The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1853-09-08
Grleltc0.
THE MAIDEN'S CHOICE.

4
a pretty, comely girl. She was not
beautiful but she could scarcely have
passed along the street-even in Eng
land, where beauty is less rare than any
country, without being noticed. She
was the daughter of poor widow il
Devonshire-that picturesque and charm
ing country. Mrs. Dempster had been
the wife of sailor, who, out of his earn,
ings had bought cottage in his native
hamlet, in which his widow resided after
his death. She had little else save this
cottage, except her daughter, who was,
indeed a treasure of love. But then
Alice was one of those frail and delicate
beings, who give pain while they do
pleasure to the parents heart. From
about twelve to eighteen her mother was
her devoted nurse. Never was pale
face, or hectic cough, or meagre
form, or constant languor, watched with
more intense anxiety by parent; it
seemed never off the young girls face.
Mrs. Dempster had lodger, and he
came off rather badly, but he never
complained or grumbled; he would on
the contrary, sit with the poor widow,
and comfort her under her affiiction, with
a rude kindness of manner which soon
won her heart.
John Morrison was a railway clerk,
with small salary at a station, about
mile off. He had lived with Mrs
Dempster six years and had mainly
directed the education of little Alice.
Of a studious and serious turn of thought,
he spent all his leisure hours in reading.
Mrs Dempster sent Alice to school when
mere child but village educational
establishment is not usually the place to
learn much in, and that of Dame Potter
was not an exception. But John Nor
rison took fancy to Alice-and finding
her fond of study and her book, took
great pains with her. ,
About the age of eighteen Alice out
grew her ailments. Her cheeks filed
out, her eyes became lustrous and clear
her cheeks were rosy and blooming
but Mrs. Dempster began to feel the
effects of her long vigils and constant
watching She moved about with the
tread of an old woman; her appetite
began to fail her, and positions gradually
reversed. Before three months, dozy
arm chair in the bright sun by an open
window, was the usual place of the
mother, while Alice hustled about, did
the work of the house, and attended to
the invalid. Mrs. Dempster had no par
ticular illness-she was simply worn
out with anxiety and fatigue. But if
she suffered she had also her reward, for
Alice was now her devoted nurse.
But Alice was eighteen and pretty, 1
have said, and the men made the dis
covery as well as her mother. John
Morrison, a sedate and grave young man
of eight and twenty, himself remarked
it to Mrs. Dempster, as did soon many
others. In the neighborhood were sew
eral extensive farms, and among others,
one belonging to Mr.. Clifton. Mr..
Clifton was very rich, and had two sons,
Walter and Edward. Walter was very
handsome, lively and pleasant, full of
generous impulses, but somewhat too
fond of riotous pleasures, of the bottle
and cards. With plenty of money at his
disposal, he was the centre of a group of
trolickers that were, on many occasions,
the alarm of the whole country, and
Walter Clifton was the widest of the
lot. 1t is true that he was dangerous !;
if he broke head or damaged field,
he paid the expense-and if he broke a
heart he was sorry for it.
One hot summers day, Alice was
sitting sewing by her mothers side, and
the window was open, and the warm air
poured in upon the face of the invalid.
Her eyes were pleasantly fixed on the
honey suckle, jessamine, and clematis,
which twined around the window, and
the rose tree which filled the strip of
garden before the house, but more pleas