Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1852-10-27


Mr.. Keeper took his departure, leaving Lucreti'
with the widower.
No sooner had our hero gone, than Miss Lane
who had kept gradually hitching her chair away
from the widower, made an errand to the fire, ar
excuse for hitching it back again.
$ Nice young man, Mr.. Keeper observed tht
widower, glancing at Lucretia over his dicky, ant
laying his arm on the back of her chair.
% Nay" said Lucretia, STOPPING to place stick
on the andirons.
: Mr.. Brooks perceived that the glow of the fire
made her face look very red. g
s Used to be pretty neighborly, understand! >
Ye-yes-quite!
Lucretia was crimson.
5 g Nothing but a friend suppose. .
'Oh, no! no! !"
ssHem! and if should-that is, if any one else
should wish to marry you, he wouldn't be in the
way!', ~
The widower's arm slipped from the back of the
chair, and fell somehow by accident around her
waist; and the widower being an absent-minded
person, neglected to put it back again!
'.And would any thing else be in the way, my
deara''
That's according "-( (how the fire did glow in
=Lucretia's face! y" according to who the person
is ~
. The clasp of the arm about her waist tightened.
All. hem! and if-if it was me %
"You! ha! there's no danger Of that, guess! %
said Lucretia, trying to slaught it off,
Another movement of the ARMAND Lucretia's S
head lay on the widower's shoulder.
sBut am. in earnest, exclaimed Mr.. Brooks.
Oh! I didn't suppose-if that's the scase,' y
little. sS s1 ,gzssz..
This afforded the widower an excuse for clasp
ing her waist still closer. Heilaid his whiskers
against her wet cheek, to the imminent peril of
Sampson Keepers happiness, and the smoothness
ofhis own Sunday Dickey. Then you might have
zssThere. now say you'll have me, . exclaimed
the widower.
:" IF you--want me to - 7ss
Lucretia thought of Sampson, and hesitated
She had a lingering affection for that young gen.
tleman; but then, he had exhausted her patience.
Sampson was certainly a desirable man, but Lu-
cretia was twenty-three, It was sweet to become
Mrs. Keeper, but it was awful to think of becom-
ing an old nlaid The widower's affections at this
moment struck Lucretia as a happy. medium
comfortable certainty, although they promised no
uncommon happiness; and she murmmed,
ST. will z, 80 gz55
And this is the manner in which Sampson,
through a habit of too much caution and indeci-
sion, lost the fairest maid in Grassborough after
courting her five years! ss
Mr.. Brooks took his young bride home to fill the
place of mother to three children; and Sampson,
who had a married sister, with small family, in
straightened circumstances, resolved to give his
poor re lations home in his house, and live with
them as an old bachelor, to the end of his days.
On sloosng Lucretia, Sampson, in despair, had
made a VOW never to marry. "a -
Eight years afterwards, however, Mr.. Keeper
had occasion to reconsider his VOW. Mr.. Brooks
died suddedy, leaving Lucretia the mother fthree
children, and the step-mother of as many more
Sampson was fond Of children, and Lucretia was
more of an angel in his eyes now than ever. He
visited her, carried presents to her children, and
did every thing in his power to console her in her
affections, and the young widow dried her tears,
planted some flowers on the grave of the lamented
Brooks, and smiled encourageingly on her old
lover.
People began to talk again. Sampson and Lu-
cretia were agong to be married now, at all events
said the gossps. But two years passed, every
body was puzzled; and the fact that Mr.. Keeper
was a batchelor at forty was mystery.
The truth is, Sampson had not been cured of his
old habit of procrastnation, To marry the moth
er of six children, and take her and them home
for Sampson could never have made up his mind
so settle on the Brooks estate-would be to disturb
the peaceofhis sisters family who had been living
ON him nearly ten years. Besides Jane, his sis
ter and Mr.. Bunker, his brother-in-law, who had a
great influence on his rresolute mind, discouraged
him from assuming such responsibility, as the
matrimonial station occupied by the late lamentee
Brooks. S
g should like to see you married and happy
dear,'' Mrs. Bunker would say, ssfor notwithstand
ing all our affections for you, am afraid you are
sometimes dissatisfied with your present way o
living!" - q ss' - ,sesas
. .Oh, assure you again, sister, . Sampson
would reply, g appreciate your attentions
| % And am sure we delight in doing for you
STILL if you desire to marry, take somebody worth
Of YOU, and nothing would suit me better.
50 sc But Mrs. Brooks" ss.ss
za A widow with six children! / beg of you,
you value your peace ofmind, don't marry anothe
| man family: Look for somebody else."
Jane could safely give her brother this advice
| for she well knew he would never marry any on
but Lucretia.
So Sampson hesitated. Although he sighed fo
the widow, he felt that it would be ungrateful
marry against the wishes Of those who did every
/ thinn their mower to make him happy; Wh