The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-05-24

| wish could described the young Lady
Sbyl. She was rather tall than otherwise,
and her head was carried with toss of the
pretticst pride ever saw in truth, there
was a supernatural grace in her figure be
which she was in duty bound TO be more
lofty in her demeanour than other people.
Her eyes were of a pure, dark hazel, and
seemed to wander from the earth as though
they were surprised how they happened to
drop out of the skies /; and the sweet, high
and mighty witchery that sported rourd her
threatening lips, inspired one with Won
derful disposition to fall down and worship
her. Ii was, of course, not to he expected
that such Il strangely gifted lady should be
puite so easily contented with her cavaliers
as those who were not gifted at all and
Sibyl, very properly, allowed it to be un-
derstaod that she despised the whole race.
She likewise allowed il to be understood
that, the world being by no mears good
enough for her, she conceived the best So
ciety it afforded TO be her own wllul cogi-
tations and that she meant TO pass the
whole of her pretty life in solitude and med
iiation. People coujectured that she was
in love, and too proud TO show 1t; and
Sibyl surmised that they were vastly inn
pertinent, and by no means worth satisfy
ing.
| There was n small grotto by the lake
that wound before the old arched windows
of the hall: world of fine foliage was
matted Enthusiastically above and around it,
SO as to exclude every intruder but the king
fisher, who plunged, maeor-like, on his
golden prey, and vanished in the shade be-
fore he was well seen and an endless va
riety of woodbines leaped from branch to
branch, swinging their dewy tendrs in the
air, and showering fragrance upon the green
moss beneath, or stealing round the rustic
pinnacles, like garlands twined by Cupid
FOR his favourlte hiding place. 1t was in
this choice retreat that the Lady Sibyl chose
to forget the world in which she was born,
and imagine that for which she seemed to
have been Created and in this mood, with
out manifesting any particular symptoms of
exhaustion, excepting that she had grown a
I little paler and more slender, she continued
for three whole years.
On the third anniversary of her resolution
she knew it was the third, because the
said resolution happened to have been made
on the same day that her wild cousin, who
had earned for himself the title of Chide
WiIful, chose for his departure to the wars,
ON The third anniversary, as on all other
days, Sbyl again tripped down the chase to
live in paradise till tea-time, but, not as on
other days; the noble sunset seemed TO
have stained her cheek with n kindred hue.
Ere she reached her wilderness, she looked
back, again and again, Mt the hall, slack
encd her pace that it might not appear hur-
red, and gazed Us long upon the swans and
water-llies as though they really occupied
her thoughts. Meanwhile, the flower of the
ifox-hunting chivalry were carousing with
her father in the banqueting-room, and
hourishing their glasses to her health. The
most mighty and censorious danes of the
land were seen stalking up and down the
terrace, as stately and as stiff as the pea
cocks clipped out of the yew trees at either
end Of it. Siby seemed TO have lost the
faculty Of despislng them, and was half
afraid that her deserton would be thought
strange. As she stood irre.olute whether
to go on or turn back, she was startled by
voice close by, and The blood eaped in a
deeper crimson to her cheek.
"Sibyl dear Sibyl ~ it exclaimed,
I" wilt thou come or must fetch thee, be-
fore the whole posse of them 2"
Sibyl tossed her head and laughed and
with an agitated look, which was meant to
be Indifferent, strolIed carelessly into the
shade, just in time TO prevent the intruder
from putting his threat into execution. lie
was light, well made cavalier, with black
mous.aches aud ringlets, and high-born
eve and forehead, which could have looked
almost as proud AS SibyI's. As for his ic-
complishments, the fine Frenchi6ed slash
/ ing of his costume, and the courageous
manner in which he assaulted lady's hand
bespoke him wonder.
"And so, my gallant cousin" said Sibyl
with voice which was little out Of bre ath
and with feeble effort to extricate her
/ fingers, " and so you have brought your
vateur back to besiege my citadel again"
Sweet arrogance is it not the day
three thousand years on which we parted !;
and did | not promise to be here at sun
set 7"
81 believe you threatened me that you
would. Pray. have you run away from bat
tie to be as good as your word ~
"And pray did you ALWAYS consider it
threat, or did you tell me that this grouo
should be your hermitage till my return %
And pray, for the third time, do not be
inqnisitive and trouble yourself to let 20
my hand, and sit down on that seat over the
way, aud tell me what you have been doing
these three days"
81 will, as you desire, take both your
hands and the other half Of your chair, aud
tell you, as you surnise, that ! have been
thinking Of YOU ,ill the thought became ex-