New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-06-23
CRESCENT
OFFICIAL JOURNAL
OF TIE CONSOLIDATED CITY OF NEW ORLEANS
THE c0UNTER-sTR0KE.
Criminal Vusaknsss ann 5slouious psespsi

Criminal gufakness ann FeIouuus Dfetptton
just after breakfast one fine spring morning
In 1887, an advertisement in the Times for
curate caught and fixed my attention. The
salary was sufficiently remunerative for bacbe-
lor, and the Parish, as personally knew, one
OF the most pleasantly situated in all Somerset
shire. instantly wrote, enclosing testimonials,
with which the Rev. Mr.. Townley, the rector
was so entirely satisfied, that the return post
brought me positive engagement unclogged
with the slightest objection to one or two sub
sldiary items had stipulated for. 1t thus hap
pened that became acquainted, and in some
degree mixed up, with the train of events it is
my present purpose to relate.
The rector found to be stout, portly gen
tieman, whose years already reached to between
sixty and seventy. met him at breakfast on
the morning after my arrival, and his reception
OF me was most friendly. We had spoken TO-
gether but for few minutes, when one of the
French windows that led from the breakfast
room into shrubbery and flower garden, gently
opened and admitted lady, just then, as
afterwards learned, in her nineteenth spring.
l use this term almos. unccnsciousiy, for i c;rT1-
not, even now, in the glowing summer Of her
life, dissociate her image from that season of
youth and joyousness. She was introduced to
me- with old fashioned simplicity as Sc My grand
daughter, Agnes Townley." 1t is difficult to
look at beauty through other mems eyes, and in
the present instance, l feel that | should fail
miserably in the endeavor to stamp upon this
blank, dead paper, any adequate idea of the fresh
loveliness, the bud beauty of that young Girl
| will merely say, that her perfectly Grecian
head, wreathed with wavy 6andeaur of bright
hair, undulating with golden light, wildly
brought to my mind Raphaels halo-tint por-
traiture of the Virgin-with this difference,
that in place of the holy calm and resignation
of the painting, there was in Agnes Townley a
sparkling youth and life, that even amidst the
heat and glare of n crowded ballroom or of
theatre, irrisistibly suggested and recalled the
freshness and perfume of the morning-of a
cloudless, rosy morning of May. And, far
higher charm than feature beauty, however
exquisite, sweetness of disposition, kind gen
| tleness of mind and temper, was evidenced in
every line Of her face, in every accent of the
low pitched, silver voice, that breathed through
lips made only to smile
Let me own that / was greatly struck by so
remarkabl BILE combination of rare endowments
and this. l think, the sharp eyed rector must
have perceived, or he might not perhaps have
been so Immediately communicative with respect
to the near prospects of his idolized grandchild,
! as he was the moment the young lady, after
presiding at the breakfast table, had withdrawn.
"We shall have gay doings, Mr. Tyrrel, at
the rectory shortly" he said. Next Monday
three weeks will, with the blessing of God, be
Agnes Townley's wedding day.
Wedding dayr'
Yes" replied the rector, turning towards
and examining some flowers which Miss Town
ley had brought in and placed on the table
s les, it has been for some time settled that
Agnes shall on that day be united in holy we'd
lock to Mr.. Arbuthnot''
| "Nlr. Arbuthnot of Elm Park -
-" A great match, is it not, in a worldly point
| of yiew!' replied Mr.. Townley, with pleasant
smile at the tone Of my exclamation. "And
young man of high and noble nature, as well as
devotedly attached to Agnes. He will, doubt
not. prove in every respect husband deserving
! and worthy OF her; and that from the lips of !,
aotlng Old graIlupapa, must be esteemed higl
praise. You will see him presently
did see him often, and quite agreed in the
rector's estimate Of his future grandson in law
l have not frequently seen finer looking young
man. His age was twenty and certainly
one of more honorable and kindly spirit, of a
more genial than he, has never come within nv
observation. He had drawn great prize in the
matrimonial lottery.
They were married at the time agreed upon
and the day was kept not only at Elm Park and
in its neghborhood, but throughout ss our y par.
ish, as a general holiday And, strangely
enough--at least have never met with another
instance OF the kind--it was held by our entire
family community, high as well as low, that the
match was Il perfectly equal one, notwithstand-
ing that wealth and high worldly position were
entirely on the bride-grooms side
The days, weeks, months, of welded life flew
over Mr. and Mrs Arbuthnot without cloud
save few dark but transitory ones which saw
now and then fit over the husbands couutenance
as the time when he should become a father drew
near, and came to be more and more spoken Of
'' should not survive her. said MIR. Arbuthnot
one day, in reply to a chance observation of the
rector's, 's nor indeed desire to do so.' The
gray headed man seized and warmly pressed the
husbands hand, and tears of sympathy filled
his eyes; yet did he, nevertheless, as in duty
bound, utter grave words on the sinfulness O
despair under any circumstances, and the duty
in all trials, however heavy, of patient submis
mission to the will of God.
1t was of course decided that the expected
heir or heiress should be intrusted to q wet
nurse, and Mrs. Dandy, the wife of miller
living not very far from the rectory, was enga
ged for that purpose. had frequently seen til,
woman; and her name, as the rector and wert
one evening gossiping over our tea, on some sub
ject or other that forget, came up.
"a likely person. remarked, 'shealthy, yer,
goodlooking, and one might make OATH a true
hearted creature. But there is witllal timid
ity, trightenedness in her manner which, if
may hazard a perhaps uncharitable conjecture
speaks i'll for that smart husband of hers
&c You have hit the mark precisely my dear sill
Dandy is a sorry fellow, and domestic tyran
to boot His wife, who is really good, bu
meek-hearted person, lived with lis once Ho1
old do you suppose her to be-"
+" Five and-twenty, perhaps"
&C Six years more than that. She has son
the name of Harper by former marriage, VIII
is in his tenth year. Anne wasn't a widow long
) Dandy was caught by her good looks, and sh
> by the bait of a well provided home Unless
however, her husband gives up his corn specu
! lations, she will not, | think, have that muc
longer"
s'Corn speculations! Surely Dandy has Il
means adequate to indulgence in such game
\ that %
"Not he. But about two years ago he bougl
on credit, | believe, q considerable quanty
wheat, and prices happening to fly suddenly Il
, just then, he made u large profit This hi
quite turned his head, which, by the by, W;
!, never, as Cockneys say, quite rightly screwe
on
The announcement of q visitor interrupt,
any thing further the rector might have had
say, and soon afterwards went home.
A sad accident occurred about month SUI
- sequent to the foregoing conversation, The re
5 tor was out riding upon an unusually qui
:, horse, which all at once took it into his head
shy at scarecrow it must have seen score
: times, and thereby threw its rider. Help W
!. fortunately at hand, and the reverend gentl
Q man was instantly conveyed home, when it W
l.Rl L