Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1851-09-09
THE MOCK MARRIAGE.
BY MRS. ANN S. STEPHENS.
(COntinup1l

o1 DiRo' ANN SIEfIENS.
(Continued)
"Come in," said Miss Smith.
"Lida, go and get the black Grape bonnet
you altered yesterday; the body has come for
it, suppose"
Ida had scarcely time to lay down her
work, when the door opened, and Mr.. Gilbert
walked quietly into the room.
Miss Smith blushed crimson, dropped her
shawl and seemed tempted to commence de-
predations on the cruel papers forthwith Ida
took up her work again, and Mr. Gilbert sat
down amid 4 torrent Of compliments from
Miss Smith, and began to turn over volume
Of Byron, which he had brought in his hand
He had done himself the pleasure of bringing
the book which Miss desired.
Miss Smith was delighted Mr.. Gil.
bert oblige her by reacing few pages, if he
was not too much engaged-she had been in.
ormed that he read beautifully
Mr.. Gilbert would be too happy; but the
light was so dim that he must sit by the win.
dow-.so moving his chair with the self posses.
sion of a man accustomed to have his own
way-he sat down within few PAGES Of Ida
She did not look W, but the most delicate of
all blnShes broke into her cheek, and the young
man saw that her Fingers were little trcmu-
lous, as she bent diligently over her work. He
seemed busy searching for q iavoritc poem,
and Miss Smith took advantage of the oppor-
tunity 70 let down quantity of black hair,
which the mutatcd pattern had failed to rem
der more than wavy, and givi, g her lounces
Il slight shake, she drew her clair to the win.
dow, ordered Ida 10 place a block for her feet,
and folding her hands with graceful languor,
composed herself to listen.
1t would be quite superfuous to say how
many times the sensitive Miss Smith lifted her
hands and exclaimed, "Bcautiluly "Oh how
sweet" while the reading of Childe Harold
went on; or to give any description of the
color which glowed in the cheek of our Ida,
and the pleasure which filled those soft eyes
till they sparkled like gems beneath her droop.
ing lushes. But it is quite necessary to inform
the reader, that, after this day, MIR. Gilbert was
a constant visitor at the milliner's shop-that
he read Childe Harold quite through and when
Miss Smith solicited some of the shorter poems,
he looked 1T Lida, and answered no he would
read them to Miss Smith, but not there. Miss
Smith was delighted with this indication that
her neighbor desired a tetc-a-teie, and Ida,
who heard Byron for the first time-though she
had read more than most girls of her age, was
quite unconscious Of the compliment paid to
her purity of conduct in the denial. The law
yer had large library, and there was no lack
of books for perusaI. Ida, seldom spoke
while he was reading, but it was pleasant for
refined man like Gilbert to study the change Of
her fine, sweet face il was like volume Of
"unwrittcn poetry" which no one could read
but himself. In less than week, his easy
chair was wheeled INTO the milllner's room cve-
ry day, and he was quite domesticated among
the straw trimmings, scraps of satin, and paste
board chips that Uttered the floor.
A sense Of aristocratic distinction is re-
marhable pleasant feeling, but in order to enjoy
it perfectly, there must be some companion.
ship. 1t was very pleasant and agreeable for
Miss Warner to return from four years school,
to be the richest and most accomplished belle
of country village. 1t was pleasant to be en-
gagged to wealthy and handsome young man
like Gilbert, but as she did not care for books,
had no one but a widowed mother to bestow
the flattery which school-mates barter one with
the other, as she detested all useful employ
ment, it was to be expected that her time must
pass somewhat heavily especially after the first