Bloomington herald. [volume] (Bloomington, I. T. [Iowa]) 1840-1849, 1843-07-14

lhoughi Of proposal, Mag had been Il
see her again. and had awakened anew III
her Imagination thoughts of higher con-
dition than that of mere farmer wife.
i On the next Sunday stranger appear
! ed unexpectedly in the little village church
| No one knew who he was, or from whence
he came. But all admitted that he was
young and handsome, and one whose
sphere of life was far above that of the
humble tillers of the soil who made up the
largest portion of those who people the
village Of May bank. Every maiden's eye
was upon him., much 10 the grief Of the
! good minister, who was panied to perceive
1as:ssgsst sIa that place, sacred to solemn
worship, the heart was too prone to wan
der away in search Of strange gods.
As for Nancy, when she first saw the
voting stranger enter, and move slowly
and with digni6ed step up the aisle, the
hood mounted 10 her cheek, and her heart
beat so rapidly that she felt like suffoca-
! ting. In despite Of all she could do, her
! eye would wander towards him, and more
than once fell beneath his steady gaze,
| that " as several times turned towards her
during the services of the morning .-Har>
ry was by her side as she emerged from
the church, and walked with her home.
but she made but brief answers to all his
remarks. When he left her at her moth
er's door, he turned away panied at the
maiden's GOODNESS and strange reserve.
lie did not visit her that evening, nor du-
ring the ensuing week. But the stran-
ger had been there. He had dropped in
professedly TO make some trifling inquiries
and finding Nancy alone, had remained
and cha,ted with her for half an hour. Du
ring that brief period, her heart was COM
pletely won.
Slowly did the lingering moments pass
away, until the next Sabbath arrived, and
Nancy repaired TO church, her heart 1ut-
tering in hope of again seeing the stran-
ger who had occupied all her thoughts
since the morning her eyes first rested up.
on him. He was there already. and gent
ly smiled and bowed TO her as she came
in. During the services, whenever she
looked at him, she found him regarding
liz. .f',' fen,ly that the bushes rose to her
iss,lssa as she dropped her eyes each time
to the floor. When the congregation were
dismissed, the stranger was by her side
as she stepped from the door, and accom-
panied her, the envy Of every other mai
den, to her home.
"Who is that young man Nancy g as
ked Mrs. Newell, in a grave tone, as Nan
cy came into the house, after remaining
to cha. with her companion for few mo-
mems.
81 am sure do not know, mother
:. Then why did he take the liberty of
walking home with you!"
II cannot tell that ether" the maiden
replied.
"Well, l do not like his looks. nor the
freedom he has taken" Mrs. Newell
said
Nancy made no reply 10 this. but went
| into the nextroom and took off her things,
and then avoided all conversation that
would lead her mother 10 speak of the
stranger.
That evening he came III gracefully a.
, pologizing TO the mother for the freedom
he had taken but being a stranger III
the village, he had felt the time hanging
heavily on his hands, and had, therefore.
been driven TO seek for company some
where. The blandness of his tones, the
elegance of his manners, and the smooth
ness of his speech, softened Mrs. Newell
very much. especially as he paid her par
,icular attentions, and introduced subjects
Of conversation that were peculiarly inter
es,ng 10 her. When he went an y, she
found herself highly prepossessing in hrs
favor. Twice during the week did he re.
peat his visit. On the last evening spent
with the mother, he alluded to the hollow
hear,edness of the great world of wealth
| and fashion, in which he had mingled,
and how he had stolen away from it in the
| hope of finding truth and nature some
where in quieter places. He said that he
had. in passing through Maybank, con.
templated remaining only day or two !;
but that something congenial to his feelings
in the place had caused him TO linger, and
he still felt disinclined to go. AS he made
this remark, he looked at Nancy steadily
! for moment or two. She felt that IN thas
look was contained meaning. and her
heart gave to it its own Interpretation.
Her mind was now made up to treat
EIarry Glenn SO cold as to repulse him at
once. Mays prediction had evidently
been a true one. The place she was des-
tined TO I'll, was one 10 which he could
never raise her. z' @ -4
On the next Sunday, the stranger called
for Nancy, walked with her to church,
Sc, beside her during service, and accom-
panied her home. All this, of course, did
not escape the eye Of Harry, towards