The Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1822-1829, 1825-09-22

IA time. She was then an orphan
l'uliId, and commonly reported To be
lficb. Olirn and often. | sat, after
"a day Of tol aud vcxation. and lis
/ tcicd Ia Der innocent voice, breath.
ing fOrfh the notes OF peace aud hap
/ pi,lt x. which flowed checilully from
Ia Hight heart; and tell portion of
THAI tranquility steal Over my own
hnson. Such was Eliza Houtley,
kwhen frat knew her.
Several years had elapsed. during
which time had been absent from
the city, when Walking along one OF
the most fashionable squares, ! saw
an elegant female figure step into
carriage, followed by gentleman
and two pretty CHILDREN. | did not
immediately recognise her lncc, bgt
MY friend, who was by my. side,
pulled my elbow Do you remember
little Eliza. who used to sing for us,
when We lived together IN " aInut
street dldremember il WAS her
self.
She used To be fond (sail he) Of
treating her little circle of friends
With romanees aud at last, she ac-
ted out neat romance herself 49,
She came oat into the circles OF life
under the auspices Of her guardian
ii was said by some she WAS rich,
very rich but the amount Of her
wealth VAS moi a matter 81 publicity.
However, the current, and, as was
generally believed, well founded re-
port, VAS sufficient To draw around
her many admirers, aud among the
number not "A lew curious c0ultlers.
She did not wait long before a
young gentleman, on whom she had
looked With a somewhat partial eye,
because he was the gaycst aud hand
somest oil her lovers, cnbOldened by
her partlaIlly, made her an offer
Probably she blushed. aud her heart
/ hutteled Il little but they Mere sit
ting alone IN y moonlight parlour
aud as her embarrassment VAS more
than half concealed, she soon rcco-
yerd. Az II waggish hnmour hap
pened to have the ascendant, She
put on a serious lace told him she
was hosored by his preference but
there was one matter which she
wished we'll understood, before, by
giving him a reply, She bound him 10
has promise. Perhaps YOU may
have thought me wealthy; ! would
hot. for the world, have You iabour
under mistake on that point: lam
worth eighteen hundred dollars /.
She MAS proceeding /; bnt the gen
tleman started, rs il ciectriiicd,;---
i" Eighteen hundred dollars I" he
repeated, in n manner that betrayed
the utmost surprise :" Yes ma'am,"
said he, aNkWardly, +" did under
stand YOU were worth II great deal
more ; but"
/" No, Sir" she replied, . no ex-
cuscs, or apologies. Think about
what have told you. You are en-.
barrassed noW answer me another
time" And rising, bid .hiH good
night.
She just escaped trap he went
next day To her guardians. toel,quire
more particularly into her affairs !;
aud receiving the same answer,
he dropped the suit at once,
The next serious proposal Follow
ed soon after; aud this, Toe, fame
from one who had Succeeded 10 a
large portion Of her esteem but APP
plying the same cluciblc to tlleslove
he offered hen; she found like re-
suit. lie, toA left her; and she re-
joiFed in another fortunate escape.
She some time after became ac-
quainted With gentleman Of stem,
der fortune, IN whose approaches. size
thought she discovered more Of the
timorous dilfidence Of love, than she
had Witnessed before. She did not
check him in his hopes /; and in pro-
Tess of time, he, too, made her AT
offer. But when she spoke Of her
fortune, he begged her 10 be- silcnts
&" II is to virtue, worth aud beauty
said he. :. that pay my court not
to fortune. In you ! shall obtain
what is worth more than gold.'-
She was most agreeably disappoiiit.
ed. They were married /; and after
the union was solenini2ed, she made
him masterof her fortune with him
self. = am, indeed, worth eighteen