The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-08-03 00:00:00

Littra
tu r t .

A LOST LOVE.
A fter DIA itanmore's ant visit to the painting-roma
in Berner's-at: eel, it mu astonishing how entharlastio a
tame he conlr toted for art. He was neellf tired if coo-
teniplating h • friend's great picture, and Simon used
leughingly to declare the amateur has. every hoe aad
•hade of colon r in his Fairy Queen as aosuretaly as the
painter. He remained in London at • lemon which
could have off ore.sd few attractions for a pause UMn of
his previous t shit, and imam every day to the painting-
room sa regui any as the model herself. Thus it fell
out that Dick . religiously separintendieg the progress
of this Fairy lueen, found his eyes wandering perpetu-
ally from the representation on cane., to it. originel on
Ni.. Alcorn. n's shoulders, and gratified hi. sense of
sight with lost scruple, that from the very nature of her
occupation sh • wag compelled to keep her head always ,
turned ono • ay.

Simon, alw aye painting. Fought bard to keen down
that little II 'evening of self which constitutes very
identity. U • oder the cold impassive vigour he wu so
determined k preserve, be registered many • noble vow
of fortitude and abnegation on behalf of the friend be
valued, of the WOMILII be loved. Sometimes • pang
would shoo t through him painfully enough while be
marked a ai lenge of Nina's colour, a little flatter of
manner, • little trembling of her hand; and felt that
she wan sin ;ay more affected by the presence of this
comparative stranger than she had ever shown herself
by hie, who had clued for hi.r so tenderly, wonhipped
her ime lon Then he bent all his faculties on the
platelet, an a like a child running to seize its mother's
sow; took refuge with his art.
.••

'l4Pas, to lived in • golden dream, from which it wed
net only fe at that she must soon awake. Erelong, she
evinetimes thougl A, she must ask herself, who was this
atrisoger that bro ught with him • good of sunshine into
the homed r point ing-roons ? that storped for her uncon•
aciously •ad wit boat effect, evety day in happiness,
evosry 113.1 nine it • hope? Bbo pat off asking the ques-
tion, bast 3( per haps • wholesome rseolleetion of him,
who, going to as ant hie treasure of fairy gold, found it
otilv witt seed I eaves, and let herself &Kt with the
stream, in that enjoyment of the present which is en.
henood re, her t ban modified by misuivings for the
future. Nue. • se very happy, that is the honest truth,
and even let be sot! seemed to brighten like the bloom
on • 84mor, opt ning to the smile of spring.
Simon mark d the change. How could he help it
And mail he pe nted—paintod on.

• -- - "There l" et claimed the artist, with • sigh of relief
as he stepped wok from his picture, stretching both
weary arms ab ova his heal "At last —at last! If I
only like it to- ;narrow as well es I do now not another
touch shall to into it anywhere above the chin. It's the
expression been trying to catch for m-mobs. There
It is ! Doubt , sorrow. remorse, and through it all, the
real undying love of ths Well, that's all cant I
loran— Can't you see, that she likes him awfully even
flow' Nina, you've been the making of me, you're the
beat sitter in the world, and while I look at my picture
I begin to t hick you're the handsomest. I mustn't
touch it agai o. Steamers, what do you think?'
Absorbed in eontemplation of his work, be paid little
attention ti , the answer, which was so far fortunate,
that Dtck, chic pre-occupation, lettere I out asking of
contradict* ry critieisms, Battering neither to the orivnal
nor the ear .v. Nina indeed suggested, with some truth,
that be he cl made the eyebrows too dark, but this re-
mark appe aced to originate only in a necessity for sous,
shin( to i y. These two young people seemed unusually
shycadll lat ease. Perhaps in each of the three hearts
beating ti ,ers before the picture lurked some vague sus-
picion th it it. waistfel impression se lately caught may
bur., he en owing to corresponding froliep letely
awaken' •I in the model ; and, if so, why should not two
of them totes thrilled with happiness, though the third
might • abet in loneliness and despair?

