Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1851-12-13
ERA THIRD.

TwENTY-sIx years Of ase,-and yet she
is in the prime of her sunny beauty. Those
five summers seem to have changed Nata-
lie but little to outward appearance and
though Time has brought sorrow to her, as
to all of Earth's travellers, still they have
not withered the radiance of her complex
ion, nor dimmed the brightness of her eye.
Behold her now in New York, whittier
she has come 10 luldi professional engage
ment How many memories are crowd
ing in her mind, as she SITS at the window
of her parlor at the Astor House, looking
out upon the crowded scene Her voyage
has been tgcsome, and she now courts the
agreeable luli Of doing and saying nothing.
She has denied herself all day 10 "calIrrS,"
who, ever crazy after "Stars," have been
craving admiuance; whilst her uncle has
gone out TO attead 10 the dull realitioS Of
business with the manager There she sits,
as | said before, gazing sadly out.
Her Young days What retrospect
passes through her mind and, above all,
,rW obtruie the evcr-loved image of Ash
ley Courtenaye. She has not heard of him
I for five years: and even now the recollec-
! ton sufices to color with brilliant glow
! her soft cheek. not all the facinalions of
/ her splendid career, nor ilatiery, nor change
( Of scene, had banished from her mind the
/ image OF her childhood's friend, her youths
/ lover, which now plainly and vividly rises
! before her. The thought Of once more
/ 9peing him made her induce her uncle 10
close with the Offer of hlr. -, when he
sent to engage her services.
! $40 morrow | shall behold him ~
/ thought she, ''ioF tomorrow night my en-
gagement commences; and my coming has
been sufficiently hrraldrd, if one can trust
these papers for information" And she
again leaned over one lying in her lap.
What crowds the next evening betooi
themselves towards the Opera House in
AStor Place, 10 hear the new prima donna
in Norma So many seats had been ST.
cured that numbers could not be admitted
Natalie was there but, unlike her usual
calm manner and reserve, she was recon
noitering the dress circles and Par9uetie a,
eagerly as ever did GeJMaRie before OF
since, from convenient slit in the curtain
Long she gazes, without any interest
apparently, on the large and iashionabl,
audiences before her; but, at length, a start
which from its vehemence shook the cur
tain, showed her TO be awakened. Near th,
stage--So close, in fact, that every eye
glance might be drtected-Sat a party o
three, upon whom her regards were iaSten
; ed Mrs Courtenaye, her son, and lady
sitting between them, ofan intellectual ans
sweet face, who, at the moment Natalie
eye rested upon the group, was iamlllarll
placing her hand on Ashley's arm, a
: though to call his attention. 'liiS wife "
was her thought; and a new sadness spranf
y up in her heart as she looked upon his ami
mated face, which exhibited no traces o
} the sorrow from which she had suffered
, still was suffering. No-he was gay !; an'
his iiveliness must have found words, iron
! the smiles wreathing the lips of his tw'
I listeners.
> There is the tinkle of the first bell-th
! secondhand she must now call up he
smiles to face the audience, who are s.
7 ready to applaud. One last sigh to he
past dsys-snd "Norman 10 bending in sal