The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1849-05-10
Art thou too cold and proud to love!
Methinas il Is not so.
For the fash of feeling on thy brow
Like Iiuhf will came and 90


Like light, will come and GO
Now tell me, dear Catharine, why you
have never married. ALA inquired as
her brother left the apartment. .Ycu have
had SO many opportunities, and you are
now
AN old maid, almost-perhaps quite
| Catharine interrupted her by saying. .An
old maid.-Yes, | am twenty-seven years
cld-too old TO be married now, you
| Know And the shade of sadness, of
melancholy, passed away that at first gath
cred on her fine features.
| No, indeed, dear cousin, l do not think
so. | am only eighteen, and yet YOU LOOK
Younger than | do. And | heard a lady
say the other day-Miss Cameron could
not possibly be twenty
You are jesting, ALA; yet it matters not
with me whether look young or old. pro-
and-live for others, not for myself
/ But you have not yet answered my
question, coz. The world says you are
too cold and proud to love, and, cousin
Catharine, | have sometimes thought,
when have seen you among the multitude
that il might be true-that it was even So
Catharine's cheek redeemed, and an ex-
preston of distress quivered on her color
ed lip, and she pressed it for moment in
writhing agony, and then she bade a smile
there, and replied
The world | can forgive for this opin-
ion of me, but you, ALA, you know me so
well: it cannot be that you deem me either
the one or the other. And yet, and yet
| an. cold and proud
Forgive me, my cousin; and, Catharine,
how often have | watched you amid the
crowd, when the light, the brilliancy, the
I music, the excitement seemed TO have no
effect upon him whatever; and you would
turn coldly and carelessly away from the
homage that would have been paid you,
nor even raise your eyes TO those that were
waiting an opportunity to address you;
and, as if you knew their intention, a slight
expression of scorn would rise TO your
proud lip, and you would pass from their
/ presence
%, am but too sensible of all this-it
may be Weakness Catharine said, thought
fully. .And yet it is not want of feeling,
1t is not haughtiaess, it Is not pride; and
yet it is that Pride that disdains to intrude,
that scorns to solicit attentions even by a
lOOh. Oh hIlOWs AID. tildL L am ui1lU,
| diffident and reserved. l cannot help it.
| never seek the notice. never seek the
/ acquaintance of any one, and often avoid
speaking to those know feet themselves
elevated above me. This is strange
weakness, you will say; but then know
l am not Lie any body else. And this,
all this is put down as GOODNESS, as pride,
as want of feeling. Omy God. none have
known, no one can know how keenly SEN
sitive my feelings are. How often, o,
how often have wished they were coarse
and cold as are the world 81 could bet
ter battle with it,
4 i believe you, Catharine, was replied,
with slight sigh, and ALA added more gai-
i ly-sBut you have not yet answered my
first question-why You have neve mar
I ried.'
Again shadow fitted over the paled
brow of the maiden; but it was gone, and
she returned
! Il think, cousin, that you would hardly
make the inquiry did You but once reflect
that, were there no other obstacle In the
/ way, my Duty hath forbidden 1t. | am
the youngest child by several years; this
! you know, and that my sisters are married
and have gone to the West. My parents
were infirm; they needed my care. they
needed my company, they needed my at
tentions, they needed my love and affec-
ton, and could leave them alone! No,
though | had met with one dearer to me
than life, would not have abandoned them
! while | was so necessary to their comfort,