The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1846-03-19

would have been equally agreeable. sup
pose she is the squire's daughter--or may
be the parson's?n
Neither-her father is farmer.''
4 A farmer--worse and worse!" cried the
aristocratic young gentleman. " How can
your elegant Lara find pleasure in such com:
Ipany!"
go the girl is well enough" replied Ha-
zard, mischievous smile lurking around his
mouth.
"Good looking, Fred2" d:
"Only so-so!"
"And mind?"
81 never could discover any except a
knowledge for healing bruises and the best
method of rearing ducks"
"Shs wW prove an acquisition with ven
geancem replied Melville; "preserve me
from such walking receipts, Fred! But here
we are, and there comes your charming wife
to NEE, u.s." So saying, the Honorable
George Augustus Melville sprang from the
carriage, and was the next moment shaking
hands with his faif hostess.
Mr.. Hazard bad already pronounced this
young gentleman 10 be rich, aristocratic,
talented and handsome. To sustain these
assertions need only assure the reader that
young Melville was from one Of the oldest
and proude& families in country-one of
those few still left, whose honor and res
pectabili ty as is too pften the case, Time
has not deteriorsted. Fortune, too, had
added her potent fSHprs, and wealth poured
in increasingly. There are SO many who
,Oithom right set up to be aristocrats, that
it is not singular if Melville, possessing a
claim to be really so, should have asserted,it
by the most proud and naughty beariRs!-
He called none his superiors-his equals
few-hs interiors many. Te the fen he
was courteous, and TO them alone his good
traits of character were made manifest. BY.
the many he was regarded with dislike, and
from the almost insolence which often char
acterizsd his manners, had fewer sycophantic
friends than persons of his standing in life
are generally ysdoomed to bear witf-therain
was he more fortunate. His talents were
good. and improved by education and travel
for much of his time has been passed in the
courts of Europe. In person he had but
few compeers. Such, was George. Melville,
whom the giddy young wife. had selected as
husband of hey old schoolmate and friend
But that he should ever condescend 10 be
more than merely civil to this'young girl
this farmers danghter, did not once disturb
his diguiy-he had alreadu voted her to he
great annoyance, and as destined to shock
his refined ideas by the. continual solecism
she would commit upon the rules of eti-
quette. When, therefore, Bertha entered the
room, (as Indifferent blythe bye as himselE)
he scarcely looked at her, but bewins in the
coolest manner as he was introduced, con-
tinued his conversation with Hazard.
Once or twice 10 be sure in the course efI
the evening he caught himself liseningtoI
the mellow tones of Bertha's voice, and
once, as her merry lough rang on his ear, he
actually turned his head TO look at her-bu
her face was from him, he could only OBJ
serve that her figure, assshe sat sligI3y in
clined toward her friend, was graceful and
delicate, and that she had redundance of
dark brown tresses. Music was proposed,
and Hazard requested Bertha to sing a fa-
vorite song Poor Melville, who was both y
musician and an amateur, felt his nerves al !
ready 'excruciatcd with the coming discord
"a squeaking hand organ, with never note
in unison, could be no less so, he tneU,
than the uncultipated sounds about to meet
his ear! He gave one imploring look al. his I
friend-but Hazard was blind-and he was
just about to plead fatigue, and retire from
the scene, when the full rich tones of Ber-
tha's voice, as she commenced plaintiye
Scotch air, arrested his attention. His nerves
regained their equilibrium astoaishingly, and
he was enabled>to remain in the foom until
the song was finished. More dignifed that
poor little Oliver Twist, he coulJ LG7rot ask
for more," but hefelt quite ree6nciled to
his fate when his wishes we're anticipated by
his friend
The next day Melville made up his mind !.
that Miss Vaughan was fortunately rather an D
acquisition to the little circle of Maple
he was not certain but he
night have felt ennui in thatrotired mansion
otherwise? +
The next he discovered that Miss Vaughan
was quite pretty, with natural ease and
grace of manner uncommonly pleasing! -
The third day he decided that Miss
Vaughan was really the most beautiful gil
he had ever met
The fourth, he found himself nowhere So
1appy as by her side, and unless she made
one of the little excurs ions planned for hisa
he found them all dull, stale,
The fifth day he caught himself actually
ketching the graceful figure of the farmers
laughter as she stood on tip-toe upona little
,ench in the portico, assisted by Mrs Hazard
o train luxuriant creeper aiouad 'one of
he columns. -. ~- :.
And the next, he was overwhelmed with
stcnshment to find what predicament he
vas in--for he discovered himself TO be an