Hillsdale Whig standard. (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1846-1851, 1851-03-04
A SUBURBAN ROMANCE.

II OODOI ItDulN NbkONlN1NOkZt
WBES became incumbent OF the psroch.
ial district oi ST. Barnshas. Copeuhsgen
Lanes, ] lodged Ia Peppermint Place. IL
was then creeping Us way into tho fields,
with The apparent liberalization rot TO stop
sil il had reached lIighgale. The brick and
tnorIar invasieu had extended TO two ranks of
houses. which were then in all conditions.
srom ueat snug finish, 10 cheefless r0otles-
ness. When | went TO take the rooms in
numbeI ooe. on a drizzlidg afternoon my
landlord Was pleased 10 assure me, while
sweeping hs ARA out of back window over
landscape IN the lasi Stage Of damp decay
Shsi the situation was ''uncommOniy cheer.
tul." The view consisted of few dsnsn-
tied garden allOtmeuts; superanuated sum-
mer-house was lying ~ an atttude OF utter
desrondeucy against deserted pigsty; bunch
~s oi dropping holly hooks, broken down hy
ttre weigh Of their misl0rrunes, wept rain.
drops; patches of The cabbage and other
greens wete sicklied over with the pale cas-,
"i lane and mortar; aud tulips struggl led up
out OF then beds between bick bats. in the
las, agonies of sirangularion. Tie uncom-
manlv '.cheetfll situalion.'' was finished of
On the back ground hy damp and ragged
hedge; the whoe presenting a vivid Iabeau
al The Unsuitable Ogre. Town, swallowing up
the passive. pastoral Country.
The chief attraction from my sitting room
was clayey slough, in which constant
succession OF buick -carrs we've continually
stuck during ail the working hours OF the
day; Yet The boundary TO this prospect vas
iar from uninviiing. Several at ;be oppO-
site houses were flashed aGd inhabued -
The rea,es, and Dret'iest uf Them was that
Immediately facing my room. Ii window
curisus were ever uadr Of woven snow. hat
must have beeIEihe material Of lhosa a. the
first floor window uf that modest habIiaiiuu;
they were so white and transparent
There vas sWch variety in iheit arrange
mcnl; so much taste in the dis ioslJlou OF The
crocuses and suow-drops 10 the window w-sil';
such eviden, pleasure taken 10 conceaIiug
the wires Of the bird cage in impromplu a.
bours. now Of ceraniuin. now OF msrtle, or
else hy an interminIrs oC cut r,Imtoscs-
that was itresistably reminded of one o(
those chstming lille cottage windows In the
scenes of French vaudeville. Nor was
this impression weakened when occasion
aly esjhed--bdI very seldom--betweeu the
VOWS Of bJb-trlnge thar dAngled merit, from
the curtains, the face nf lovely brunette,
framed ia 5dRdedur OF je, hair ard Iumn-
ated by a pair OF piercing black eyes.
What busy eyes they were. Though |
seldom them. | could see what they were
doing all dsy long; for, every Thing being
DARK. as ii TO correspond to Them (their Ow
ner was in mourning,) could observe the
plainer how the hlIle lady in bacs employed
herself behind the fu of whte curtain
She was necessarily bending over frame,
and could guess from the motion Of rhe
arm nearest the window, thai she embroi
dered, mr. did something OF that sotI, all day
long. Now aud then lhe band appeared TO
move higher than the frame, and supposed
tro'n The angle of the elbow. that she was
pressing il against her over wrought eyes,
Poor girl! No wasder il they sched; for
from mornng ull evening. every day. except
Sundays, duiing all that cold aud cheerless
spring. she 10 be seen IN busy motion.--
Except on Sunday mornings-l suppose TO
60 tn chutch--she never went abroad; and
no other living soul was ever observed 10 her
room.
10 The course OF months, my observations
Of the captivating SiLHoUErTE--so had
nicknsmed the Iitue black profle--were more
frequent than polite. The delicious lnlle
gsuze Of mystery which hall.veilsd her,
piqued my curiosity: and could safely in
dulge 10 IL, as my draperies were much less
AERIAL lban hers. Though the east wind blew
with continued intensity, and it was quite an
effor, TO leave ones freside. she was never
during daylight away from her window
Sometimes could distinguish that she paus-
ed. 1eant her head on her hand. and gazed
with earnest intensity directly under where
j sat. Then, as IL suddenly caught in the
ac'. she would turn like lightning 10 her
frame, snd the Ii,te black arm. would move
up and do-u with unusual rapidly Thee
was curious circumstances connected with
these fi's OF sbstr~ction and starts of work: ]
remarked that they happened inversely TO
the proceedings OF my clever yoong land.
lord below Gan ~ layer, csryer. and cabinet
msker;) for, during the momen,s Of nv SIl.
ahouette's fascination, his saw, li,s cbiseI or
plane. or hammer were in full and n.isy op.
Grafton; sod ii was exactly at the inslanx ,hs,
either Of these tools were laid down and The
sound ceased; that my litle lady resumed
her work / was convinced one morning
that this coincidence was mere fancy.
had got used TO the noises In The shop be-
Iow.' and could distIug uish, on the forenoon
referred 10, that friend Bevil was making, at
each stroke Of his plane. very long sbayings.
While irving 10 guess, from the sounds, the
length OF The plank be was smoothing, oh.
served the dsmscI opposite tracing an en-
sroi6sg1 rs'r'n, against The glass. Fhe