The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1852-01-15
story had heard about its dwellers, il

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Major K, the owner once of all
the goodly fields that roll and stretch away
from this mansion into distant perspective,
was the son of General not slightly dis
tinguished in American history. His own
title had probably been something more
honorable than the military prefix fastened
so often, nowadays, in country villages,
upon the names Of peaceable republicans
His laurels could hardly have been blood
less ones He was rich man, proud as
he was rich, and stern as he was proud
Few, perhaps, had 6rmer foundation to
rest the pride of birth upon, of the dwell
ers among his native hills But his p,idc
was haughtiness that made him feared
and hated by the simple towns-people
whom he despised. His name became a
synonyme for aristocracy," word
scarcely less hateful than treason" to the
sturdy Democrats then so lately emanci-
pated from the rule of British provincials
He had several sons and daughters,
born in his own image" Of pride. They
mingled with the common horde," in
deed, and condescended to the brisk busi-
ness of life. But they were stately, cere-
monious, and reserved, bending their heads
in the common breeze, like tall pines in
forest Of underground, never reaching the
level Of those about them-seldom giving,
and never asking sympathy.
One, at least, wore her pride like a
princess. She was beautiful - darkly,
haught,ly beautiful. When she came into
the old family pew, of Sunday morning,
4 more than one pair of eyes and lips fo;got
the strictness of puritanical decorum, and
n other besides the admiring children whis-
:, pered behind their fans, "what a beauty
. To be sure, the elders of the congregation
n shook their heads, and said that no good
: could come of a child brought up with
such high noiions," but they could not hate
S her in thrir hearts.
h She was seldom seen elsewhere, unless
t by some child OF chance stroller, under
!, the elm arches or pine spires Of the forest,
c wandering alone by herself, and smiling
y on the intruder her beautiful smile SO
S proudly as to repel all mpanionship.
l. Then too, upon almost every sunny day,
she might be met miles away, upon some
y of the stony roads winding among the fields
+ and orchards, mounted on a spirited bay
D pony-sometimes following in the wax. of
the family carriage, but oftener alone,
sweeping the air with her nodding, black
plume, aud glowing in the brightness of
/ health and exercise.
Anne k carried a volcano under
her froz n veil of ceremony. Its pent up
: fires flashed at rare intervals, far down in
her deep eyes but oftener they rocked
: her breast to passionate heaving, while her
cheeks were pale as slumber's, and her
, lips unmoved from their cold, calm curve.
One had looked into the depths of that
volcano--one of whom her stern father
little suspected of such pr, sumption, when
he engaged his services per hour as the
tutor of his carefully guarded daughter,
Anne was sitting one dreamy July alter
noon, upon the high backed, stiffly carved
sofa, in the large, low parlor. The open
window by her side was curtained only by
the lilacs, whose delicate blossoms nodded
through, almost touching the girls check,
and breathing out dclciousness all about
her. Her long, heavy Ia hes dropped
toward the Telemaque" that lay open
on her lap; but it might as well have been
any other book. Her stately head did not
droop, however, with it's coronet of dark
braids and pufEs, nor did muscle of her
face disobey the orders of her will but
the small, white ruff below heaved and
trembled like leaf on stormy waters.
! Before her sat, or rather Leaned, a young
forei isner-such the moustache, the Ian
guage, and the "air," marked him
speaking low, earnest words in his native
tongue, that could by no possibility have
been linked to the lesson of that day-a
grave lecture of the "sage Mentor" 1t
was evident that the two had corrugated
the verb "ain,er" together long enough to
forget that another existed in the French
) vocabulary or in any other J