Literary cadet, and Saturday evening bulletin. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1826-1827, 1826-07-01

boys drove through the darkness the significant
request of more than one landlord on the road, that
we would honor them with our company on our
return; my struggles after two seepless nights,
with an almost overpowering drowsRess various
petty accidents and the probability, ascertained
during the night hat the carriage would break in
to pieces before daylight all furnished us with
sons, rather excuses for being merry that any
one who could have and heard US, must ha Q
been satisfied Of the perfect good will of both par
ties to lose no time in reaching Gretna-Green. I,
of course, continued TO direct my whole attention
improving her partiality for me, moi merely by
sharing and encouraging her joyous good humor,
but also by entering into all her feelings, and by
bestowing upon her such personal attentions and
caresses as, without being ndelicate, or calculated
to alarm her modesty, were an unequivocal declo.
ration of my wishes and intentions And I undosbt-
edly succeeded; for before we reached Kendsl, she
treated me with all the affectionate confdepce and
gratifying intimacy that cherished friend and ad-
mred lover could have expected from her.
At Kendall, after breakfast, was about to unde-
ceive her to explain the stratagem ] had used, in
in order to know her and make myself known un-
to her, and to attempt. by a common course ofsup-
pcation and argument to persuade her to marry
me. The devil reminded me that, besides the
means of persuasion furnished by our already
established intimacy, had a very powerful argu.
ment to use. She had passed one whole night with
me, and could urge that, for her own sake, she
would do well to become my wife without de-
lay.-True il was, that | had treated her with
the utmost delicacy; and her conscience would
have been clear. though she had not married me.
But, then, there was an i-natured world, which,
knowing how much had done, would never give
me credit for any degree of forbenrance, and would
laugh at any saving declaration of mine, as the
mere result OF fear or repentance.
The argument was, indeed, at least to gentle
woman, tremendously powerful, but I felt an in
vincible repugnance to use it. A romantic fit (or
which no stranger will give either blame or
credO came upon me and under its influence, I
dreaded to appear brute in the eyes of this sweet
girl, who was already inclined 10 like me, and
whom, had | used that ungenerous argument, |
should have married, by II means which promised
to insure for me her dislike, instead Of the tender
love that then felt certain of inspiring her with
Still, what other chance had of obtaining her free,
and full, and openly expressed approval of mar
rage? Even though, as hall suspected, she should
not, in heart, object to becoming mine, she must,
Tor sake Of her pride, have made objections which
could not have answered and il therefore beloved
me TO furnish her with some excuse for yielding to
| my wishes. There IS no time to lose. Whether or
| not should use the ungenerous argument, had
passed one night with her. | had gone too lar to
recede, if it were possible to advance by any means
short OF constrant. The ungenerous argument re-
Cured to me continually; but always repelled it,
| and sought till my head ached, for some other
means OF inducing and exciting her approval of the
immediate marriage, without destro Dying her good
| opinion.
At last the device struck me, which ultima tely
used with success; and declare, that that pretext
was employed, not the surest and easiest means
of persuading her, but as the only which would
enable me to marry her, without, in the very act
OF marriage, rlsking the loss of her good opinion
She entered at once, and may say eagerly, into
what she thought scheme for securing her fathers
| fortune. There was no holding back, no heslta-
ton. "Yes,' she said, with pleasure, for papa's
sake" She evidently exulted at the idea OF being
useful TO her parents, and expressed so beautifully
| her admirable feelings towards them, that was
very near clasping her in my arms and betraying
all.
Here, in order to show that am not the ruthless
villain, and that she is not the consummate fool,
that we have been described, ] must proceed with
| considerable detail As soon as she had expressed
| not only her consent, but her wish to marry me,
SAID to her Ellen, you have one other important
consideration. Ifyou feel any repugnance towards
me-if you do not feel that you shall be able to
love me, and to be very happy in living with me
entirely henceforth, tell me without hesitation.
There Is no absolute necessity for our marriage.
beg OF you to reflect, most carefully, upon this
point, and to examine your feelings towards me-
You have seen very little Of me but still we are
become as intimate as five had known zach other
for years hope, and doubt not to treat you always,
for your own sake, with me than the Tenderness.
which your peculiar situation has hitherto obtained
from me. But think-and do not decide rashly.-
If you dislike or object TO marry me, say so, and
will take you back to Shrigley, when your fathers
affairs must be arranged in some other way"
This speech, which was dictated by a vain wish
to satisfy myselfthat had large share in her de-
cision, she listened to with the deepest attention.
would not allow her 10 answer Immediately.
long pause (Which she will perfectly recolect) en-
sued. At last she SAID, 'If you are always as YOU
are now, hope to be very happy with you."-
But" asked !, "what do you believed" We ban
died these words, hope and believe, till we both
laughed. could not expect her to make i'm
pressive declaration of attachment | told her I
was satisfied, as her answer left every thing to de-
pend upon me. thanked her, kissed her. and
encircled her in my arms; and, from that moment,
ltreated her as my future wife talking to her Of
the years of enjoyment promised myselfin her
ciety; Of my anxious desire 10 obtain her tenderest
love, and to consult her welfare and happiness by
every means in my power; OF my tender and afec-
tionate feelings towards her, and Of the thousand
things that man would say TO his afiiaEced bride
just before their marriage. In all this was per-
iectly sincere Her admirable conduct had, in a
few hours, (hours which circumstances had spun out
to weeks) made me love her more than should,
probably, have done after a common acquaintance
Of years. Her courage and presence of mind; her
good sense and judgment; her wit and requirements
her most gentle and afectionate, yet most happy
and cheerful temper; her helpless situation; and
EiaalsNx