Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1847-06-02
From tho Golden Rule. g.
A N IG HIT, OF YEAR s.
BY GRACE GREENWOOD.

MY hEADER: nave sat some minutes
with my pen suspended in the air above
my paper. | have been debating deli.
cate point-I am in a position. You will
perhaps reco!lect that one of Fanny For
rester's exquisite sketches was entitled
Lucy Dutton.' ss
Now it happens that the real name ol
the heroine of the 'cwer true tale which I
am about to do myself the honor of rela.
ting, was no other than Lucy Dutton.--
Shall | rob her of her birthright--compe
her to wear uozen de guerre because m,
sister authoress accidently gave the tru'
name to one of her ideal creations? Shal
] sacrifice truth to. delicacy? that's tn,
question. "No?" You said no, did you
not2 Then lucy, Lucy Dutton, let it be-.
Some forty year since, in the interior
of my beautiful native State, New York,
lived the father ofour herione, an honest
and respectable farmer. He had but two
children Lucy, noble girl of nineteen,
and Ellen, a year or two younger. The
first named was winningly, rather than
strikingly beautiful. Under manner OBJ
servable for its seriousness, and nun-like
ceremony, were concealed an impassioned
nature, and heart of the deepest capacity
for loving. She was remarkable from her
earliest childhood for voice Of thrilling
and haunting sweetness. IS
Ellen Dutton was the brilliant antipodes
Of her sister,; q "born beauty" whose pre-
rogative Of prettiness was to have her ire
sponsible own way, in all things, and at all
times. An indulgent father, weak mother,
and an idolizing sister, had all unconscious
ly contributed to the ruin of nature not at
the first, remarkable for strength and gen.
erosity. ,.e..s
Where, in all Gods creatures, is heart
lessness so seemingly unnatural-is selfish
ness so detestables, as in q beautiful wo-
man! y ,..,a-r a.. ...,Z .&a..
Lucy possessed a fine intellect and as
her parents were well reared New Eng
landers, she and her sister were far better
educated than other girls of their station,
in that then half settled portion Of the coun-
try. In those days, many engaged in
school-teaching, from the honor and pleas
ure which is afforded, rather than from
necessity. Thus few months previous
to the commencement of our sketch, Lucy
Dutton left for the first time, her fre-side
circle, to take charge Of school, some
twenty miles from her native town.
For some while, her letters home were
expressive only for the happy contentment
which sprang from the consciousness Of
active usefulness, Of receiving, while i'm.
parting good. But anon there came a
change, then were these records for home
characterized by fitful gayety, or dreory
sadness; indefnable hopes and fears SEEM
ed striving for supremacy in the writer's
troubled little heart. Lucy loved; bul
scarcely, acknowled it to herself, while she
knew not that she was loved; so, for a time
that beautiful second!birth of wonnah's ma.
ture was like a warm sunrise struggling
with the cold mists Of morning. ''s,
But,one day brought d letter swhichcould
not be forgotten in the home Of the absent
one---a letter traced by a hand that trem'
bled in sympathy with a heart tumultuous
with happiness. Lucy had been wooed
and won, but she waited her parents ap-
proval Of her choice to become the betroth-
Cd Of young Edwin W, a man Of ex-
cellent family and standing in town where
she had been teaching. The father and
mother accorded their sanction with many
blessings, and Lucy's next letter promised
Easpeedy visit from the lovers.
To such natures as Lucy's what an abb
fsorbing, and yetw revealing self is o
first passion--what prodigality. Of giving
what an incalculable wealth in receiving
twhat breaking up is there Of the deep
waters Of The soul, and how heaven DC.
|scends in a sudden star-shower upon life!
ifthere.is a season when an angel may