The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1842-10-25

"hht nave 10 say about her VIII take me
some time. The story is to of deep in tel
est, and have doubt but that it will prove so
to your friend
Il am impatient 10 hear it, father
M James paused few moments to collect his
thoughts, and then said
You never heard of Mary Elton, did you An
P
MARY Elton ? No Who was she P
'She was the youngest daughter Of Mr. and Mrs
Elton-the most beautiful OF all the family. Aud
her fair person but ultimate torn Of her
spirits loneliness
'Their daughter, faher' Surely that cannot be.
heard Mrs. M-say, once, that there were
only three sisters Of them, herself, Mrs. II,
and Emily EIton;'
Mrs NJ did not tell the whole truth then
She, perhaps, qualified in her mind her
statement, by recurring to the fact that Mary
dead
She lie dead, them
yes She died many years ago, outcast from
her fathers house.
Cast off father? And yet so beautiful and pure
minded, you say P
YES, Anna And there stain upon her
character when she died. She was, an
outcast from home, and homes dearest and besl
affections, the same innocen, and lovely creature.
why then, was she cast off, fathers? Anna ask
ed, in an eager and inquiring tone.
Il will tell you. But in doing so, must begin
at the beginning. i.'s now about twenty years,
perhaps little more, since Mary Elton burst sud
denly into womnnhood, the pride of her own fam
lily and the admiration Of all have never seen
so sweet face hers, nor one that made so deep
an impression my mind. When think Of her,
even now 1T is with every feature OF loveiness dis
tnct before
Notwithstanding the selfsufclent aristocratc
pride of her family, it was found impossible to be
altogether exclusive. The yearnings of the heart
for cotnpanionship will be satisfied and under
the influence this natural feeling, even the most
exclusive circle is broken at some points. In the
marriage OF their daughter, MIR and Mis-. Elton
found 1t impossible TO connect them with elder or
even Younger Of those Of noble blood, for in
the Liston family there were no male representa-
tives of their high. born dgnity-and the l-iSion
family you know with the Eltons, claim the sole
riph: TO be exclusives in this community. They
had to stop little. One married the son ola dis
,inguished Revolutionary patriot; and the other
formed connection with family much valued n
this Suite, for the heightened principle, emnen,
talents and great devotion to ,he country, Of al
! its male members. But oven this connection woun
ded the pride of Mr. and Mrs. Elton. The fathers
OF both their daug husbands had devoted them
selves 10 business Ono had been merchan t
and tho other farmer. And, notwithstanding
many, very many years had passed since they hac
been engaged in their pursuits, the faint still re
NAMED and offended their asistocratic nostIils.
Necessarily in this descent Of the family to what
they considered lower plane, an accessible poin
was produced Mr. Moss, and NJ Hart, though mo
wing in high position, Inherited none oil thos'
| peaceCul charac terstics of mind which proven
their possessors hom seeing any merit but tina
which stands in connection with hereditary rank
| Their associations governed by ditleren
views than such as operated on the minds of TIT
various members Of the family into which they ha
married-To mere rank and title they paid n
homaae-but rather TO wealth united with emnen
and successful talent.
Under these circumstances. all the members O
Mr. Elton family were brought into association "a
times, WITH to use their own language, 'all kind
of people And among these'aIl kinds OF people
were some far more calculated to make an impress
sion on the mind Of young and innocent girl lik
Mary Elton, Than would have been the artificial
men ofsnoble birth across the water, could sh
have come IN contact with them.
.In visiting at the house of friend of her sis
ter's husband-Mary became cvuain.ed with
Young man. "a law student, named Charles Leslie
He was not rich, nor Of distinguished connections
But he had received very superior education
was possessed of high intellectual endowment, an
what was more, united with them the purest prir
+ ciples of orality.
sNlary he saw but to love, and there sprung u
at ono in her heart reciprocal omotIon.-For
f long time, these were secrets undeclared by eac
other, and unknown as mutual sentiment
Charles there appeared an impossible gulf betwee
them - a gulf that he feared would forever form
barrier to their union, were he confident
, the affection of Mary. AT first it was at long int
walls that he met her, and then only at the house
+. a friend, where he was known and esteeme
This friend was a near relative Of Mr. Moss, an
for this reason, Mary was permitted to visit IN
r family, of hich privilege she occasionally avail'
y herself Gradually, she found herself beco'a''
more and more inclined to repeat these VISITS az