" No! another stroke ol work will I do to-day," said
the art at, affecting • cheerfulness which perhaps be did
not fe 1. NUM, you're got to be bask early. I'll
have a half-holiday for once sod take you boom. Put
your 1 onset ou : I shall be ready in five minutes when
I've • übed my hands."
Die A's face toll. He had counted on a couple more
hour I at least, Womea, when they are rosily die ',-
polo ted, rare',u show it, and perhaps be felt. little hart
to 01 crve ow readily, and with whit apparent good-
will Mem Algernon resumed her out-of-doors attire.
lit tell b artily slam of his ground yet, or he might hare
ii Is milk In monad. No bad plan either, for such
• misenderetendinge bring on explanations, ree
in-
dia Adams, •daelarationa, all aorta of vexations, every
4., I

Ladles ere stanch believers in lack. and Leave much to
• tensor. with a devout Isiah that it will servo them at
iheir need. I imagine Nina thought it pule in that
naterel coon. or events that a dirty boy should enter
the room at this juncture and deliver a note to Simon,
whieh called forth all big euergios and sympathies in a
moment. The note, folded, in • hurry, written with.
,pletail, was from • brother artist, and ran thus

'DIAS &vox—Come and see mit if you can. Oa
my back I Two doctors. Not goind to be rubbed out,
but bemtly seedy all the saute.'
When was be taken III! Who attending him?
Anybody taking care of him? What o'clock is it con?
Tell him PH be there in Bre minutes.' Simon
llmrc hiniielf of them am:itemise in a breath, end
then glanced from Nina to Dick Stisninore.

'1 dare my you wouldn't mind, said he, • 1 mast (0
to this poor fellow, and if lend him very ill I rosy be
untamed till evening. If you've time, tltaminore, mold
you see Kiss Algernon as Ice.. the boot? blued do
very well then, but we don't like her wandering shout
Linden by herselL'
It is possible. this idea may bare suggested inlet, to
the peranns mmt concerned, for all that they seemed so
supremely unconscious, and as if the arrangement,
though • sensible °tie and convenient no doubt, were •
mutter of perfect indifference to themselves.
Dick ' would be delighted,' of worse, though be tried
not to look to ; and Nina ' eouldn't think of giving
Mr. tratmunore so much trouble.' N within
ten minutes the two were turning into Ozfordetreet in
• hansom cab, and although they said very little, being
indeed in a vehicle which jolted, swung, and rattled
inonlinutely, 1 have not the least doubt they enjoyed
their drive. . . .

enjoyed the river iteamer, too, which morns
equally strange, with its narrow deck, ita tangible
smoke, its jerks and sorts, and throbbing vibrations,
no it worked its way against the tide. lhoy bad never
buten, been alone together, and the sitnation, though
delightful, wee at first somewhat embaraming, because
they were In enrolled. The restraint, however, soon
wore oil. end with tongues onoe loosened there wee no
leek leek of matter f..ir their employment. How
beautiful, how intareating, new picturesque every-
thing ireetueil to have grown cli at once • the Houses
of Parliament—the bridges—the dull, broad endear of
the river, may, with a muddy tinge—the low, level
banks—the blunt-Dosed berges—their fellow-paneengere
—the eimineer—the boy with the mop—and the dingy
funnel of the steamer Itself. . .

