Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-10-28

cloak lined with ermlne; and NO expense was 70
|, be spared. Alas! thought j. the widows inky
cloak, may we'll be warm; my black marble CO.
yerino will be cold comfort TO her. Just 10
amuse won. ma'am," sald the p'archande des
modes. IS do look at some things that are going
L home for Mss Jones' wedding
The widow said nothing; and thought II was
| with vacant eve that she gazed alphabetically az
satin. bIonde. and feathers white'as the driven
snow. AT length she cried, abruptly. I" can
not-canuot wear them!' and covering her face
with her handkerchief, she wePt more loudly
than before. Happy late husband that was
surely for me she wept! A housemaid was oiuo'
berinx on the stairs, footman signing in the hall
this is as it should be, thought |: and when
heard that temporary reduction IN the estao'ish'
ment was determined on, and that the weeping
and signing individuals had been just discharges
felt the soothing conviction. that leaving the'r
living mistress tore open the wounds nnictea oy
the loss of their late master, and made mem
bleed afresh. My dog howled as passed him'
my horse ran wild in the paddock, and the CLOCK
in my own sitting, room maintained SAD ana
stubborn silence, wanting my hand to WIND II up.
Things evidently did not 60 OIL in the old rou
tine without me, and this vas soothing to my sPl'
rit. My own portrait turned with its face to
the wall: my widow having no longer the original
to look al, could not endure gazing at the mute
resemblance! What, after all, thought |. is the
use of portrait? When the original lives, we
have something better to look at; and when the
original is gone, we cannot bear to look at 1t. Be
that as ii NAV, did not the less appreciate my
widows sensibiiity.
On theviiiage green the idle boys play ell crick.
ct; they mourned me not-but what Of that? a
boy will skip in the rear of his grandmother's fu-
neral. The village butcher stood disconsolately
at the door Of his shop, and said to the village ba
ker, who was despondinsly passing by "Duil
times these, neighbor Bonebread! dull times.
All, we miss the good squire, and the Hastings
at the hal"
On dead wall read, "Smith for ever
FOR ever" thought |, "is long time to talk
about" Close to it | saw, "Mitts for ever"
written in letters equally large, and much more
fresh. He was my parliamentary successor, and
his politics we're the same as my own. This was
cheering: nv constituents had not deserted my
principles-inore than that could not expect
The "Smith' who they said, was to be their
representative "for ever" was now just as dead
as the wall upon which his name was chalked."
Again retired to my resting. place under the
family pew in the church of Smithton, quite sa-
tisfied that, at the expiration Of ten years,
should take my second peep at equally crafty
ing, though rather softened evidences OF my po-
pularity
Ten YEARS! What brief period to look back
upon! What an age in perspective! How ut
tie do we dread that which is certain not to be:
fall US for ten wears! Yet how swiftly to all OF
us will ten years seem to fly! What changes,
too, will ten years bring to all! Yon schooboyy
of ten, with his toys aud his noise, will lie The
lover Of twenty! The man now in the prime OF
life will, in ten years, see Times snow m'ng'ins
with his dark and glossy curls. And they who
now are od-the kind, the cheerful, looking, as
We say, so much younger than they really are
what will ten years bring to thems
The ten years of my sepuchral slumber pass.
ed away, and the day arrived for my second and
last peep at my disconsola,e widow and wide CIR
Gle Of affectunate friends.
The monument already mentioned, opened
ITS ponderous and marble jaws" for the last
time, and inyisibly glided to the gates OF my
old domain The old Doric lodge had been pull
ed down, and Gothic one, all thatch and rough
poles, little windows and creepers, IA sort OF cot
tage gone mad, had been erected In its stead
I entered, and could not find my way to my Own
house: the road had been turned, old trees had
been felled, and new plantations made; ponds
had been filled up, and lakes had been dug; my
own little TEN pie to Friendship was not to
be found, but temple dedicated to the blind
god had been erected in conspicuous situation
{" Ah!' thought l, "her love is buried love,
but not the less dear. To me--to her dear de.
parted-to her santed Anthony,'-this temple
has been dedcated"'
So entirely was the park changed. that did
not arrive at the mansion until the hour OF dinner
There was hustle at the hall door, servants
were assembled in gay liveries, carriages were
driving up and setting down, and lights CLEANED
from the interior. A dinner party;-no harm IN
that. on the contrary deemed 1t fortuna,e.-
Doubtless my widow still in the sober grey OF
ameIiorated mourning, had summoned round her
the best and the dearest Of my friends; and
though their srefs were naturally somewhat mel
lowed by time, they remembered me in their
calm yet cheerful circle, and fondly breathed my
name. Unseen passed into the dining ruom-
all that beheld was new to me-the house had
been new built on grander scale-and the fur.
niture was magnificent! cast my eyes round
the table, where the guests we're now assembled.