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

and when at last | mentioned my uncle Z
name, she had no difficulty in recollecting
that respectable friend Of Mrs. Hook. Al
the word started as violently as If she had
thrown the old lady's grandchiId at nv
head; and the beautiful stranger looked at
me with surprise and curiosity.
You know Mrs. Hook p said /.
Yes
'What-old Mrs. Hook:'
'Yes.s
Grandmother Hook p
Yes
How do you like The individually
sympathIze with her for |, too'-and
she held up The fairest hand in the world, so
as to show widows ring. had not OBJ
served the peculiarly in her slight mourn
Ing, but now saw, that she, TOO, was wild
ow land that The infant (which wsS now
alternately in her hands and mine) was the
pledge OF love extinguished in The grave
She was free-lhis lovely young woman ;
and was about 10 be chained for life 10 old
Grandmother Hook! She saw my agita.
ton, but of course could not comprehend its
cause.
Come said she, with an angelic smile,
1 see you do not like my venerable friend !;
but am determined 10 reconcile you 10 her.
She is grandmother, it is true, and there
lore not so young as she has been but she
wears weil-she is, indeed. particularly
healthy, and you form friendship for her,
it is likely to last for many years.
That is the misery said I-'that is the
misery! If she were but like all old women,
if she were but liable to the common diseas-
es Of grandmolhers, my fate nigh, be en-
DURABLE
'Your fate! What has your fate 10 do
with The longevity of Mrs. Hook?'
j am only going to be married to her,
that's ALL and the absurd announcement
was no sooner out of my lips than the fair
stranger broke into peals of laughter that to
my ears, at the inauspicious moment, sound
ed like the screams of an evil spirit.
Pardon me, said she, endeavo-ing 10 COM
pose herself; am far too g,ddy for =
And she kissed her orphan child. But The
idea OF a marriage between you and Mrs.
Hook is really to ridiculous. You appear to
he compelled TO the sacrafice by circumstan-
ces; but has the old lady given her con-
sentp
Her consent! Oh, let her alone for that; !;
il is not SO often that a fellow like me comes
in the way Of a grandmother. There is no
hope Of her refusing me; and if refuse her,
may as well hang myself up on one ofthese
trees.'
Why adopt such an alternatives AL
though probably dependant on fortune you
are not to old to work and to struggle If
you will not allow poor aged Mrs. Hook 10
enrich you, there are fortunes in the world
still TO be made by The adventurous and the
INDUSTRIOUS
Give me n MOTIVE cried /, suddenly, 'and
| will both dare and suffer Icannot toll for
so poor NEED as fortune; but place in the
distance something worthy of my efforts,
something rich enough TO reward them,
someIhing-'
What ! said she, innocently.
Love! y cried ], in despe ration; and be-
fore she could prevent me, had caught hold
of her hand and smolhered it with kisses.
Upon my word " interrupted the old maid,
This from a married man-from the hus-
band Of Mrs. Hook ?
But he was not married them whispered
Jemima, softly.
Since you are displeased with such de-
tails pursued the gentleman, | shall pass
them over. Let it suffice that spent several
hours with the lovely widow; that saw
clearly saw that only a little time was
wanting to enable me to gain her affections; !;
and then | at last babe her adieu, extortine
promise that she would not communicate
my arrival to Mrs. Hook and that, when
called at the court, she would see me alone,
that might have an opportunity of telling
her what had passed between my uncle and
me-.
Pray, what was the lady's name?' snid
Miss Jemima, as the lion paused.
never thought Of asking
How could you tell that she lived al the
court?'
Il don't know, took il into my head, and
it happened that was right
Under all circumstances, you seem to
have made Wonderful progress in SO short
time
Time is merely relative word. An
hour is occasionally as long as day or month,
and month, in other circumstances, passes
as quickly as day or an hour. The widow
and became better acquainted during the
single interview have described, than we
should have done in the course of hundred
meetings in ordinary society. But to pro-
ceed. found my revered uncle in very
bad temper as he had expected me the day
before; and matters were not mended when
| mentioned frankly some misgiving had
on the score Of domestic happiness,
Domestic fiddlestickH cried he. What
more would you have than good estate and
good wife, and healthy woman 10 boot,
come Of long -winded race, and as likely as
not to lay you beside my old friend Hook !!
She is grandmother already, does not that
look well? / laughed nervously.
You do not think her TOO young p and the
IL l. 4