Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1843-11-17
THE BOUND GIRL.
A TALE OF REAL LIFE.
BY sKETCHER.
(COnciuded)
CHAPTER v.


Ii was the season of that most aristocrat
ic of all aristocratic watering places-tha
most select of all fashionable rendezvous
Saratoga. 1t was the height Of the season
The place was full, at least so the vsiter.
SAID, though the proprietors of Congress.
Hall did not There was great assembl,
OF men Of wealth, and men said 10 be veal
thy, learned professors and college students
men of pleasure and men of leisure, doc.
tors, lawyers, officers of the army and navy
and so forth vast amount of pretty wo-
men, and some not SO pretty bellies with
fortunes, and some sadly in want of fortunes
old maids, and young maidens some lead.
ers of the ton, and some most essentially led
by the ton; managing mothers with very
manageable and interchangeable daughters
the last mentioned personages, by the
way, in no small quantities, being more nu-
merous than any other class Of the other
visiters-as is always the case at fashionable
watering places.
But, as in the heavens, there is always
some star more brilliant in its brightness
than the surrounding consultations, SO in
such gatherings of le bedu-mande there are
invariably some distingueS who are more
noted than their contemporaries. AT least
there were at Saratoga, three of this class
OF Indlvlduals-vlZ two ladies', and one
gentleman. The former dear reader, we're
no other than our very estimable acquaint-
ances, Of ubscripton-to -the-poor notoriety,
Mrs. Marston and her daughter Amelia the
latter, Mr.. William Hartley, the orphan
son Of distinguished southern gentleman,
an heir to an almost princely fortune; in
fact, by far the most eligible candidate for
matrmony' that had appeared in the great
mart for wedlock for many years. He was a
fine looking young man, of about three and
twenty, neither too slightly nor yet too stout
ly built, with an open, intelligent counte-
nance; large, sparkling black eyes, with
modest yet brilliant expression ; features not
SO pleasingy moulded with forehead,
from which were brushed back rich locks as
black as jet, and as soft and silky as many
fair lady's rnglets are
Many were the manGuvers of anxious
mothers, and their no less anxious daughters,
to catch this gold fish which was swim
ming so near them in the waters of Sarato-
ga. And indeed, he was worthy the patient
angling which they SO devotedly exercised
he was, indeed, worth catching, not SO
much for the wealth he was master Of or
the good looks he exhibited, as the gentle
heart and manly soul which he possessed
There were in that assemblage none more
affable and condescending, none less proud
than he was, and scarce a heart was there
that harbored envious or malicious feelings
against one who, by his popularity and
wealth, was so likely to raise them in the
breasts OF his fellow men.
The accomplished general is not always
successful there are times when his most
skillful efforts fail to gain him victory So
il was with the respective mammas. The
fortress they besieged had held out for two
whole weeks-G. e. Mr.. Hartley had been
there that length oftime-and as yet showed
no signs Of capitulation) What could be
the reasonl There had been no lack Of
generalship; it had been attacked openly
and covertly all the maneuvers known in
the code of onset had been resorted to, vet
still with no signal of success. To be sure,
he had been polite and affable to all, every
thing that could be expected from a gentle
man-yet there was kind of non-committal
manner about him, that de6ed and defeated
all the intentions of designing mammas, as
well as besieging demoiselles.
There was, however, one mother who
was rather more skilful than the rest-or at
least appeared to have been so. This was
no other than Mrs. James Marston. For
some days past, Mr. Hartley had appeared
to pay more attention to Miss Amelia than
to others whether it was owing to the
management of the young lady's mother, in
her more directly in his way, or
whether to preference for the lady herself,
was yet TO be determined. BE that as it
may, there were already some whispers
about as to his being regularly caught, and
Mrs. Marston was in great glee at the very
idea, and was already inwardy congratulate
ing herself upon her most superior general
ship.