Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1849-01-17

=: RATENNA, OHIO, WED1afEgsDA Y, JAN. II, B4g :

vate his friendship as much as though h,
were heir to ap earldoms He is comm,
totry my piano this morning; but do no
trouble yourself about his pretensions;
assure you he has never made any tha
were not warranted by every principle o
human right as we'll as christian courtesy
Claude Valentine called, according t.
appointment, brought some new Italiar
music, of which he begged Miss Glare
mon:'s acceptance spent several hours ii
performing it upon the piano, examining
the contents of her portfolio, discussing
poetry, and giving her4shoft and peculiarly
fisiitefsst ssons in scanchologsI and ia
Efnale. as be had predicted, lost The pklilllii
Epines !. hat splieashnt, fine looking
young nan he isp was Mrs. Claremont's
Eexclamations as he closed the parlor door
at his exit; 81 declare, if he was only
heavy in the purse .he would be a prize
worth our fishing for, Grace. AS lis, il
will do no harm to flirt with him little il
you like" Poor Claude! he7had paused
to examine little sensitive. plant tha
grew beneath the window, and become an
involuntary auditor to this cruel speech
The hot, indignant blood rushed to his
brow, he turned on his heel and babe adieu
to the cottage Of Grace Clarmonr. Hac
he paused one moment longer. he nigh
have heard her reproachful reply, "Mother,
do not Join all the world in believing me a
coquette.' In the afternoon of that day,
she received little packet enclosing ar
elegantly wrought she'll music-box, and a
note from Valentine. requesting the favor
of her acceptance of simple Philippine
which an unexpected call to the city hac
deprived him of the pleasure of presenting
in person.
Weeks passed, and Grace heard and saw
nothing farther Of the person whom, of all
she had ever seen, had, in this short ac-
quaintance, awakened the deepest interest
in her heart. She met him again, a.
length, but he was an altered being Cold
and formal, and reserved in his manners
when chance threw them together, and
studiousl y avoiding such meeting by every
possible stratagem, he betrayed not merely
indifference but decided displeasure, if not
contempt. In vain did Grace torture her
brain to devise some probable or evenapos-
sible cause Of offence-all was mystery
without key. And more perplexing and
vexations than all, was the mortifying
consciousness that he who Sighted and
neglected her, was near and dear to her
heart.
For the few last days of their mutual
presence, (it cannot be called intercourse)
his neglect and avoidance Of her had been
so very pointed and direct, that her feel
ings were harshly and deeply wounded.
On:the evening alluded'to in the commenc-
ment of our tale, she had torn herself a
way, as it were, from her mothers impor-
tunities to attend the assembly Of the ho-
tel, and secreled herself among the rocks,
to commune with her own heart and strug-
gle with its passions, and, if possible, sub
due its infrmities. We left her in prayer.
"There is. a sublimity in prayer which
elevates even the most ordi dinary minds %
says modern female writer; how, then,
must it elevate the mind of one lofty and
enthusiastic, and full of poetic reverence
for the Divinity of the great universe, as
Grace Claremont! She felt in the renova.
ton and energy of that hour, that she had
risen above all passion, all weakness, all
grief, and that she was strong 10 contend
with fate, be it ever so dark and cruel.
She drew from her bosom the cherished
PHILIPPINE, the memento of the happiest
hour Of her life, which she loved to wear
near her heart; and turning the little gold
en- key, the sweetest and saddest strains
stole from its tiny wires, and soothed and
subdued feelings that were almost too ele-
waited for dweller on the low earth. The
notes ceased, and she suffered the instru-
ment to lie passive in her hand.
She was aroused by the sound Of foot
steps upon the rocks above her. She
trembied, and drew herself farther into the
shadow. Nearer and nearer the steps ap.
preached till they rested upon the rock thai
projected above her head. Presently the
soft dulcet voice of flute foated down
over the silvery waves, and in that withing
strain Grace's heart recognized the inspi
ration of Claude Valentine. There are
times when the heart monopolizes all sen.
sation-surely Grace's ear had little to dc
with that evening melody. The liquic
notes were borne away on the cool sea air
and the gay strain ch,nged to one of those
little tender, mournful Scottish melodies
that may be called the pure language Of {
broken heart. Almost instinctively Grace
turned the key to her music box, and ths
SAM melting tones stole forth, not ming
ling with, but chasing, as it were, the lou
der tones of the soft voiced flute. This in
terval between the same notes in the same
tune, on separate instruments, produces
the effect of an echo; yet the phenomenon
lifwe may SO paraphrase the proper signi
hcation Of the term,) was SO novel, s.
startling, that not TIL Valentine had sever
al times surveyed the ledge on every side
of him, would he be satisfied that it wa:
merely reverberation of his own music
The tide was now rapidly approaching
and he put his flute aside to observe it.
Meanwhile, Grace sat meditating SOM
plan Of escape from her awkward situation
The tide would soon reach the little reces:
where she was concealed, and she hat
scarcely romance enough to desire waite
ry grave just then, even though the spo
were wild. and the moon bright enough Il
insure heral the poetry ofa Sapphic death
Bps a few days previous, she had heart
Iclaude Valentine making ludicrous ex
presslons about romantic young ladies,