The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-05-02
WASHINGTON, THURSDAY, MAY g. 1850

| How old were you when your mother died ~
My mother died the same hour that | was
born; my father died four years AFTER
"Poor giri!n -.
But, poor boy, are you sure you are not hurt
by my rudeness Oh, | am 50 sorry about it
would not hurt you again for the world. Say, are
| you sure7n
The youth pressed her hand affectiOnatelyas an
aQswer; then
aWho are your friends and companions, Ger
truds2n
oh, don't know; almost everybody in the
oon1ty knows me. They don't like me, believe
but fAstis because they don't know how well
like 41E and have not time to teach themn
fh61 you are no favorite in your neighbor-
hood ~
| "N.no. You see the young men give me nick.
names-call me the Ger-Falcon, and what not
and old men bob their chins down ia their neck
cloths, draw down the corners of their mouths
and look at me over the tops of their spectacles
and ycung !sSSIS es;ssSSS Svs1 tAsix shoulders,
avert their eyes, and whisper together, when
come among them"
| So you have no friends, Gertrude, besides
having relations
ooh, bless you, yes; these people are not my
enemies, only they do not know how to take me,
you see and for friends, have one very dear
| friend-little Zoe, who broils your cartridges
| only don't intend to let Brutus marry her; and
there is Britannia, who does me justice. All, by
the way, you said you knew Britannia how did
you know her. ~
"She is my cousin
"She your cousin All, now that you tell me,
| declare see resemblance Your hair and
eyes are blush black, like hers, and your COM
plexion very fair like hers-only that her cheeks
aud lips are of rich carnation, and yours are so
pale--oh, so very PALE said Gertrude, her eyes
softening, as she laid her hand upon the pallid
forehead of the youth, $50 pale Oh, how could
have been such bear as to growl at you, my
poor boy. All, well, you came down here to see
Brightly as your cousin?"
eyes, dear nurse.n
"Won't you tell me something about yourself,
now ~
eyes, dear Gertrude, and more than you ex-
fpeet to fi,as, perhaps: -, -
"Gertrude, in the neighborhood where ! was
born and brought up in Ireland, there are hun
dreds of miserable men and women living in mud
huts on Jumps Of hard ground, spattered about
$50 to speak through a vast morass This great
marsh is all that is left of the once valuable estate
of Clonmachnois. The Earl of Clonmacbnois died
last winter in extreme poverty, leaving nothing
but the marsh, the ruined house, and the empty
title to his heirs The sole heiress Of this swamp,
Before the death of the old Earl | used to walk
about the margin of that vast bog, and saying to
myself-Here are hundreds of men, women, and
children, starving in ideness here are hundreds
of acres of ground, producing nothing but malig-
nant fevers; if these acres were drained, they
could be made to support this population; there
is work 10 be done, and people starving for the
want of work it only needs capital to adjust the
one want to the other. was wealthy would
gladly have purchased this bog from the old Earl
and, with my own means, have set the peasaatry
to work, and drained it or filled it up That
would have given the starving people present
work and wages, and opened fair prospect II
| the future to all concerned.
Unfortunately for my project, the old Ear
refused to part with any more Of his acres
| When he died, | went Immediately to London
saw a relative who was is the cabinet related Il
him all my plans and wishes for my native parish
and received from him the suggestion Of seeking
out and marrying the heiress, and then applying
for the reyersiou of the title, which would give
| seat in the House Of PEERS and so greatly faci
isaa~ my d.a-~ss rsoissts for Zealand. AZ frss
| Gertrude revolted at the idea Of looking up 81
heiress for the sake Of marrying her; but afte
much thought, l decided that, as my heart wa
really free as the happiness of hundreds depende'
upon my getting possession of that marsh, that
would seek out the young heiress; and, If shoul'
love her, and be 80 happy as 70 win her love, tina
would offer her my hand and fortune. Havini
gained clue to the young lady's residence, OBJ
tained through my relative, an appointment a
ataehe to the present embassy came out and
through an advertisement, discovered the abod
of my cousin, and came and found her sufficient,
beautiful, elegant and accomplished, to grace tn,
highest circles, and found her, only to see hel
marry anotherl'
| haJ baa o;tauf ali thto
last, signing vastly like rising gale, she asked
Sand did you--did you-did you fall IN lon
with Brighty7n
"Why, no. smiled the youth, not precisely
had built some aerial castles, it is true, but -
then, signing deeply, said "it is serious disap.
pointment to me-the downfall of my hopes for
Ireland!
Gertrude reechoed his sigh. Gertrude was
puzzled also. She could not reconcile the deli
cate features and complexion, the almost infantile
cearness Of brow, with the manly discourse of her
patient Sh6 did not call him my boyn again,
and she did not caress him after that. At last
she ventured to say,
al wonder how old you are ~
The young man smiled again, as he looked
gently at her, and replied,
81 am twenty-five !"
twenty-five! No, you can't be. Louis Stu
art Gordon is only eighteen and he looks much
older than you do
"That is because he is an American and am
an freshman Even children's faces dry and
wrinkle in your dry climate, while men and wo-
men retain On infantile freshness and softness Of
complexion long past middle age, in the climate Of
England and Irelandp
GYour countenance is very fair and clear, and
oh you have one beautiful place on your face /"
Where, Gertrude2"
Oh just between your eyebrows so open so
clear so benignantl it reminds one OF celestial
arches, of rainbows, and Of angels !"
The furious yelling of the dogs started Ger
trude 10 her feet She ran TO the window
What is the matter with them, Gertrude 2"
at is the bailiff ~ she exclaimed, her color
rising her eyes sparkling, as she FASTENED from
the room I" IL Is the bailiH Now FOR II J
GLoRY!p
fro az CONTINUED