indeed a kind of factotum.

Her country residence was in Devonshire; it was a lovely
cottage, within a quarter of a mile of the sea ; the grounds
sloped down to the beach, and the deep plantations at the
back screened it from every rude blast. There were a few
families that she visited in the . neighbourhood, amongst
whom was the Rev. Mr. Grey, his wife and daughter. Miss
Grey was highly accomplished; she had had every advantage
of a good and solid education, which her father, from her
very infancy, had given her ; added to which, masters for the
More showy accomplishments had been procured for her, and
her naturally quick intellect had aided her in the acquirement
of every kind' of useful knowledge. Mr. Grey could give her
no fortune ; therefore he used to say, " Poor Emily, when I
am gone, and leave you in a bleak world alone, your education
_Will be an income to you." She was very lovely ; her dark
blue eye sparkled with intelligence; her hair waved in natural
ringlets over her fair brow ; the rosy hue of health was on
her cheek, and the smile of good temper played round her
small mouth : she was only seventeen, and the wildness of
childish playfulness had not yet passed away. Mrs. Harling
much admired the lovely Emily, for she was useful to her ;
Tier harp and voice amused her; her society in a ramble broke
the tediousness of green fields and lanes, and her conversa-
WM dispelled ennui, while her peculiar liveliness and, naivete
beCame almost essential to her comfort ; so that, when Mrs.
Harling was at Rose Cottage, Emily was constantly there.
There was also another family whom she frequently
visited,,—a Mr. Thompson.: He had been a Liverpool mer-
chant,.' and had accumulated an immense fortune : his only
daughter, who, at, the commencement of this story, was about
twentyAhree years old, unfortunately was deformed, and
remarkably plain. She had lost her mother when very young,
and being the heiress of 200,000 pounds, she had been
indulged by all; her governess was not allowed to insist upon
her learning anything, as her health was delicate ; cense-
qUently she was neither well educated nor accomplished.
Still she was naturally good-tempered, kind, and obliging.
Her father had only removed into Devonshire
ouirfeforryteaherssaakt etiolef
her health, and they had been settled about
castle, in the immediate neighbourhood of Mrs. Hargling,.
Laura Thompson was the person whom Mrs. Harlin had
fixed on in her own mind as a suitable wife for her son,
and she had endeavoured, for the last two years, in every
possible way, to bring about a marriage between them.
During the two months that Henry spent in Deyonhire
every year, she invited Laurar on
ctossttyntwlyit,hbheerm,-tighhintkbineg thatmore
by accustoming him to he
easily led into her views, and not think so much of her plain.