Muscatine journal. [volume] (Bloomington, Iowa) 1849-185?, 1853-12-23
MUSCATINE, IOWA: FRIDAY, DECEMBER 90, 1853.

> heart, and her real amabiity, she was al
incorrigible firt; how she could reconcile
to her conscience the pain she wantonly in.
: flicted upon every man who put himself into
her power, do not know, but in spite oil
warnings, lectures, and entreaties from us
all, she went ON coquetting with and tor
menting her admirers. 1t was a sad griei
: to her mother and sister to see such mis-
chievous folly SO possessing her, bat they
had one great hope, she had never cared
seriously for any of her suitors, and we
trusted that real affection for some worthy
object would cure her of her weakness it
was useless talking or attempting to reason
with her, for she only laughed and ridiculed
the men of whom she was making such
wretched tools for her vanity. She viewed
them in no other way than beings for her
amusement, and, while she felt so, of course,
all remonstrance increased the evil. Two
! gentlemen, whom she had led on step by
step to fancy she reciprocated their feelings,
made her offers, and to their great and just
4 Indignation she feigned the utmost aston
ishment, declaring she had never felt the
smallest inclination to change her state, and
wondered at their imagining Otherwise
With one Of these gentlemen your father
was involved in serious quarrel on her
account, and nothing but the interference of
a judicious friend could have prevented fa-
tai consequences. Soon after this she went
from home to pay a visit to an uncle in the
north, and for time we heard nothing
from her but accounts of balls and gayeties;
then the name of an officer she repeated in
her epistles, and at last letter from the
young man requesting her permission to
pay his addresses came to her mother, en-
closed in one from her uncle, speaking in
high tones Of his character and prospects.
Honor, too, wrote most glowing descrip-
tion of her lover,-hs was all the most ro-
mantle imagination could desire.'
ssHc Is quite hero,' said she, sas fiery as
the knights of old, and as jealous-I dare
not look at a sparrow-I verify believe he
would quarrel with my boquet if he thought
1t was favorite. 1t is certainly too bad,
but some how feel no inclination to fiirt
now, AID most unfortunate it is.'
'This description of Captain Herne did not
diminish our anxiety how far the evil
spirit of coquetry was destroyed in Honor
we knew not, but it Was evident her allianc-
ed would not endure tamely such treatment
rs she Had been won't to nfict on her admir-
ers. remember how anxiously it was dis
cussed by your father and me, and our ONLY
hope was in her very apparent attachment
We'll, the time came when she was to re-
turn accompanied by her lover. You may
ina zine how eager we all were they arrived
in the evening, and were shown into this
very room. She was lovely when she went,
but oh, how much loveler when she came
back to us. Her rather giddy manner and
mischievous laugh were tanned into beauti-
sul consciousness and timdity most delight.
full to see she was exceedingly happy, and
showed it so openly, that all fear of a return
to her former folly seemed absurd. And
the lover was the very beau ideal of soldier
More than usually handsome, gay, frank,
and courteous, he won our hearts, and had
it not been for his impetuous temper and
jealous dislike to any one approaching
Honor, we should have thought him perfect;
as it was, knowing her besetting sin, we
trembled lest in some thoughtless hour she
should wreck her happiness, but when We
looked upon her beaming face and undis-
guised affection, all our apprehensions
seemed idle, and We stroye to Danish them.
sThe day was fixed for their marriage
and Captain Herne was obliged to leave
her to make some preparations at hi, beau
fal place in Survey for the reception of his
bride. shall never forget that parting it
was most distressing, her grief was out of
all reason, and when at last he tore
himself away, she shut herself in her own
room and did not leave it for two DAYS he
was to be absent a fortnight, and during that
time she received letters, and wrote to him
every day. The time was fixed for his
return, and her excitement knew no bounds.
She was almost insane, she could rest no.
where; but when the appointed time ar
rived and he did not come, she was in a
most pitiable state /; we could hardly pre-
vent her from setting off into Surrey, she
was so certain that some misfortune had
occurred. At last letter was brought by
express, excusing his absence for week
longer, in consequence of the sudden arri-
val of an old Indian friend. just in pro-
portion to her unnecessary alarm wasHonor's
indignation reused now. She felt that not
for all :he friends she possessed could she
SO have disappointed him she could see
no sufficient cause why his visitor should not
have come with him here, and she was furi.
Gus. la vain We tried to argue with her,
she was too exasperated to attend to u.s.
He had fixed that day for his return, and
bade her look her best.
81 WILL she muttered, sbut not for him.
sThe Thursday he had named had been
long decided upon as the one on which We
should have gay picnic to Malvern, but
he wrote to Honor, begging that if it could
not be put off, at any rate she would not go,
but remain here to receive him. Knowing
Y Al Iosl r