The Middlebury galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1848-1850, 1848-09-19


beautifully small and delicate, but she moved
quietly about and was help and pleasure ev
erywhere.
After breakfast followed her into the "best
room" where she was dusting-I saw some
books on a table, l took one up, it was a vol
ume Of the American poets, marked with great
taste at various passages " So you read po-
etry, do you ?" said l.
" Yes, among other things" was the answer.
"What have we here, manuscript copy of
Melaine 2"
Mary blushed. "Yes," said my fair patient,
" that was copied for friend but never given"
To cut the matter short, reader, found Ma
ry to be very lovely in mind and soul There
was an innate delicacy about her which made
all beauty akin; she was that most lovely of all
characters, the street tempered
l found her sick from over-werk, BRAIN
work.
Size had studied more in her short life than
many woman does in long life. She was
fine scholar i'll the modern languages-and /
found she had taste for art which needed on
ly little patient cultivation TO make her an
artist.
But behind all this overtasked brain was
deeper grief, there was hidden canker which
could not reach. We read, and walked land
talked together, and she seemed most grateful
for my " kind attentions" as she was pleased
to call them, though was meanwhile enjoying
the society of one of the the most gifted beings
ever knew. But she never talked of herself.
She would ask me questions on literature and
art, and occasionally she would be led into an
argument, but did ever speak of her life, she
retired within herself and nothing could draw
her out.
In ministering to her love Of art, one day
showed her my sketch book, with many apol-
ogies for the poor and has.y execution, for l
felt that had purer critic than any who had
studied in the galleries of the Vatican. She
turned it over with pleasure, and after going
through the landscapes, she turned TO the pages
in which had inscribbled verses TO Ernestine,
and had sought to portray her face-I stayed
her hand "nay, gentle Mary, that is sacred to
love and memory, do not open there" but she
seeing that did not object very strenuously,
insisted. took the book and opened at the
best picture of Ernestine. There, Mary"
said !, sis the woman nearest like you in soul,
that have ever known"
What cry she gave her pale lips turned
more deathly hue, and she seemed TO me to
die, but thank God it was not death, it was
but seeming death; and now reader, what it
took me great while to ascertain, you shall
have in few moments.
My friend Ernest, in his travels after return
ing home, had encountered Mary performing
her duties as schoolmistress He had met her
in this little village as the superior person, for
so she was, and her beauty and superiority had
won him. She had never seen his equal, he
seemed to have dropped out of the clouds, her
widest dream had never pictured him, and
that he should love her and ask her to be his
own, was it strange that her young heart was
deeply touched?
Ernest went to see her once at her home,
and though she had endeavored TO prepare him
for it, the vulgarity of old Goings had nearly
driven him to despair. He thought of his
well appointed home, of his sensitive father,
his elegant mother and sister, and thought
with horror of introducing them TO the red
frame house and Moses Goings, and even
red faced Mrs. Goings, made bad figure in
the picture.
On returning to his home, his father had
urged his proposing for Miss Ellen Fay, as an
eligible young lady" for you know sir, l ex-
pect you to marry WE'LL" was an aphorism of
the old gentleman.
Borne down with these reflections, Ernest
wrote to Mary, that events had taken place
which must separate them for time. That
he loved her as of yore, but he could not see
her again-he dared not say when.
Poor Mary she OWNED the whole She
knew but too well the struggle which had gone
on in his mind,-and she determined that he
should not feel bound a moment to her. And
she wrote him Instanter, that he was released
from any engagement to her, and that she gave
him up from that time hencefOrth.
Ernest had not dreamed of such deter
mination. He had firmly hoped TO marry her
some time, but he could not say when, and it
had been a severe blow to him; but to Mary
it had struck to the very centre of her be-
ing. She had no confdant, no friend, and the
picture of Ernestine was the first thing which
had brought him back.
1t was taken without drapery, and as look
ed at it again / saw how much it looked like
Ernest, the name too was scrubbed over the
picture-she only noticed the " Ernest" when
her poor little heart gave way.
She told me something next day which sent
letter off TO Mr.. Z. Stuart very rapidly, and
he came even to the red frame house, and con-
sidering that we had both had the same educa-
ton, he made much the best Physician.
To reconcile Mr. Stuart to Mr.. Goings was
the most delicate operation l ever undertook.
The idea of having Mary Stuart" for daugh-
ter-in-law, was quite agreeable, and Mary
needed but TO be seen 10 be loved. Mr.. Stu
art fortunately loved attention and respect
more than most men, and Mr.. Goings believed
implicitly everything l told him, even though
he found out that the name of Brown was fab
ulous.
Mr.. Goings had also great admiration for
the "creat men of our country" / made him
believe that Mr. Stuart was a compendium Of
Webster and Calhoun, his great, great men.
So when they met, Mr.. Goings bowed respect
fully to every word Mr.. Stuart uttered,
and eyed him reverentially. Mr.. Stuart
said to me afterwards, "Ernest has cho-
sen TO marry into a very uniformed family,
but the father seems TO have great natural
sense, he is in fact what you may term one
of the bone and sinew men of our country p
AYES SIR" returned l, "and how pleasant to
feel that Ernest will turn to his own father
with such exalted respect and admiration from
the contrast p
Some men might have thought the contrast
needed not to be so broad +; but your VAN peo-
pie do not quarrel with compliments.