Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1842-06-04
Vol. 3.


daughter, at that period an infant.
begged pardon-the namel did she know
the daughters name7
ooh yesl it was Isabella Denham."
1t was an era in my life, the first sound
of that name. thanked my kind inform
ant, and withdrew.
I need not tell how unremittingly, and
for how many weeks paced up and down
that street, with various success; how reg
ularly / attended the church she fire.
quented; and how at length ] obtained an
introduction to the family.
l found Isabella Denham more captivat-
ing than the accumulated fancies and self
willed convictions of months had pictured
her to me. 1t is no unusual result in such
cases; but whether it be that the object
transcends the imagination, or that the
Imagination subserves the object, ! know
not. 1t was so, however; for feeling upon
these occasions takes the place of reason,
which is an impertinence.
Let me be just. think, had / loved
Isabella Denham less, I should equally
have admired her. She had mind and
heart; she was accomplished; she was
beautiful, gentle, and good; and she loved
L I
then, and am certain of it now. How l
loved her, she never knew: that was for
Time to show, and he has shown it.
l offered her my hand in due time, and
was accepted. How despised the sneers
and banter of some of my friends who
could not conceive the idea of marriage
with fortune on one side, and none on the
other, and yet were endeavoring at the
same time to effect an engagement Of a
similar nature in their own favor! How /
disregarded the gratuitous advice of sun
dry of my officious relatives, who thought
that all love had died when their own gave
up the ghost, and who sometimes prophe-
cied truly because they were always prog
nosticating evil
We were at length married; and the
close of the fourth year saw no diminuton
of our happiness. We were domestic
enough without seclusion, and went into
as much company as sufficed to make us
feel that home was the happiest place after
all. One circumstance had contributed to
augment my felicity the birth of a son. which
took place about year after my marriage.
l know not what some people mean,
who tell you that when a man becomes
married, love subsidies into affection, and
friendship takes the place of passion. 1t
was not SO with me. loved the wife as
much as I had adored the mistress. To
make her happy was myself to be so; and
to have made her SO, 1 would have laid
down my life. Some, indeed, limited that
| INDUCED her too much-that l let her
have her own way in everything. And
why not! Did l marry to make my wife
the creature, or the slave, of some system
of management, rule of action, or princi-
pie Of conduct! phrases which abhor.
Mono; be they as wise as they will, l
was right. ] am convinced of it. That
was not the cause. We were happy.
1t was by the merest chance that one
day encountered Hastings in the street
my friend Hastings. We had been COM
panions at Eton, and at college our init
macy had grown into friendship. Were
l now asked for what particular quality
of mind or heart had chosen Hastings for
friend, should find some difficulty in
answering the question. He was what is
termed ga good-natured fellow" there was
nothing gross or offensive in his gaiety,
and he was always the same. His feelings
never led him to make fool of himself,
which is much to say of a young man.
They might be called good plated feelings,
which answered the purpose well enough,
and sometimes passed for more costly arti-
Giles. 1t is much, after all, to possess a
friend between whom and yourself you
can draw comparisons favorable to the
latter, and who is perfectly content that
you should do so.
He dined with me on the next day. His
Ipowers of conversation were certainly
much improved since we had last talked
together. He could turn the most super,
fetal reading to admirable account; and SC
minute was his observation, and so faith.
fully and graphically could he describe
manners, and the surface motives of men,
that it almost appeared like a profounc
knowledge humankind. Isabella was pleas
ed with his society; and after she had re
tired to the drawing-room, my friend ex
patiated somewhat at large upon her beau
t ty and elegance, and, above all, upon the
' good sense which characterized her.
need hardly say that also was delighted
with him, and when we shook hands fo
the night, could have Rugged the man 70
n his glowing eulogy. l almost loved ever.
a one who admired her. Twas too weak
q too weak.
I He visited us often, for his time was al
e together his own. He was living upon ex
n pectancy, and accordingly had more leisur
than money. AT various periods l presses
q him to make my purse his own, and h
y All CO 7 had indeed more money at m