Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-11-03

the writer had concluded to incur the risk
of being considered interested or malicious,
that he might inform them Of the truth in
the case; that all he desired was, that the
statement, might receive the attention it
demanded; hoped against hope that those so
deeply interested might find it all a misap7
prehension or an idle rumor. This tissue
Of falsehood, so skilfully presented, had its
designed effect upon tine father of Frances;
astonishment, Indignation, and grief alter
nately agitated him, and with these emotions
commingled, he had written to the judge
what we have already learned. Melville
had not calculated upon this; it was more
than he either hoped !. or desired. for the
very .giolence of tfie. effect aAenged lns.
'qairF for the ralse, and such investigation
might lead to the discovery Of his villainy.
But the deed was done; the agent was
wrapped in mystery; inquiry had been
anticipated and suppressed; the secret was
safe, and Melville had triurnphed. -
Every one observed the singular change
wrought in the character and manner Of
the Judge, but none OWNED the cause.
He seldom smiled, and when he did, there
was q want of heart in it, SO unlike him,
that it was painful sight to his friends.
His manner, once so calm and thoughtful,
was now wild at times, abstract and even
apathetic. His face grew paler day by
day, and his step, once so free and firm,
was faltering. He had ever been favorite
with the ladies, not so much for the graces
of his person rs the elegance of his mind;
how much the fact that he was young, ta-
Tented, honored, reputed wealthy, and pos
itively unmarried, entered into the calcium
tons Of any, we are not prepared to deter
mine How much the rumor that the
youthful iurist had left his lady-love in the
Empire State," might have quickened the
enterprise 1--WE remember no more appro-
pirate word) ofsome fair damsel or high
born dame Of the 'Crescent City," to secure
if possible the desired treasure, may be argu-
ed from the fact that many a lady had in
quired if Brooks intended bride were beau
tifu2, as if to calculate the exact merit of
the achievement, provided always they
were successful, from the strength and
number Of the chains that already bound
him, to his unseen and distant charmer.
Human Nature is a curious piece Of mech
anism; intricate at the first glance, wheels,
levers and pinions intersecting, revolving
and playing, but after ALL the motive power
is simple as a har-spring 'coiled up and
lying exactly in the centre of that handful
of crimson, irritable muscle, sometimes
called the human heart.
Among the fair Spectators, Amelia Will
loughby was the fairest. With form tall
and elegant, noble carriage, finely de-
veloped and almost classic head, lips ex-
quistely chiselled, or rather, for there was
no marble about them) exquisitly budded,
with 'san eye that took the BREATH she
was one of the rarest ftropic flowers, and
dangerous as rare. Versed in the polite
literature Of the day, she was enthusiastic
cally fond Of poetry and music, and the di-
vine wedding of melody and, song, never
seemed so perfect as when the ceremony
was performed by her beautiful lips; those
changeful eyes, those lhought-illumined
| features constituted in themselves the very
| 'spoetry of motion" Majestic as Diana,
she could have queled mob, but we fear
the iccles pendent from Dian's temple,
would have melted and crimsoned in her
hand. She was one Of those women, that
men sometimes read of, and sometimes
dream of, but seldom see; one who did
everything gracefully, and everything feel
ingly. Perfect in tri1es, she took mems
hearts, not by storm nor by seige; in fact,
she neuer took them for they surrendered
before she thought Of attacking them. She
was not coquette, and nobody called her
''belie," but she reigned absolutely a
queen without the sceptre. Connected
with one Of the first families in the South,
she had repeatedly met Judge Brooks in
the gay saloon, the assembly-room and the
theatre. His noble face stamped with the
impress of lofty thought. and more than all
the touch ofsadness that had recently soft
ened each sterner, frmer feature, deeply
interested the enthusiastic, impulsive being
who never loved as such do love, if ever
with an intensity that filings that break:
through the formalities Of fashion, as the
morning rends the filmy tenple-veil o
night, and brings the full, warm light ant
glow of the summer noon. A ready reader
of the human heart, she felt at her first in
terview with Brooks, that it was no ordinary
volume now presented to her gaze. No
that she could not read it but it was closee
and sealed, and no skill of hers could mel
it, for to break it, she dsdained. If th'
intellectual traits Of the Judge, had excite'
all her admiration, the change SO percep
tible and so sad, awakened all her sympathy
1t was wrought into every act, it sotlene'
every tone, it dictated every expression
1t lent delicacy to her whole manner
that art could never furnish, and skill t.
every touch Of sentiment and thought, tha
study could never attain She gave utter
ance to feeling that were hidden in hi
bosom. She attempted not to break tn
seal, but placing her finger upon it as
the more effectuaEy to protect it, it melte
beneath the touch, and unknown 70 both
the treasures of his heart were common t
both Brooks spoke rarely and reservedly
but he spoke, and it was all she desired
He felt the need Of sympathy, and kindnes
and she stood by to lend them. He allude
to the blow that had fallen upon him, an
ere he was aware Of the disclosure he ha
, made, some gentle word of soothing ha
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