Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1853-11-17

marked attention as must lead her and
the world to suppose that he intended
marriage, when in fact he intended no such
a thing That was the amount of the
question, though I don't think I've word
ed it exactly as she did,.
Harry answered No ;? and then after a
moments hesitation, he spoke out frankly
and said, his relations with Miss Affect
were source of greater regret to him
than they could possibly be to any one
else.
From the first, he thought her engag-
ing and sought her society because he
preferred it to that of any other young Ia
dy whom he knew THAT, girls, was
complimentary to you aud |, wasn't it y
As his acquaintance with Miss Affect con-
tinued, he found her mind no less highly
cultivated than her person was beautiful
Once or twice, too, he saw her under cir
cumstances of peculiar trial, and she evinc
ed mild. sweet temper.
He became interested more and more,
and fully decided to propose. Why he
did not he could hardly tell. But when
their acquaintance had matured, and he
had accustomed himself to think on the
subject calmly and seriously, he discover
ed her sadly deficient in one trait which
has aoye must possess
Even had an engagement subsisted be-
tween them, Harry said, he should then
have broken it off, and from a sense of
iustice-to her no less than himself. tOnly
think, girls y For ne was convinced that
he aud Miss Affect were nowise calculated
for each other No man could make hap
e.. IL 1opo NTH = <ho
love which is founded upon esteem-the
only affection which would stand every
test in the power of fate. And such a
sentiment, in its purity, he could never
feel for one who, like Miss Affect, was des-
titute of e7aeygy
Mother looked surprised when he ut
tered the word, and for minute after !;
then looked painfully convinced. Pretty
soon she observed, that that was the fault
of very many females of the present day ;
and asked Harry most searchingly wheth-
er he was Sure that the other sex was In
no degree responsible for the defect2
Then / saw Harry Rogers embarrassed
.. for once; if [ hadn't, wouldn't tell you
so. He quailed and colored and fidgeted
) yes, he did-that Lord Chesterfield, jun
ior--and he tried two or three times to
speak, but failed; and then there came a
knock at the door, and l knew that cousin
Ned and Hatty had come for me to go to
walk with them SO l backed out OF my
closet quarters the quickest, and: dear me-
lost all the rest
But know Harry wouldn't dare deny
that he himself has helped to make Miss
Affect that istless, delicate, can't-do-it
creature she pretends to be. The reason
he didn't perceive the lack at first is be-
cause it wasn't so grea = ne cultivated
it awhile. Naturally, Miss Affect is en-
ergetic enough, you all know that But
ever since she began to 60 in gentlemen's
company, she's been trying to kill it out
because she imagined that the way to
please.
Harry has treated her as if she was a
baby, now in his heart he despises her for
acting babyish Consistent isn't it p [
was over to her. fathers not long ago, and
Harry happened in. AS innocent as could
be, asked her to 60 a-berrying with me
the next day. Now, you know she used
to go with US, and be first at the top of
the hill. But she only sank back on the
sofa and family exclaimed, Mercy it would
fatigue me to death
I pretended to look out of the window,
and Harry, what does he do but put his
arm round her and look directly In her
eyes, and whisper: You aoN be careful
of yourself, won't you p and [ thought he
added 'for my sake but I'm not SO GER
tain about that
Another time, they called over together
to see me and while they were there
she by accident or design, pushed the point
of pen-knife barely through the skin of
one of her fingers, and drop or two of
blood followed. 0, such a time ! Miss
Affect was SO faint and I had to run for
water, and hartshorn, and bring strip of
linen, and some lint, and some healing
salve, and really, don't know what all
Harry insisted on binding up the aoou,ul
himself; and, oh, you can't think how in
terested he was. | expected she would
cut her throat some day-to please him.
That was the time he tried her belt on
me, IN frolic-you see she had to have
it off when she was fainting 1t reached
rather more than half way round my waist;
it did, as true as you live. Then Harry
Ijoked me about outgrowing my mother,
and holding the sash in his hands, clasped
1t together, and looked admlringly, first
at the wee bit of circle it formed then
at the slender waist it fitted
Miss Affect noticed it all, and was
plainly delighted. I've no doubt she
thought within herself: 'I'll lace tighter
for year to come than in the year past,
If possible l guess shall be able to re-
duce myself another inch and in case
can. Harry Will love me good degree
better
He gave her cause to act so and think
so. aud now blames the result It isn't
fair, say, even though tbs Harry Rogers
that does it, Well zee shall know better
than to swallow such sickening doses OF
attention when offered by our beaux-
supposing we ever get any
Why couldn't Harry, when he saw Miss
Affect disposed to be Inactive. dreading
the fatigue of going a-berrying-why