Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1853-02-24
VOL. VII.


llnger for moment at this crisis of nv fate
and besides, twas at Enderly | heard-ant
with cruel suddenness-of circumstance con.
nected with my intended, which made me first
determine to rush back to London, and if nec-
essary, take to street-sweeping, authorship, OF
any other desperate resource, rather than mar
ry that Mrs. Hook. was passing a halfoper
door In the hotel, when heard female voice
addressing child, in the terms of wise en-
dearment consecrated to the rising generation
1T shall CO., said the voice, sand SO it shall, tc
lis own -granny-grannyma to its own
-own-own grannyma; that it shall, SO il
shall-won't it wonder Ito its own granny
ma Hook = Only think, my dearest ladies,
what my feelings must have been on thus learn
ing (and the fact was confirmed the next min
ute by the landlord, in reply TO my hurried
question: that my intended, old and healthy
bride was an Observation-Disclosures Hook
intended to have gone out at once to nv
uncle's place, but that was now impossible.
| My agitated mind demanded repose. A nights
reflections were necessary to arm me with suf-
fcient philosophy to meet the destroyer of my
peace; and engaging bed at the inn, went
out to walk in the neighboring wood The To-
cality was not chosen without motive; for I
knew that from the summit of a low hill, at a
a miles distance, / should obtain a view OF
Enderly court; and felt that if anything
could reconcile me to the idea of the healthy
old widow, it would be the spectacle of her
castellated mansion, seated in park, which is
a very paradise Of beauty.
There is a strange sympathy continued
the lion, musingly, between the soul of man
and the aspect Of nature. II would seem as il
the waving line Of beauty, described by hill
and valley. embraced with lis folds, and en-
dowed with lis charms, the possessor Of the
enchanted spot; as if the melody of woods and
waters mingled with the mortal voice that
owned them; as if the peeps of sky caught
through the empowering trees flung an azure
glory upon the eyes to which the timber be-
longed
Beautiful! beautiful = broke in the mother
for the first time, 'and as true as it is beautiful
Jemima, my love, that is philosophy
Jemima looked coldIy and distrustfully at
her parent, but remained silent; and the old
maid, who was obviously interested in Mrs.
Hook, remarked in tone of solioquy, that she
was sure we should find her turn out to be
respectable and interesting woman.
That was just my idea, remarked the wor-
shipper of nature, which he had cooled down.
Every step advanced reconcied me more and
more to the old lady, and when saw the
glancing ofa trout stream through the trees,
| thought even of hook without disgust But
just at this moment a sound broke upon nv
senses which disturbed me with recent and dis
agreeable associations; it was the squeal of
young child, and whisked off my thoughts at
once to a hale, hearty, long living grandmoth-
erhood. Visions Of canes and snulf-boxes rose
before my eyes, everlasting coughs ratified in
my ear, and worse than all the glauces of mat
rimonial love from the eyes of a grandmother
froze my blood. How different were the
sights and sounds of reality as ] turned the
corner of clump of trees The infant | had
heard was lying on IFS back on grassy knoll,
fighting up with its little clenched fists, and
Growing, as the nurse maids call it, with all
its might; while bending over it with eyes
brimful of love and laughter, poking its tiny
rihc xrtI, har
from its brow, and seizing its neck with her
lips as though she would throttle it, there
knelt young woman | did not think she
could have been quite thirty
Thirty the old creature' exclaimed Miss
Jemima.
The girl was probably nurse maid = re-
marked the old maid.
She was neither an old creature nor
GIRL said the lion, in king Of the forest tone,
'but a woman in the very prime and glory Of
her years. Her bonnet was lying on the grass,
and her dishevelled hair floating in dark mass
es over her shoulders; but visible diadem sat
on her queenly brow, just as voice of per-
emptory command was fell in her light, Joyous,
leaping laugh. There was fearless selfpos-
sessed grace in her manner, such as years su-
peradd to the feminine softEess of youth, and
her features, originally moulded in wax, were
now as firm yet as exquisilely fine, as if they
had been cat in the semi-transparent marble Of
Paros. While feasting on the beautiful pic
ture formed by the mother aud her child-sure-
fy that must have been the relationships lit
tie incident occurred to disturb its grouping
The infant, with shriler squeal of delight,
and more vigorous spasm of IFS limbs, sud-
denly rolled down the knoll, Growing as it
went y; and the lady, with a playful yet ner-
vous cry of surprise, stretched after it in
vain as she knelI. till she measured her
whole length on the sod. Before she could
get up, had sprung from my ambush,
Caught up the truant as il lay half smothered
IN daisies and butter-cups, and presented the
prize to the flushed aud startled mother.
Such was my introduction to-io-'
Not TO Mrs. Hook = said the old maid,
with severity. You forget that you are now
married man ?
MRS JemIma was tearing absentIy the
pe'u's ol narcissus, and looking up with
'Ois's'ng sigh into the face Of the narrator
so'a soitfy-'but you were not married
then
10 describe the conversation Of this fas.
cinating woman continued the cen,lar