The Literary echo, and Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1854, 1854-02-09


No, al that poets ever dreamed,
Or wrote in sweetest rhyme,
Or knight or wandering minstrel sung
To danes Of olden time
Could paint the thought OF thee that dwells
Within nv silent heart
Or breathe MY faith or tell the world,
How fair aud dear thou art!
With reverent spirit day by day
bend before thine eyes,
And VOWS that share my deepest life
Never 70 utterance rise.
But on this charmed night, dare
To breathe the trembling line,
And If thy heart beat answering love.
Thoult know the words are mine
II would be difficult TO picture sue
oessfully the state Of Miss Sophronia's
mind, as she listened TO tho above dis
play OF sentiment That it was the one
the one long dreamed Of, long desired,
there was no room for doubt--and there
was an unmistakablo expression of thanks
and acceptance in the smilo which she
bestowed upon the NJ. D., the first time
their eyes CHANGED to meet The hand
writing was disguised-so that it was
not easily recognizable there being
only here and there trace OF the doc
ter's style--but Miss Browns eyes spark
led, as she caught clue to the author
ship, hidden from all tho rest. The
Valentine was written upon note-papcr
Of a peculiar stamp, which she well re-
rlembered having seen upon the docter'S
table but few days before, in one Of
her visits to his g library"
Happy Miss Sophronia !
There was something quite charmingly
marked in the easy manner with which
Miss Brown called upon the doctor to
assist her, as she marshalled her guests
into the refreshme room," and there
was an expression Of entire qualification
on her countcnancc quite pleasant TO
behold. AS for the doctor, he looked,
for some uDaccountablo and inexplica-
bic reason, decidedly restless and dis
trait, and assuredly failed in doing the
honors, with bis usual grace and spirit,
not to mention his making one or two
awkward mistakes such as asking q
young lady if she would be helped to
Valentines" when he should have
said oysters All failings, however,
were, in view Of the circumstances, most
graciously passed over and forgiven by
Miss Sophronia
There was q vast amount of chatting
md jesting about this last Valentine
during the remainder OF the evening
but nobody seemed wise enough to di-
vine the author-and Miss Brown was
more than once called upon to max,
known the secret, which must have b2eI
revealed to her intuitioss. But the sa
cred secret Miss Soph-onia did no
choose to divulge, aud whatever the
suspicious of the company may have
been, they probably thought it was not
in good taste to push the matter toe
far.
The evening wound up very pleas
nntly, and the guests at no very late
hour began to disperse-not too early
however, for Miss Sophronia, for shc
felt sure that lingering to tue last 70,
one parting word, would be the doctor
and so al absorbed was she, in .th'
meditation Of what she should say, t.
convey happiness at the manifestation
Of bis preference, that she grew quit,
confused in giving her farewell words t.
some Of her guests, and uufortunatcI
addressed no less than two young dam
sells by the grave title Of doctor Frou
ills dreamy state, however, she wa
most efectuaily reused, by noticing tha
from the now almost vacant parlors
the doctor too vas coolly about to de-
part. He made us adiou, SO hurried
ly, that Miss Sophronia had no time
deliver her charming little speech, an
could only look from her tender eye'
al earnest farewell as be rctreated.
a bevy Of laughing girls, and the
escort, the latest ingerers, came u
Just thcp, and ps sh, drew near to tn
parlor door with them, receiving the
gracious compliments, aud trying I
smile in her sweetest manuer, sli
caught sight of the doctor, folding
shawl about little Susan Bradley, in
most Enthusiastically lover-like way, an
whispering something at the same tim
which BY the dimmed light of the entr
lamp she saw, only too plainly, callc
the color into the little damsel's chee
as roSily as lis entrance in the eyenir
bad done Ga, falsencss Of human n
ture! Oh, perfidy of man Miss S
phronia grew blind as she stagger,
back from the door, and sat hers,
down in the now deserted parlors, al
locked Der helpless, hands toqe,he