Litchfield enquirer., 1843-02-09

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natIy ofthem such as any woman could BIZ
happy with. But it has been Amy's mis-
fortune to form secret attachment which
has long controlled her heart, and which,
grieve To say, has ended IN disappointment
But let me go back to the time when AMY
was scarcely seventeen, and when no sorrow
had ever dnmcd her beautiful brow.
"Thc residence OF her parents at that
time, was n Inc cNuEtry, at spacious and
elegant !isi,Hon on the banks OF the SusQue.
hanna. / ns'y had but two children, Amy
ana her brother tienFy, now the lawyer,
| whom you have met. At that time he had
not finished his collegiate course. and, like
all under graduates, had a bosom friend,
with whom you also have slight acquain-
! lance, Albert Mortord. AS Henry always
spent the vacations at home and as Nor
ford was an orphan, and had no friends to
go to, an invitation was given him to accom-
pany Henry to Henley hall, and according
ly he came. You know that he is generally
admired by our sex, is talented, and has pc
cullarly winning manners. He soon fasci-
mated the whole household, even to the SER
wants, and with the old folks he was indis-
pensable. a few generous acts of charity,
springing from n feeling heart. had recon.
mended him to the mother and his daring
in field sports, for which Mr.. Henley enter
tanned a passion, estab lshed him in the
heart of the father. Then he was always
| aftable and kind, ever ready to yield his
own pleasures to those Of others; in short,
the very person to visit at country seat in
somewhat secluded district. Nothing
could be done without him. His advice was
asked on every OCCASION and when he con-
cluded his visit. his praises were trumped
daily by the family, until his return at the
ensuing vacation. And for while, even
Amy was as tervent, if not so loud, as any.
"The second visit of Morford esta blished
him if possibe,in greater favor than the first
He hunted with the father - he conversed
respectfully with the mother-he was obi
ging to all the servants, but especially to the
housekeeper - and he was always, when
disengaged from others. at the service of
Amy, to read to her, ride with her, or atten-
ded her in her errands of charity around the
neigh borhood. Yet these attentions were
always characterized by frankness which
precluded the idea that he was in love with
her; though at length Amy, ignorant of the
world, and endowed with "a too susceptible
heart, began to think otherwise. Poor girl
she had seen little of human nature, excep,
as it existed in her own family, and she
tondly dreamed that was a representative of
the great world without.
"'i'ell me not then that men are as you
describe Them she said one day to Morford,
when he had been picturing man as he eX-
lists in our own cities, for if you speak the
truth if there is so much hollow hearted
ness, deceit and wrong in this world, wish
not to live
ITO girl Of such Sc ntiments-so roman
tic and susce ptible-Albert Morford was a
dangerous companion. Not that he would
knowingly have trepaned her affections
from her, for his was nature incapable OF
such baseness, but then his constant atten.
tons to her-and she was at that age when
attentions alone are almost irresista be-
united to his eloquence, his manly beauty,
his finished manners. and the reputation he
enjoyed for talent, gradually established an
interest in her heart, even before she was
aware of it. Day and night she thought of
him, all unconscious to herself, for as yet
she knew not what love was, and innocently
regarded it as the most natural thing in the
world that she should think of her brothers.
bosom friend. 1t was not until the second
year of Mortord's visits that she even knew
She loved him, and then the delay of his ar
rival for a week. coupled with the knowledge
that he had gone to the Springs with dis
tant cousin, who was said TO be extremely
beautiful, first aroused her to the state of
her heart, by filling her with strange un-
easIness, which subdued her to tears, and
which at length she knew to be jealousy,
that sure symptom of the presence of love
though by, the by, love often exists W it'll
out it. From this hour the unhappiness of
Amy began. Hitherto she had never known
sorrow, but life had been to her beautiful
dream. Now all was changed. Once aware
of her love for Morford, she~was tormented
by continual doubts whether that affection
was returned. At times she would imagine
that he loved her, and then again she feared
that he did not. Oh how she watched his
every movement-how she listened to catch
the tone in which he spoke-how she looked
for his return at dinner or supper, when he
had gone out with her father, brother or
others. But still his dcmeanor was puzzle
to her, for unsophsticatcd as she was, she
could not perceive that his attentions were
only those of a near friend, and thus, eXhi-
lirated by one thing to day and depressed
by another tomorrow, she lived on, loving
deeper and deeper every hour OF her exist
ence. Often word casually dropped by
Morford, and to which he attached no mea-
ming. would afford her food for delicious
thought for hours; and another word utter
ed with as little thought, would cause her
slcepless night, and pillow wet with tears.
Our sex is not understood by the other, for
how much would they prize our love if they
knew the agony of heart we suffer at times.
even when the passion is reciprocated.
light word of passing jest, forgot by sutton
as soon as uttered, has wrung many maid
ems heart with torture for hours, nay, days
and weeks, until explained. But | wander
from my story.
"Could Amy have read Morford's heart,
and had she been more acquainted with the
world or with his sex, she could read it