The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1827-05-17
TEE VILLAGE 1El.LE.

TEE WILL a GTE 8EAaLE.
Doubtless many pretty Miss expects, III
this story, to read of a career Of glorious
conqucsts; and her blue eyes brighten, and
her little heart beats quicker, at the thought
olbeing one day the heroine herself of some le-
gcntary proser, and of having her own VIC
tories recorded.-.Well. the desire to be be-
loved. may reign in an amiable bnsoIn--may
possess Kind aud benevolent heart--but
! power is dangerous; because there are ma
/ ny temptations u its abuse. These things
| would have my fir readers renember as
they 80 along With me--and 1t may be We
! shall be wiser. and therefore better, before
we part.
lfyou 5onld ever 20 % Alesbnry, you will
see sweet little cottage in The meadow, to-
wards the river valley, half hid amid clus-
Ter Of black aider3, with its white chimney
and Snowy paIings peeping through the foli-
! iage---and they will tell you that Annette
Morton once lived there, fer al the villagers
\ remember her. 1t was orc oi those terrestial
psradises which the sicA heart, weary
4 with the wrongs of men, SO often pictures
to itself--and 50 often longs for--and she, oh
| she was i beautiful creatnre-my heart even
now beats quicker as her image rises before
| me.
She was gay lively girl-with the polish
! of summer in the city, and a fine etiuca-
tion-and whatever her talents might have
been, She at least possessed the power OF
pleasing; the tact Of winning hearts in most
copous measure. Intyer could divine ex-
actly how She did it---but there was free,
frank, friendly air about her that inspired
confidence; and gifted thus at all PORTS, she
played most mastery game among the vii
lage bcaux. Every body was glad to gal
liant hcr---was emulcus which should pay her
the most attention-and every young gem
tlenan in the village who could afford TO
spruce himselfup Il little once in ~ enty -four
hours, paid her an afternoon OF an evening
visit.
1t would have been amusing to one VINO
went MS mere spectator, to have attended
a Saturday evening lcvee at the Alder Cot
.tage---annsing 10 see the address practisea
bv the competitors for her aulles IN elicit
ing some distinguished mark oi her favor
they gathered round her in the little pa.lor,
an,! if size spoke there was strife as to whu
should IA ost approve what she said; II she
Idroppeil her kandl. crchief, two or three
heads we're thumped together in the effort
10 restore it to her---and if .ae walked they
werr happy who cot at her side, and all the
rest were miserable. There were to be st et
an kinds Of faces, and every description O
temper--anti such Il spectator might have
becn cdifed; but the principal impression
m his mind would probably have been
that collrting under such circumstances, wa
a most particularly foolish kind OF business
But Annette sung--"the moon lad thno'
ed the highest hiil'--and told boarding
school stories, and talked e!oquentiy about
love and poetry, music and palnting--wa'
witty. sentimental, and good natured--wa'
invincible, always, absolutely, always thi
conaueror. The young ladies OF the village
saw themselves uns,tservedly desel ted
looked month after month on the success
their general rival-and prayed probably, i
Young ladies ever pray about such matters
that Annette might speedily make choice
among her worshippers, and leave thcU
the remainder II was fnrlorn hope, sh'
intended to do no sach thing; she was the VII
lage belle; and the village belle she mean
, to be.
Ii SO happens, however, that great beau
ties. like ali other great folks, vino have t
take their common chances III the fortunes
humanity, sometimes in the end, outwl
: themselves. In process oftine, che and an
other, and again another wedding took plac
,, in the village; the girls whose n-''i-s Wel'
seldom spoken; whose modest pretcnsion
: and retiring habits were perfectly ecilpse'
by the bril!iancy OF the reigning star secur
ed their favorites, were woocd, and won
and married; and still Annette coluette'
. with all, and was still admired by al. llo'
many good offers She sighted or reiasef
were emily recorded in her own memoIy .---
:, Hope deferred, !" saith the prcverb, make
the heart sick" Those who werc SINGER
: in their addresses, gradually, one after ano
:, the,., offered themselves, were rejected, 0
put off; and fell into some easier road I
matrimany. She was at last iest with conl
! tiers as heartless. in love matters, as hersei
: who sought her company because she wa
; agreeable; hirtcd with her, because sh
was "the belle"-and romped with, an
:. kissed her, whenever they had an oppois,
: nitv, because it is always worth some pan
! TO win such favour from 50 beautiful
:, :, g;rl. We never, never get to be toa muc
:. u the bacneioi. for this. wei! might byrd
e ask
e IFyho can curiously behold
0 The smoothncss and Tie sheen q 3eauts $ chcc
8 Nor feel the heart can nctss I'll grow co j"