The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1854-08-26
Gilrft GIictr!).
KITTY MlRSDEN.

school friend Kitty Marsdcn. Kitty Lee (slIe
was Kitty Lee in those never to be-forgottcn
days at the .Institutc,' had astonshed us
all by giving her heart and hand and fortune.
with her bewitching self, to plain. awkward
George Marsdrn, whom we all at first q,lizzcd
then piticd, then respected, then admired, for
his noble heart and scholarly accomplish
ments, and going to bury hers,lfin the coun-
try farmhouse which was his solo patrimony.
Kitty left school year before the rest of us,
and before we had learned to love little Alice
Reeves-shy, pale little Alice, who came in
Kitty's placc-we, myself and her other two
room mates, had heard of the brilliant con-
quests of our friend in town, where she had at
once taken her place as the admired of all
admirers"
But we were school girls STILL and quite
shut in from intercourse or interest in the
strange doingS Of that far-oif, outward world
whose glorics we saw only through the rosy
haze of our imaginations.-From time to time
came little rosy.tinted satin paper notes,
signed, "Kitty," which gave us glimpscs of
that fairy-world, and disturbed for time
our curious bordering upon equations, and
triangles, and gases, and primary fossil Strata
and the various mysteries of art and science
whcrcwith our young heals were being cram
med. We even neg elected piano and harp, on
the joyful days when Kitty's letters came, or
putting green for yellow or purple for pink
| IN ,vprut,1 ,,-n,1- 1,r,uuht hl,rl- GpN-ny
to Madcmoiscllc's brow, who made the even
ings of those joyful mornings blue indeed to
her needless victims. But these notes came
at more unfrequcnt intervals as the year drew
towards it's close, and for some weeks before
our examination, | had heard no word of
Kitty Lee. We all decided that she must be
in love and had no time to write to US.
The great day came at last-thc day of
committeeman on the next morning we
were to leave school forever, to be returned to
our parents and guardians, FINISHED" speci-
mems of the educated young lady. 1t was a
day of excitement, for prizes were to be
awarded and diplomas given, and anxious
fathers and mothers and brothers were there,
to see and hear, to exulti incur triumphs, or to
he mortified at our failures The hour for our
evening excuses had nearly arrived, and was
Fastening through the long corridor that led
to our room in quest of some forgotten book
or paper, when a servant handed me one of
the wcllknown little notes. The moment
the light fell uponit, saw that though UNI
denably one of Kttys own letters, it was
directed in a strange, large hand, quite UNI
like her own. WHAT does it mean!" /
thought, as with trembling fingers broke the
seal The note contained hut a few lines,
written in Kitty's delicate chirography, and
two more in the strange hand which had writ
ten the address; with the signature of George
Marsdcn attached. read:
| DARLING JExxIE:-I know you'll never guess
VIII 1t M going to tell you for I've been sad and
afterwards happy and so lonely that I've not had
| time to write to you before. Well, l was married
this morning and We are going to start for Mag
| directly George stands behind me and says: .hur-
ry Kitty. for the carriage will be here in five min
| utcs.' and can't tell You anything about it. Now
he hrs ttkcn hold of my hand and !ys he will finish
| the le ter. so re lily cannot say any more. Come
and see CINE carefully erased and JUS substi ut
| cu) anu VIII 'elI you all 'toout IL. NUN.
MY wife say she won't write Kitty NJ RS len. so
| must write it here for her. Yes Jennie she is
mine now, ut last. Come and see us, at the Naples.
and will tell you all about it. But can write no
more now. only that the happiest fellow alive at
| this moment is, GEORGE MARsDEN.
covered my eyes with my hands and sat
down in sort of maze. could not believe
it, 1t surely was not true. Kitty did not
write that letter, and she, so beautiful so
brilliant, the pet and idol of her wealthy par
cnts never could have loved OF married Geo
Aarsden who was undcnably ugly, and just
as undeniably poor, and whose country breed
ing made him commit solccisms which in
those dear old days had often reused the
merry laughter of our Kitty.
That evening missed several questions in
a favorite study in which had made myself
sure of the prize So did the girls to whom
| had told the astonishing news. Our parents
and teachers were surprised and indignant
when they learned the cause. That night
when we were at last in the room, instead of
talking over the events of the day, or laying
plans for the wide future into which on the
morrow our paths were to diverge we could
speak of nothing but Kitty and her strange
marriage, wondering and wondering how it
come about, till sleep at last overpowered us
unsatsfcd.
did not visit Kitty during the first years
of her marriage, though for some time we
kept up brisk correspondence. Her letters
brcathcd the true spirit Of happiness and |
was sure her blithc yet gentle and trusting
nature had found its fitting mate in the strong
soul upon which it lcaned.-There was an ex-
quisitc sensation of reposc in her descriptions
of her husband aud their life, and at times,
notwithstanding my keen sense of the def
cicncies of George Marsden, quite envicd
her, for my own life had been one sadness
and vicissitude almost from the day quilted
school.
Twas Scarcely settled at home before a
sudden and fatal disease ended my mothers
life. was forced to smother my sorrow that
] might administer consolation to my bereav-