Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1853-10-05

Ha, ha," laughed Lena lightly.
I''that's true enough; but Alice is great
bookworm. quite a blue. and it would be
difficult matter to entice her from her
pursuits. assure you: besides. when
last saw her, she bade fair to become We
ry pretty; and beauty is point upon
which L cannot bear to be eelipsed, you
know, mother"
AS Lena finished speaking. she rose
hastily from the sofa, and approaching a
full length mirror at the farther end OF
the room, surveyed herself, for moment
attentiyely she turned away with a
smile of satisfaction. and gathering the
heavy folds of her travelling dress in her
small hands. swept with stately step out
of the room.
Mrs Forrest watched her daughter IS
retreating figure till it passed from her
sight. at the head of the broad staircase.
and she withdrew her eyes. while smile
of mingled pride and admiration crossed
her lips. Laying her hand upon the bell
rope, she summoned a servant to her
presence, and ordering some refresh
ments, left the drawing room to lay aside
her travelling attire.
Mrs. Forrest had married when but a
mere child. The daughter of humble pa
rents, she had been reared in scenes oil
poverty and lowliness /; but endowed with
a naturally good mind, she had by dint
of devoting her leisure moments to such
books as she could manage to buy or bor-
row, acquired for herselfno small amount
of general knowledge. When but fifteen
years of aye, she met Charles Forrest,
then young man, in the p session OF
immense wealth, with a good education
and fine manners, but in character, wild,
reckless and unprincipled. Struck by her
extreme beauty, he wooed and married
her. Introduced into the first circles, she
readily acquired that grace and refinement
of manner so constant with wealth and
fashion ; but she lost all her former good
ness of heart, and dazzled by her new
position, became cold, sordid. and world
Iy minded. She quickly learned the hol-
and rapidly acquired it herself. Keen,
subtle and selfish. she used her influence
only for her own ends; and, like most of
persons who are raised from a low sta
ton by sudden wealth, became proud,
naughty and oyerbearing. Whatever
grief sue may have ever felt at the loss
of her dissipated husband, it was very
much softened by the fact of his having
left her all his wealth.
She had brought up her daughter in
the whirl and excitement of fashionable
life, and Lena Forrest was gay, superb
cial, almost heartless girl. at the time we
have introduced her to our readers. She
had passion for coquetry, which, encou-
ragged by her inconsiderate mother, was
choking up all the naturally good impul-
ses of her nature. She had been the bell
of two seasons in the city where she resi-
ded, and her wealth, station, and pecu-
liar fascination of manner had brought
suitors in plenty to her feet, only to be re-
jected with scorn and pride.
The death of her father checked her
in full career, and obliged by the customs
of society to refrain from the amusements
in which she delighted, she readily gave
her consent to accompany her mother to
some pleasant country village; Think ng
in such place she could indulge in more
gayety, with less censure than would be
bestowedin her own circle at home.
Mrs. Forrest was ambitious of high Of
fers for her daughter, and she had come
to the conclusion that it was time Lena
was married. Priding herself upon her
match making skill. she determined to Sc
cure for her the first eligible match she
could discover i'll Preston.
Lena was ignorant of these intentions
of her mother, but it was with their
thoughts dwelling on the same subject
that the widow and her daughter sought
their couches on the night of their first
arrival in the place.