Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1853-03-12
! sat in the little village church. Ny personal

=
= 9nearance was meanwhile somewhat altered.
stii wore my moustache, it is true, but my coat
tails were not, or did not seem quite SO long, and
l had left off my spurs.
Nv mother and were early seated in our pew,
and Immediately waited the arrival of my lovely
enigma tried to prepare myself for disappoint-
ment.. 81 have been thinking and dreaming about
an IDEAL" I said to myself doubtless when the
Young lady herself appears all my ine imaglning IS
win yanish-there can be doubt my fancy has
been PLAYING tricks with me, investing mere coun-
try maiden with transcendant graces and charms.
While was reasoning thus with myself, the young
lady appeared, leading her old relative with tend
er care.
Worshipping an "Ideal," indeed my most
charming remembrance did not begin TO do justice
to the beautiful reality. A soul full of tenderness
and sensbiity seemed to have found fitting
home in person and face of perfect oveniless and
grace.
to see me, and again the play of expression on her
features which had SO interested me formerly,
charmed me.
The more l studied her face the more l seemed
to see into the pure depth of her soul. could
have staked my life on her noble purity of thought
and deed.
Aswe returned home, described nay fair neigh
Dor and asked my mother who she was.
sHer name," my mother sad sis Grace Den
ny; and she is the loyeest-the most superior
young woman l have ever in my whole life met
with 1t is too soon to think of such things yet,
she continued, smiling, but some years hence it
would make me happy @ see my son married to
Just such woman.
s'Not quite so fast, mother" said ]. laughing
good deal to hide little boyish embarrassment,
which | was most anxious to conceal.
/ found that Grace had become a constant visi
tor at my mothers, and | did not fail to improve
the opportunity of becoming better acquainted
with her.
She was indeed gifted creature, endowed with
all ''nature's BEST. She sang she danced, she
conversed with an indescribable grace peculiar to
herself Though generally thoughtful and earnest
in her demeanor, she had vein of quiet humor
and her strokes of playful drollery charmed all the
MORE from being unexpected. But more alluring
to me than all her gifts and accomplishments, was
the shrinking sensibility depicted every feature
of her sweet face. l soon found myself deeply
painfully interested in her. l say painfully, for
Grace received my assiduous attentions with per-
feet cconess and unconcern which gave ne great
uneasness. Sometimes thought she remember
ed my early impertinence, and was disposed to
punish it, But there was rival, cousin OF
Graces, who always stood in my way, and from
whom Grace received, as a matter of course, mum
berless little attentions which dared not Of
fer l hated this man; l was insufferably jealous;
but seemed either perfectly unconscious, or per-
fectly indiferentto the by-play of luminosity which
was carried on between us.
Grace, sweet, noble Grace, with her child-like
simplicity and sensitive woman's heart-who could
resist her? could not--my whole soul was hers
In vain had struggled--in vain had | called up
on my vanity (ofwhch had plenty to invoke) tc
save me from the modification of loving without
I cfop %l,v,
which, strong as a mighty whirlwind, had seized
me-
One evening I sat by the piano while Grace sang
: to me. The cousin was not there, and dear
Grace's varying color and clustering eyes suggest
ed sweet hopes to my vanity. l fancied [ saw love
in those bright dewy eyes, and on those soft music
breathing lips.
1t was the last evening of my vacation, and
surely read gentle, farewell thought in Grace
face. l was beside myself with Joy at the idea
| was as if in bssfu dream--a sweet derium-
rapture of love. AS Grace rose to leave the
piano, | caught her hand and unable longer to
rcpress the one thought that filled my heart |
claimed fevently-
''Grace--dear Grace, with all my soul love
you 90
She lifted her large, soft eyes, and said slowly,
while a mischievous smile stole over her face.
81 know it,
one was gone before naQ Time 10 prevent IL,
or to recover from my surprise.
The next day | returned to college, expecting
to complete my studies in another year. year
how long time to be absent from the beloved be-
ing who was to me, | felt henceforh and forever,
whether she returned my love or not, the nucleus
around which all my thoughts would revolve.
need not say how often her strange and unsatsfac
tory answer tormented me. l perceived in hel
repetition Of the same words, her remembrance O
the time she had used them before; and this then
was the punishment for my insolence. tortured
i myself by bringing the whole again and a
gain to memory-my passionate declaration O
love and her provoking reply 81 know it." 1.-THE
deuce you do p thought | sometimes, 81 would
r more uncertain.
: l often wonder that was able to study all th
r time, for Grace, beautiful graceful Grace; wa
: never absent from my thoughts-she had becom,
d the dream of my life-the object of all the low,
: sonnets, which had till now been scattered on va
: rious rival beauties. l did study, however, AM
e study hard and at the end of the term passed ex
If animation with high honor--much to my dea
k mothers pride and Joy
Y determined to be wiser when 1 saw Grace a
: gan-to discover beyond doubt if were indee,
n beloved, before committed myself as had don
n by foolish speeches.
e In order to satisfy myself on this point and per
e haps also to crafty little pique when 1 returne
1t did not go Immediately to see Grace as my feel
\ ings dictated, but waited till, at my mothers sum
d mons, she spent evening with us. Even then
l. though my heart was full Of tenderness for her,
had M do nv, ro;rd