New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1852-02-04


from the hedge ss sasN
These two faithful followers had longsIiared
Dick CFosby's affections between them but
from the day Of Miss Neville's appearance, the
log and the donkey found rival. She hap
pened tospeak to him, and her look and Voice
won his heart at once and forever. Never had
high born dansel i'm days of chivalry so devoted
page He was at her command by night Or
\ by day; nay, though sheealled another, Abfs
came" He would let no one else clean her
shoes, carry her clogs, OF run her errands--was
always at hand to open the gates, and chase
away the COWS when she walked forced upon
| her his own hoard of nuts, and secured the
country to get her the wintry nosegays which
the mlldness OF the season permitted, sweet
| scented olts-foot china roses and stocks.
| 1t was not IN traces nature to receive such
proofs Of attachment without paying them in
kind. Dick would hardly have been her choice
for pet but being so honestly and sartlesgly
chosen by him, she soon began to return the I
| compliment, and showered upon him marks Of ]
her favor and protection perhaps little grati-
| fed, 80 mixed are human motives, to find that
hsr patronage was still of consequence at Kin
| lay END. Half-pences and six -penees, apples
| and ginger bread, flowed into Dicks pockets
| and his outward man underwent a thorough
| transformation. He cast his rags, and for the
first time in his life put entire new suit of
| clothes. A proud boy was Dick that day. It
is recorded that he passed whole hour in al
ternate fits of looking in the glass and shouts of
| laughter. He laughed till he cried, for sheer
| happiness.
| have been thus particular in my account of
Dick, because, in the first place. he was an old
| acquaintance of mime, a constant and promising
| attendant Of the cricket -ground-his teupera-
ment being so mercurial that even in his busiest
| days, when he seemed to have work enough
upon his hands for ten boys, he would still make
| time for play; in the second, because / owe to
him the great obligation Of being known to his
fair patroness. He had persuaded her, one dry
| afternoon, to go with him, and let him show her
| the dear cricket ground. happened to be pass
1 ing the spot; and neither Of us could ever ex.
actly remember how he managed the matter,
but the boy introduced us. He was an extra.
ordinary master of ceremonies, to be sure, but
the Introduction was most effectually performed,
and to our mutual surprise and mutual pleasure
we found ourselves acquainted. have always
thought it one of the highest compliments eysr
paid me, that Dick Crosby thought me worthy
to be known to Miss Neville
: We were friends IN five minutes found the
promise OF her lovely. countenance amply re-
! deemed BY her character. She uas frank, ardent
. | and spirited, with cultiyateda1ind and a sweet
temper; not to have loved her would have been
impossible; and she, besides the natural pleasure
of talking to one who could understand and ap-
where the mistress did not scold, or the master
smoke; where there were neither pigs, chickens,
nor children
As spring advanced and tile roads improved,
we saw each other almost every day the soft
skies and mild breezes of April, and the profuse
fOweriness of hedgerow, wood and field, gave q
never failing charm to our longand rural walks.
Grace was fond Of wild flowers, which her pro
fege Dick was assiduous in procuring. He had
even sacrificed the vanity Of sticking the first
bunch of primroses in his Sunday hat to the
. pleasure of offering them to her. They supplied
her with an indoor amusement; she drew well,
and copied his field nosegays with taste and
delicacy She had obtained, too, the loan of q
piano, and talked stoutly of constant and vigor
GUS practice, and of pursuing steady cour Sc Of
reading. All young ladies, believe, make such
> resolutions, and some few may possibly keep
them; Miss Neville did not
However lively and animated while her spirits
were excited by society, it was evident that when
alone poor Grace was languid and istless. and
given to reyerie. She would even fall into long
fits Of musing in company, start when spoken
to, droop her fair head, like snow-drop, and
r sigh. Oh, such sighs! so long so deep, 80 fre-
e quent, so drawn from the very heartl Yhsy
might, to be sure, have been accounted fer D
0 the great and sad change in her situation, md
y the death Of her ildulgent uncle; but th4s<
5 seemed worn out. I had heard such sigh -
e fore, and could not help imputing them NJ Sdf
n ferent cause. - 80
I'll NV suspicious were increased when Ifount
ST eed every morning three miles meet just suel
another Dick and such another donkey, VIII
u acted as letter carriers to that side OF the vii
or lage They would have arrived at Kin1ay- en-
NJ by noon, in their natural progress, but Grac
y could not wait; so Dick and the donkey made
ne short cut the country to waylay his name
z sake of the letter-bag. and fetch disappointment
ID four hours sooner. 1t was quite clear tina
II whatever epistles might arrive, the one so ear
n nestly desired never came. Then she was so sus
piciously fond of moonlight and nghtingales ant
a tenderpoe and in the choice Of her music sh'
i; would so repeat over and over one tayorite duet
; and would SO blush if the repetition were re
. marked Surely she could not always have suns
u g La CT darem,' by herself Poor Grace Neville
e Love was worse disease than the solitude o.
y Kinlay-end. f.sre -s-
e Without pretending to any remarkable alb
e sence of curiosity on the hand, or pleadin,
guilty to the slightest want of interest IN m,
I dear young friend on the other, was chiefs
!, anxious to escape the honor of being her conf
1T dante. So sure as you talk Of love, you nour
a sh it, and wanted hers to die away. Time
g and absence, and cheerful company, and sum
l. mer amusements, would, doubted not, effect
lie cure l even began to fancy her spirits wer
N improving. when, one morning towards the mid
!; die of May, she came to me more hurried an
le agtated than ! had ever seen her The cause
re when disclosed, seemed quite inadequate to pro
s, duce so much emotion. Mrs Martin had re
u, ceived letter from her landlord, informing he
" that he had lent to a friend the apartment
IN fitted up for himself at the farm, and that b
friend would arrive on the succeeding day for
la weeks angling. ..,...
ut ssWell, my dear Grace, and what then:" J.
e. ssAnd this is Sir John Cover s'--
IS ss But who is Sir John Covert" .a el-
d. She hesitated a little
ar "What do you know of him'''
d. ssOh, he is the proudest, sternest, cruele
ry man! it would kill me to see him; it won
ys break my heart, if my heart is not broke
me alreadys
1g: And then, in an inexpressible gush Of bitt
na grief, the tale of love, which l had so long e
md pected, burst forth She had been engaged
al the only son of this proud and wealthy barone
the with the full consent of all parties on the d
covery of her uncles ruined circumstances, u
marriage had been most harshly broken on by b
led commands She had never heard from Nj
to Cover since they were separated by hls iathef
in authority, but in the warmth and confidence
the her own passionate and trustful love- she foun
thy an assurance of the continuance OF his New
she was affection more ardent or more despalrln
to No common man could have awakened SUI
the tenderness in such woman. L soothed her q
Ood oould and imnlOred her to give US the pleaSu