The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1841-01-13

He could only hope that chance nigh
cast her in his way. An hour had scarce
i ly elapsed before he saw her pass. Ii
J, sprang up and followed her. She wa!
surprised to see him. He walked witt
her a little way, and then entreated hel
to enter the inn with him. as he could no1
communicate to her in the street that he
wished to do. "My dear Miss Brydon,'
said the gentleman, ado not refuse me
this, | will ask the landlady to be present
with me. Your delicacy of feeling is too
Ipreeious to me to be trenched upon by
Tiany act of mine" The young lady at
length consented, and in the course Of
ia few minutes longer she had giseE her
promise to become the wife Of Mr.. Mid
dleton, I,.S
The accepted lover of our heroine had
to complete his commercial rounds, and
it was settled that Immediately after his
return to Nottingham, he should send for
his bride and present her to his friends
But Mr.. Middleton only.reached Noting
ham to suffer another attack of his former
complaint, and the first tidines which poor
Margaret received from him were dated
from Devonshire, whittier he had been
sent. Instead of being summoned to a
happy marriage, Miss Brydon was called
by her betrothed to come instantly to En-
gland, that he might see her once again,
before he died. Take any conveyance;
four horsesif necessary; think not of the
expense; but come---come with speed"
Such was the close of the letter. Mar
garet hesitated not a moment to comply
with its demands. But the journey, how
ever speedily performed, was long one,
and she did not arrive there until two
hours after Mr.: Middleton had breathed
his last!
This was "a serious trial for the poorgrl.
She was being alone in the world; and
/ just as the hope was held out to her of
having strong support to lean upon---a
strong arm to guide her for Me-her pros.
poets were at once mostpainfully bGghted.
Her affection for Mr.. Middleton had been
of a temperate kind, founded upon friend
ly and grateful esteem, but the regiet was
not the less sincere. She was, however,
Of that gentle and patient temperament,
which makes no violent display Of feeling,
but by bending, perhaps escapes in part
the force of the blast. Her deceased To-
yer had left small sum to be delivered
up to her-.-all that his hurried illness left
at his command---under the plea of pay
ing her expenses in coming to him, and
she received also an open letter, which it
was his wish that she should present in
person to his mother, This paper des-
cribed the situation in which he and Mar
garet had stood, and requested that Mrs.
Middleton would be kind to her. After
wetting with tear her lovers new made
grave, Margaret slowly returned to Not
tingham, i'll at ease both in body and mind.
The old lady did speak kindly to her when
she presented the letter, and desired to see
her again. But Miss Brydon had resolved
to 60 back for time, to her native place,
and there remain in quiet, till her mindhad
recovered from the late shock, and her
frame had renewed its exhausted strength.
She fulfilled her intention, and stayed
in Scotland for several months. Both her
strenth and spirits were gradually recruit
ed; and we'll it was that the case stood SO,
as she saw no course before her but that
of returning to the daily toll. She was
just hesitating in what field to resume her
honest endeavors, when she met accident
ly at friends house a lady from Noting
ham, who, on learning her wish to get en-
ployment for her needle, pressed her anx-
|iously to return to that town. Il know
various establishments where am sure
can procure you good employment at
once" Margaret told the lady of her
having been there before, but disclosed
nothing further, as well from sensitive
ness of Feeling asfrom the prudence The
/ issue was, that she accompanied the lady
soon after to England, II am certain,'
thought Margaret, "of making there a
peaceable living. Few can know my
history; nor could they extract from it
if they did, any thing to my disadvantage
With these thoughts Margaret again en-
tered Nottingham, and her friend imme-
diately set about getting an engagement
for her. 1t has just been mentioned that
she did not relate the particulars Of her
former stay in town to the lady, nor had
she told the name Of her former employ
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