Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1852-07-22

y
tleness as a child. Suf1ice E it to say,
that she cam e nearer my ideal than
any one l ha d ever met with, and
determined To win her.
/ loved he II as l had never loved
woman. Tread with her her fayoritf {
authors and mine; | Wake ID and rode.
sung and talked, with her. | told
her of the lands l had visited -ol
the wonders [ had SEEM and when,
at last, l gave utterance to my love,
my words fell on willing ear; and
1 soon obtained permission to ask
her hand of her parents. Great was
their astonishment when they heard
their girlish daughter d emanded in
marri age. They had seen my at
t9nti3ns, it was true; but they had
looked on me as so much her senior
-she was but sixteen, | beyond
thirty + that they had hever mag
ined the possibility Of NJ y becoming
b low er. However, when they found
that Emily really loved me, they of
fered no objection, stipu lating, how
ever, that our marriage Should be de-
ferred for one year, that we might
study each others char 1acters more
closely during that tim me, with the
additional request, that 3ur betrothal
should not be made p hblic. If at
tile expiration Of that t me we both
remained unchanged, they promised
that she should becotn ne mine. !
pleaded in vain for a speedy mar
rlage; / feared that the prize which |
had won might possibly be lost to
me; and with all my nat ural impet-
uosity Of temper, ] sought to secure
Immediately what | hoped would
perfect my day-dream Of happiness.
They were firm.
"Their daughter" heytsaid, ''was
very young, and might possibly have
mistaken d girlish liking for a more
serious attachment |, too, might
be influenced by passing fancy
yielded d to what | could not con-
troll, but the re was q source Of salts
faction mingled with my disappoint-
lnent. l saw that my wealth had
no influence in their decision, and
the fear which had all ways haunted
me-of being married from merce-
nary motives, was destroyed; at
length l was loved -f5ndly aPd de-
Hotedly loved, and for myself alone
l The year passed away more rapid
lE than / had Anticipated. Oh! what
j happy year was that! Friendless,
dlone, a sorrow-strickeh d old man, on
the verge Of the grave look back
upon that period as til e sunny hour
.0f my existence. In my dreams |
recall it, and once again those hap.
.py days, with their bright hopes
their. blissful rbaliti cs, are mine
But to my story
Daily my betre the d grew nearer
and dearer to me, th ough modesty
restrained my protest. ations Of love-
her silence was more eloquent than
words. The year passed happily
away, and my weddiH Hg-day arrived
/ would have made it the occasion
of a grand festival; wished The
world to witness my proud joy; bur
my bride looked on marriage as
too solemn, too seTiQ US a thing fol
mirth,
A prouder, if not b happier man
was when, after we bad finished oul
bridal tour, she was at last installed
as mistress Of my magnificent man
SION when | received the congrat
ulations Of my friends, and hear(
the whispered murmdr Of admiration
which her beauty excited. Fete al,
ter fete was given to her, and w(
plungedIinto the maelstrom Of fash
ionable matrimonial dissipation
Emily, however, preferred the quie'
pleas ures of home to the gay scenes
into which she was introduced--an(
so, in truth, did I; but my vanity
rejoiced in her tfiulh hphs. Secluded
as she had been fl ON society, she
had none of the faults Of the initia
ted, and I was proud to contrast hel
artless, unaffected mien, and nodes
dignity, with the sta tely pretentions
of those around her.
At length the briEal parties wert
over, and in I'll he duietude of 6al
home our characters began gradua ally
to unfold themselves in each Others
view. / found that | was not mlsta
ken il my estimate Of my wife's
I love 1t was a deeper and more de