The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-03-07

stood your kindness towards me for the las,
month IL so, Brightly, | will not press upon
You suit that may be very unwelcOme-the suit
Of a man passed middle age for, above all things
Brightly, wish to secure your happiness had
dream,d to have secured it mth my OEa Let il
pass-it was but dream, Brightly
General Stuart Gordon
81 have misunderstood you"
| General Stuart-Gordon, il you have under
stood me TO be coldly disregardful of your friend
ship, callously ungrateful for your Kindness to
me- Tim you haze misunderstood me -
Britannia do comprehend you? Is it pos
sible, then, that You can'love -
General did not talk of love -
"Oh, Britannia u
You do not love me ~
Britannia, assure you -
"You are probably past the age of loving nnsn
Miss O'Riley w---
COR perhaps you shoSd bel'
Mis- ORiley, affirm that this is very cool
on your part w
General Stuart Gordon, have patience with
me; you will be better pleased when have con-
claded. IL ia certain that you do not love me.
and am consttutionally incapable of falling in
love with anybody, and therefore it is that can
ring the changes on this word without embar-
| rassment3"
MADAME
puN yVu arc tOHkSOHac-lblltkS 4 on expect 10
live some thirty years in the world yet, and you
do not wish to pass that time either in solitude
or what is quite as bad, with young couple who
are quite too much taken up with each other to
attend to you. You want a companion who shall
be handsome, cheerful, witty, elegant, and who
shall be your oEH, and hoppy in that condition -
You are a singular, girl ~
"Very singular in some matters. General -
unique even But, to return to the subject, do
you expect that want Of yours to be met ~
companion young, handsome, witty, gay.
elegant, and happy as the wife of an elderly man
No, Britannia You have convinced mel it was,
an unreasonable wish !; yet of that presumption 4
sa,s been guilty No, 225shty, that TSHl Will
never be supplied-that companion never be
foundr NJ. -.-..... ~.
"'rhen l suppose you consider me as a poor
substitute for such prodigy 2" said Brightly, smil-
ing, and averting her face
Britannia Britannia! you are more than all
you have described as my dream-brilliantly
beautiful, sparklingly witty, ofqueenly elegance,
and in the first bloom of your youthful, Brigh-
ty dear Brightly you could not be happH that
is the requisite)-you could not be happy with
me-could not love mer'
81 am not in love with you, General Stuart
Gordon any more than you are with me pray
do not insist upon my being so. 1t would be no
compliment to your
No compliment to me-
mo sir | only love when p1y and pro
tea! Do you want me to pity and protect you
love your soft Louise the gentle little Zoe, the
quiet, simple Susan Somerville. love enough
for my happiness. have a greater want than
that. II is to respect, admire, esteem. II is not
necessary to my peace that shall he In love with
the gentleman who gives re his name-it Is in
dispensable that shall be able to honor him-that
| shall be proud of him.
And then, Britannica"
honor you, General Stuart Gordon r
And I-loUe you, Brightly love you--but
will not sacrifice youp
And he drew her to his bosom and kissed her
tenderly, and, rising, walked away.
With his hands clasped behind his back, with
his head bowed upon his breast, he slowly and
thoughtfully paced up and down the room, heav-
ing great signs. At last he walked back towards
ss.Ir -. -..t by her side, took both her hunaa
her eyes sSain or Sic x9aa eqSraSl. deep
blush overspread her face. Yet she did not with
draw her hands which he continued to press. He
spoke again, in Deep serious and earnest tones
and he said
Britannia, want you to be serious, and listen
to me, my dear, for ] am pery serious. Two
months ago, admired you, and told you so.
loved you, Britannia, but dared not tell you 80
dared not expose my earnest and devoted sffec-
ton to your grlsh scorn for, Britannia, there is
a sad, sorrowful diffdence in the love of the old
for the young-and therefore, Britannia, offered
you my hand, without speaking Of my heart |
laid my name, rank, and fortune, at your feet and
thought that by investing you with all my pos
sessions, by surrounding you with every elegance
and luxury that wealth could procure, that
might secure your happiness, and, with your So
ciety my own happiness offered you my hand,
and you refused it ~
ri would not marry only for wealth and rank,
General
81 thought that delicate, elegant and refined
girl, like you, would set due value upon the
splendors and luxuries Of life and yet you refused
mep
81 would not marry only for splendor and lux
ury General
IL thought, also, that sensible girl like you,
seeing herself alone and unprotected in the world
would see the expediency Of prudent marriage
and yet you refused meD
because | would not marry for prudence, alias
policy alias selfshness, General Stuart Gordon"
"You refused me, Britannia, and ! did not
press my suit-did not press it, because as said,
there is difidence in the unselfsh love of age,
that youth does not even know Brightly, had |
been younger by twenty years, should not SO
readily have resigned you. For, Brightly,
loved you, loved you. ! wished for your con-
slant presence wished for your undivided af-
fiction but more than all this, Brightly, wished
for your happiness; and, seeing your aversion to
marrying an old man, RETAINED from prosecuting
you with my addresses. Now hear me, Brightly
Within the last month you have seemed TO have
a softer cadence in your voice, softer light in
your eyes, as you looked at or spoke to me. This
gave me new hopes-nay, hear me out, dear Bril-
tannia-and came here this morning, full Of
foolish confidence, with the design Of renewing
my offer. Stay, stay, Britannia and hear me out
came here to renew my offer; J. see the rspug-
nance II excites and, Brightly, | withdraw. Do
not believe, my dear, that would annoy you
But, Brightly, since ! have been sitting here, ]
have thought of another plan. Brightly, you are
alone in the world without the love Of mother or
sister, without the protection Of father or brother
and with your rare beauty and refined tastes. yon
are exposed TO all the dangers and hardships Of
homeless and unsettled life. Brightly, listen to
me, nv dear have no daughter or sister shall
have no wife, since you refuse me; have no fe-
male relative at all-and, Brightly, want one.
Since you cannot be my wife, be my daughter,
Brightly. Forget that ever dreamed Of any other
relation between us, and be my daughter. Brightly.
will regularly and legally adopt you. You shall
come home to the Isle, and live with Louise, who
"No, General Stuart ordon.p
What not even my daughter, Brighty2o
ono General Stuart.G ordon-but-o
"Well2p
Britannia turned her blushing face quite away
from him. as she held out her hand lie carried
IL to his lips.
dwell, Brightly"
But
GWell2n
al will be your rife, IL you will take way
ward girl. whose pride and petulsnce makes her
quite unworthy Of you"
NV own dear Brighty-my darling sparkling
TREASURED You-but how can you love me,
Brightly"
And again, with that eager, anxious, scrutiniz-
ing gaze he sought the eye Of Britannia She
turned her head away, saying softly
aDo not look at me 80 closely, for wish TO be
-, I'll 40, s;r hecause | owe IL To Won and