The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1840-02-22

| friends, LlZZy, who Would Shrink from Ia
king my arm as modestly as "our jessie
did last night
"Did you really give Jessie your arm:
and escort her homc?"
Il did; and when Isaw the quiet pleas
ant little parlor which she called home, !
had great mind to offer her my hand as
well as my arm"
Frederick, are you losing your senses?
l. If | did not know you were testing, l
should think you had beentaking too much
wine!"
81 never was in a sounder state of mind
my dear sisters, and.yet [ declare to you
that l have great mind to make little Jes-
sic your sister-in-law-that is, if she will
accept me-"
"Come, come, Fred" interposed Mrs.
De Grey, "ycu arc carrying the farce too
far; Lizzy is almost ready to cry with vex-
ation."
lit is no farce, Julia, l am in earnest"
"For Heavens sake do not be such a
fool; a pretty business it would be to in
troduce one of my hirelings as my sister.
No, no, Fred, that won't do"
"You need not introduce her if you are
ashamed of her. / dare say we should
find society without your aid"
1T would be ruinious to Lizzy's pros
poets"
"How sol"
"Why, do you suppose herrich admirer,
Charles Tlbbs, would marry the sister of a
man whose wife had once been a seam
strcssl"
Frederick laughed heartily ashe replied,
"True, l had forgotten: Charles Tibbs is
the grand son of old Toney Tibbs, who
used to peddle essences about the streets,
and of course is now good society, Well,
l will not interfere with Lizzy's matrimo-
nial speculations, so you may Danish your
fears"
"Oh, have no fears about it, for with
all your cccentricities ] amsure you would
do nothing so degrading.
Notwithstanding her boasted confidence
however, Mrs, De Grey really felt consid-
cradle anxiety about the matter, and she
determined to send Jessie ont of the way
until her brother should have forgotten his
transient fancy. Convinced that Jessie
was utterly unconscious of Frederick's
admiration, and unwilling to Lose !l.. servi-
ccs permanently, she thought OF a plan
wi'ch promised success, and she consult
ed Llzzy as to its possibility.
"Aunt Tabitha has sent to us to procure
her a seamstrcss for few weeks, suppose
we induce Jessie to 60: the poor thing
needs country air, and it will be just the
place for her."
"Why, JuIa?" asked Lizzy, with smile,
"because she needs country cir, or because
we need her absence?'
"Nay, Lizzy, it is no laughing matter.
l want to send her out of Frcd's way be-
fore she has any suspicion of his folly"
"But why send her to aunt Tabithal"
Because Fred will never find her there
he is so terribly afraid of the old lady's
sentimeata7ism that he never visits her,
and by the time Jessie returns, he will have
some new folly to engage his attention"
nc pldn was Ildluftu, allu JcSslC, WIN
really felt the need Of change Of all, or
relaxation from her continued labors, con-
sented to leave her mother for few
weeks. Accordingly, one bright spring
morning stage coach deposited Jessie at
the gate Of neat old fashioned cottage,
which stood on the outskirts of a village
about forty miles from the great metropo-
lis.
"Where is "our Jessie?' asked Fred,
when he had watched in vain for her daily
return to the sewing room.
"Lord, brother, do you think l keep a
record of her engagements! When she
has finished our work she goes somewhere
else, and that is all | know about it."
The idea of that gentle creature being
thus driven about from place to place, tol-
ling day after day with her needle, and
dimming her bright eyes over plalts and
gathers, was extremely painful to Fred
Carleton. The more he thought of it the
more uneasy he became. "Why should l
hesitate" thought he, 81 have seen the
p,ottiast rirlc in iz1y's set and I like JeS-