The Planters' banner. [volume] (Franklin, Attakapas Co., Lou.) 1849-1872, 1853-05-12

IlulSldut SlduCCA oil luIUSY IdkUSl
than this cool | know it."
Twas puzzled, but I had plenty OF
timeto turn the matter in my mind, for
in few days returned to college. |
can truly say it was the one problem
which, throughout the term, gave me
most trouble 10 solve, and cost me most
| thought.
| Another year elapsed ere returned
home and again sat in the little village
church. My personal appearance was
meanwhile somewhat altered. | still
wore my moustache, it is true, but my
coat tails were not, or did not seem,
quite SO long, and had left off my
spurs.
My mother and | were early seated
in our pew, and impatiently awaited
the arrival of my lovely enigma.
tried to prepare myself for diSappoint-
| ment.
al have been thinking and dream
ing about an ideal.D said to myself
doubtless, when the young lady her
self appears, all nay fine imaginings
will vanish; there can be no doubt my
fancy has been playing tricks with me,
investing a mere country maiden with
transcendant graces and charmso
While | was reasoning thus with my
self the young lady appeared, leading
her old relative with tender care.
Worshipping an "ideal,n indeed my
most charming remembrance did not
begin to do justice to the beautiful re-
ality. A soul full of tenderness and
sensibility seemed to have found a fit
ting home in person and face of per-
feet loveliness and grace.
She blushed when, looking around
| she chanced TO see me, and again the
play of expression on her features,
which had so interested me formerly,
charmed me.
| The more | studied her face the more
'Iseemed to see into the pure depth of
her soul, | could have staked my life
| upon her noble purity Of thought and
deed.
As We returned home described my
neighbor, and asked my mother who
she was.
Her name," my mother said, is
Grace Denny; and she is the loveliest
the most superior young woman |
have ever, in mEsWhole life, met with.
Ii is too soon TO think of such things
yet~ she continued, smiling but some
years hence it would make me happy
10 see my son married to just such a
woman
Not quite so fast, mother" said |,
laughing a good deal TO hide a little
hnyiSh embarrassment. which was
mos. anxious TO conceal.
found that Grace had become
constant visitor at my mothers, and |
did not fail to improve the oppouanity
of becoming beuer acquainted with
her.
She wasindeed gifted creature, en-
dowed with all anatures best7 She
sang, danced and eonversed with an
indeseribabie grace peculiar to herself
Though generally thoughtful and earn
est liz her demeanor, she had vein of
quiet humor. and her strokes of play
ful dqollery chained all the more from
being unexpected. But more ailuring
to me than her gifts and accomplish.
ments, was the shrinking sensibility
depicted on every feature of her sweet
Eace. | soon found myself deeply
painfully intere,tedan her. say pain
fully. for Grace received my arduous
attentions with perfect GOODNESS and
Enconcern which gave me great unea-
siness Sometimes | thought she re-
membered my early impertinence, and
was disposed to punish it. But there
was a rival, a cousin of Grace's, who
always stood in my way, and from
whom Grace received. as a matter of
course. numbeIless little attentions
which I dared not even offer. | hated
this man; was insufferably jealous;
she seemed either perfectly uncon-
scious or perfectly Indifferent to the
by-play of animosity which was carried
on between us.
Grace, sweet Grace, with her child
like simplicity and sensitive Woman's
heart-who could resist hera | could
not. my whole soul was hers. In vain
had | struggled: in vain had called
upon my vanity (of which had plenty
to inpoke) to save me from the mortif-
cation of loving without return. /
could not stem or control the passion
which, strong as 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 glistening eyes suggested
sweet hopes to my vanity. ! fancied |
saw love in those bright dewy eyes,
and on those soft music-breathing lips.
1t was the last evening of my vaca-
tion, and surely read gentle, fare
well thought in Grace's face. was
besides myself with joy at the idea:
was as if in blissful dream: sweet
delirium: rapture of love. As Grace
rose to leave the piano, caught her
hand, and, unable longer to repress the
one thought that filled my head, | ex-
claimed fervently:
Grace dear Grace: with all my
soul | love you W
She lifted her large, soft eyes, and
said slowly, while mischieyous smile
stole over her face.