Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-04-21


'eplied with mildness, yet with -frmness
to the coarse sarcasms levelled at her re-
hgious faith. A new trial soon called
for all her forlitude. Her mother, il
rummaging an old chest, found a memo.
randum in the hand writing Of her de.
ceased husband, stating the loan o
twenty rix-dollars to Hans kettler. The
date was subsequent to the dissolution ol
partnership, and she knew il it had cveI
been repaid, Brugg gemann, who was pro.
verbally exact in his accounts, would
have carefully acknowledged the receipt
in the same document. Delighted with
the chance of recovering sum which
would place her in comparative ease, the
old woman determined to present the pa
per to Maurice Kettler, and trust to his
honor to iquldate the debt. This resolu-
ton was very grating to Lena, she shrank
from the idea of being under an obliga
lion to man who had so decidedly neg
lected her, and could not endure The
thought Of making her poverty an excuse
for advancing claim which he proba
bly, would not allow. Ihe most ablect
dcstitution would have seemed less re-
voting to her than such mode of relief
but she felt that she had no right to make
her mother participate in the endurance
OF evils, which might be avoided by the
sacrifice of feelings perchance too lofty
for her station; and, finding a faint op-
position unavailable, she gave up the
point.
Mrs. Bruggemann, pleased that her
errand would afford her an excuse for
the qualification OF her curiosity, in the
survey OF the interior of her rich neigh
boui's house, BUSTED away though not
without grumblng prophecy that she
should get her laboul for her palms,
Only that Lena woulG have grieved to
hear that Maurice could behave ungen-
erously, she almost wished that he would
refuse to listen to the application. Her
mother was absent a tedious time, but
she came home at last in high good hu-
mour. "Well, Lena" said She, placug
a well-tlled purse upon the table, after
all, the young man is better disposed to-
wards US than we imagined. What d
house he has got! what tapestry hang
ines! You shall not see inner in all Ar
ras. And then the gold and SILVER plate,
and the china! you would bless your
stars to reckon up the costly things that
he has collected together However, as
was saying, he received me as II were
with open arms; though, what with time,
and irettlng, and poor living, and the
alteration IN my dress, he did not recol-
lcct me until l mentioned my name.
'Tis no wonder; for instead of this mean
grogram stuff, | used to wear rich tafieta
silk at three crowns the ell, the finest Of
cambiics, and long scarlet cardinal OF
English wool inIaid with lace of gold
a fingers depth. But where did leave
off, Oh, Maurice was quite aghast
when he heard of our distress, for some
body had told him that we lived with
rich relation at Namur, and were well 10
do in the world l could not dissuade
HIM from opening bette OF wine sole
jy and expressly Tor me; none OF the
sort, but the real Hung aarian,
such As never tasted even IN Mr. Brug-
gemann's time; and he inquired for you,
Lena, and asked if you were married.
No, no, says l, these are not the days
for poor maidens to get husbands, she
might, to be sure, have been the spouse
of thriving tanner, but she could not
stoop so low, so she is single, aud likely
to be, Tor people in her own rank in life
look higher "Oh, MOTHER" cried
Lena. "Well, well, child" returned
Mrs. Bruggemanr, "there was no harm
done. l thought he blushed, as we'll he
might; but he is like to prove a good
friend to us, and l see no use in refusing
the cash which fortune may throw in our
way, out of silly pride. We may have
done with pride, ] think, when we have
scarcely bread to eat l suppose not
less than six families are fed with the
broken meat from Kettler's table-but
he was too polite, remembering what we
had been, to offer me any thing like an
aims, and so he asked me to accept
pig and some poultry, and stuff from his
garden and stables to fat them with,
which will be exceedingly helpful, you
know, to keep the wolf from the door.
Let mo see, the eggs will fetch a pretty
good price, and neighbour Schlutter will
give me the full value of the pig, at
Christmas. But bless me! had like to
have forgot-Maurce says he is to be
married very shortly, and that he will
ask Miss Hodenberg to employ you in
the embroidery of her bridal robe"
This was the climax Poor Lena with
restrained her tears; every
word that her mother had spoken was
Il q N nor In hnr heart huf sha carc Illlu |