How loyeterious the charm that lurks in amelation ;
of idea.! What magic it imparts to the commonest I
nations, the must vulgar object. of life I What a heart-
ache on masions has it not caused you or me? fine of
u.O•noct see a woman fitting on her gloves without •
Fang. To another there is a memory and a sorrow in
tho flirt of. fan, thee rustle of • dress, the grinding of •
!sorrel-organ, or the slang of a street song. The
stinDinst,ettle mops up in every bed of dowers we
raise; the bitter tonic flavours all we eat and drink. I
doe. say Weather could not munch his breed and
butter for years in common comfort because of Char-
lotte. Would it not he wiser for us to ignore the
Charlottes of life altogether, sad steak to the bread sad
butter
Too won that diagy steamer reached It. place of die- ,
embarkation—too soon, at lout, for warmth of its
paseengers • mid yell. their abort voyap up the river
oath of Ham two bed passed the portal of a Paradise, •
through which. wthogst all its gaudy and luxuriant
vegetation, you may mirth for the tree of knowledge
in vain. Not a word was spoken by either that could
bear the direst interpretation of love-making, yet each
felt that the Huhn:end had been pawed which MODS
never be re-ciromed drythod again.
The world meted to have changed by magi* while he
went beck to London. It felt like the breaking up of
• troat, wine all is warmth and softness said vitality
ones more. He mid have talked to hiroaelf, and
laughed aloud for MT for,
Bet Nia& went to her room, end cried as the had
sot Mod since she was a little child, shedding Ware of
mingled sare.etness and batol., rapture thd
Her eyes were now opened in her r,aw-feend
happiness, and she foresaw the crushing blew that
happiness mast inflict on the oldest, kindesto dearest of
friends.
For the lent time in her lilts she took bg to task
mad esantined her own Wart. What a i.e.,e heart it
was lend yet bow could she be so Mho. ee to aniii
• pleasure which ruust be cruelly prod Active of soother's
*in? Here was • person whom sAO bad knownoas it
were, but yerterdaY. and his bib,' ast word or elates had
already become dearer to her Ibm the ...lib of care
and affection which tended hoe from childhood, which
would be about her to leer Imw.. It we. infamous !
she told herself, and Yet it DU surpassingly sweet 1
Yes, she loved this ms'.—tkie heown•h.trea broad.
shouldered Bre tßoontorse, of whose existethe a fort-
night ago she had beer, perfewsfy uecoescious, and in
that In" °be learned to appreciate and understand the
aflcetion. loyal, it. .D-hearted Simon lavished on horeelf.
We. , b° "earthmen to this mere stranger? Never.
Rather she w00'.4 sawthee herself. Bat the tears dowel
fester to tbto'a that It would indeed be a sawiliee, an
offOrtneeriaLO. of youth, beauty, hope, beopinees for Btu
ested her eyes, cud went down 011 her knees
to pray at bee bedside, and so rose up, making esthetes
stern ',soleness, which it ia only fthr to state she
all'aerards kept—likes woman !
With the view, doubtlew, of putting them in practise,
the induced Klemm to walk with her on the lawn after
lea, while the etas were twinklinD dieulf through •
daft, misty sky. and the lasy river lapped and greed
sew.' tho garden heals.. He acsoompenied her.
,nctuang loth, for he too had spent the last hour in
hard psinful eonfliet, making, also, stem resolutions,
which he kept—likes man! 'You found him better,
the said, alluding to the cense of his delay in reterniog
.I•Di so glad. If he hadn't been, you would
have stayed with him all night, I boo, Simon I
think you're the beet arid the kindest pawn in the
world.
Here DU an opening. Wee the disappointed, or not,
that he took so little advantage of It?
' We must all help einsh other, Nina.' said he;
the w.y to make lit, wery and to little sorrowa, if we
have them, eif our own.
' Yoe ought Dever to hays • sorrow,' she broke in.
' Foe, who always think of others before yourself—you
deserve to be so heppy. And. Simon, somegime I think
you are Day and is snakes ms wretchedl:g, if—if it
• and I'd do
thything in the world to please you ; an:
wasn't 100 hard & teak, you know.'
She had been so ear to oak° her Med" ead get
It over, that she hurried Moonsiderately to tiC brink,
then, likes timid bather, stopped short, bating—
the water looked so cold and dark am! dmip.
The lightest tooth (TOO hie hand would have plunged
her in, overhead. Be would hire WI it i 5 the firs
rather, like the Roman hero, till it thrivelled into
athee..
' My happier.% can never he apart from yours,' be
-ail used, ely ni mdly. ' let I think I know now that
Y.eu,s i• n..t. tautly booed up in tuide. Aim I right,
1'1... '