The Massachusetts spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1831-1858, 1832-12-05
GU R WILL A G E.

I 3
| from its pages,-than which nothing can be
more picturesquely distinct in its physlca
delineatjon. or more true in its intellectual
The persons described are the two daugh,
tiers of wealthy country attorney,-one OIL
whom is destined by her father for the wife
ola wealthy and titled client, and the other
for cousin, to whom he intends. to cede
his lucrative profession; but the fates will
have it otherwise.
Dignity, mild and gentle, but still a
most striking dignity, was the prime char
actelistic of Agnes Wordsworth, in look and
In mind. Her beauty was the beauty of
sculpture, as contra-dlsinguished from that
OF painting depending mainly on form and
expression, and little on color. There could
hardly be stronger contrast than existed
between the marble purity of her finely
grained complexion, the softness of her
deep grey eye, the calm composure of her
exquistely moulded features and the rosy
cheeks, the brilliant chances, and the play
full animation of Jessy. In a word. Jessy
was pretty girl, and Agnes was beauti-
tul woman. Of these several facts both
sisters we're, of course, perfectly aware ;
Jcssy, because every body told her so, and
she must have been deaf to have escaped
the knowledge; Agnes. from some process
equally certain, but less direct: for few
would have ventured 10 take the liberty of
addressing personal compliment TO one
evidently too proud to find pleasure in any
thing so nearly resembling f1attery DIS praise.
Few, excepting her looking glass and her
father, had ever told Agnes that she was
handsome, and vet she was as conscious of
her surprising beauty as Jessy of her
sparkling prettlness; and, perhaps, as a
mere question of appearance and hecem-
lngness, there might have been as much
coquetry IN the severe simplicity OF attire
ana Oh manner which distinguished one sis
Ter, as IN the elaborate adornment and in
nocent showing off of the other. There
was, however, between them exactly such
real and internal difference of taste and
OF character as the outward show served to
indicate. Both were true, gentle, good and
KIND =: but the elder was as much lotier in
mind as in stature, was full of high pursuit
and noble purpose had abandoned draw.
ing, from feeling herself dissatisfied with
her own performances, as compared with
the works of real artists &; reserved her mu-
steal talent entirely for her domestic circle,
because she put too much of soul into that
delicious art to make it mere amusement ::
and was only saved from becoming poet
ess, by her almost exclusive devotion TO the
very great in poetry-to Wordsworth. to
Milton, and to Shakespeare. These tastes
she very wisely kept to hefsef; but they
gave higher and frner tone to her char
acter and manners; and more than one
peer, when seated at Mr.. Molesworth's hos
pitabfe table, has thought within himself
how we'll his beautiful daughter would be-
come coronet.
Marriage, however, seemed little in her
thoughts Once or twice indeed, her kind
father had pressed on her the brilliant es-
Establishments that had offered,-but her
sweet questions, Are you tired of me !?
DO you wish me away p had always gone
straight to his heart, and had put aside for
the moment the ambition Of his nature even
for this his favorite child.
Of Jessy, with all her youthful attraction.
he had always been less proud, perhaps less
fond. Besides, her destiny he had long in
his own mind considered as Decided
Charles Woodford, poor relation, brought
up by his kindness, and recently returned
into his family from great office in Lon
don, was the person on whom he had long
ago liked icr the husband of his Youngest
daughter, and for the immediate partner and
eventual successor 70 his great and flourish
ing business "a choice that seemed fully
Justlhed by the excellent conduct and re-
narkable talents of his orphan callsin, and
by the apparently good understanding and
mutual affection that subssted between the
young people.
IhIs arrangement was the more agreea-
0le 10 him, as providing muniicently for
Jessy, II allowed him the privilege of max
ing, as In lawyer phrase he used TO boast,
an elder SON of Agnes, who would, by this
marriage OF her younger sister, become
one OF the richest heiresses of the county.
lie had even, in his own mind, elected her
future spouse. in the person of a Young bar
onet who had lately been much at the
house, and in favor of whose expected ad-
dresses Cor the proposal had not vet been
made-the gentleman had gone no farther
than attentlons) he had determined. TO ex-
ert the pateTnal authority which had so long
laid dormant.
But in the affairs of love, as in all others
man is born TO disappointment. 'Lhomme
propose, Ell Dien dispose is never truer than
I'M the great matter of matrimony. So found
poor Mr.. Wordsworth, who-Jessy having
arrived at the age of eighteen, and Charles
at that OF two-and-twenty,-- Offered his pref
ty daughter and the lucrative partnership.
to his pennyless relation, and was petrified
with astonlshment and Indignation to find
the connection very respectfully but very
firmly declined. The young man was much
distressed and ngitated he had the high
est respect for Miss Jessy but he could
not marry her-he loved another p And
then he poured forth confidence as unex-
Pected as it was undesired by an incensed
patron, who left him in uBdiminished u rath
and increased perplexity.
This interview had taken place imme-
diately after breakfast; and when the con
ference was ended, the provoked father
sought his daughters. who, happily uncon
scious of all that occurred, were amusing
themselves in their splendid conservatory
scene always rs becoming rs it is agreea-
BILE to youth and beauty. Jessy was fitting
about like butterfly amongst the fragrant
orange trees and The bright geraniums
Agnes standing under a superb fuschia that
hung over large marble basin, her form
and attitude, her white dress, and the clas-
steal arrangement Of her dark hair, giving
her the look of some nymph or naiad, n
rare relic OF Greclan art. Jessy was pratt.
ting gaily, as she wandered about of con-
cert which they had attended the evening
before at the county town:
Il bate concersn said the pretty little
fiirt. To sit bolt upright on a hard bench
for four hours, jetween the same four peo-
pie, without the possibility of moving, or OF
speaking TO any body, or of any bodys get
ting to us Oh how tiresome it is =