The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1854-06-17

ne rigidness OF her sense of duty! Indeed
mere nad been so little merit on her part.
mat the stranger, if he had rightly read her
countenance, might pretend that the forbear
she would have gained the victory n the end.
9uI now much more dramatic if her nru.
uence had been put to severe test.
ilese were not exactly her Thoughts but
Ae translation of them. She followed the
Ietirihg ngure OF the stranger, as he kent hv
the path along the willows; and slightly III
ner up. Then suddenly, as if remenberino
Ia Ia .ie sihsleness OF mind which her atti
tude expressed was more beautiful than ha
eomlng-what an odieus eupbonisn is ,h..
woro ior heaftiess acting-she turned with
someihing like tiout, and sat down again
WIN ner face averted from the now disfant
s.ranger-averted only moment. for ssona
ner nf .i iattltude would have reminded seulntor
20 20 taat exquisite group in which the pirl
her shoulder. 80 : GU oo"n on
,New'take it not as an article of fa;,, tho.
Florence had fallen in love. '-as the say;nr ;"r
=, WIN tnat tall handsome stranger with tbee
oiack eyes and sun painted complexion 'De
| we would have you more carefnI in ,ho
construction of your credo than tha. - D.. sno
at anyrate, an impression had been producaS
TINS was to be expected. When man fails
| INTO the water, he may not be drowned Ia
is sure to be wet Florence had neyer saa,s GUY
| any members of that category of .lova hla
persons which is of so little political and so
much social Importance, except two or three
| slx-foot farmers, and the Rev. Mr.. Simmer
pated.faced, sandy-whisk kered, Young bacbel.
or vicar of fifty. Should we be astonished.
then that after her first agitation had subsid.
ed, there remained something more than
memory OF the compliment which had fallen
from the lips and been ratified by the ewes of
that distinguished looking stranger. -
Need it be said, moreover that whilst she
renamed by the margin of the stream, and
during her sauntering walk home, and all the
evening, she thought of little else save this
very simple meeting. AS to her dreams. we
shall not inquire into them; but the moon.
beams tell us that they shone all night be.
tween the ivy leaves upon a smile as sweet
a maiden on her wedding-eve.
Next day, it was rumored in the VILLAGE
that foreign painter had come to occupy
one of the wings of Melvyn House, by ner
mission of the family, which had remained
many years abroad. His name was simply
Angelo; and a mighty fine gentleman h,
was. One could not guess, to look at him
that he had ever lived ON frogs; or was .ob
ligated to hexpress hisself in barbarous lin
60, as the landlady of the Jolly Boys I'M
phrased it. .-z- - --r$ : =
Florence was proudt to say casually, to som,
old spectacled lady-who observed indeed
she never and told her neighbour that Mis-
May seemed very forward-that she hat
| held a minutes conversation with this salt
painter. We take this as proof that sh,
was only dazzled by him; and that she ha,
not really experienced one pang of love-
| So much the better. We must not bestoy
the only treasures of our hearts on the frs
| interesting person we may happen to NEE
under willow hedge
And yet there she is at her place again
thinking efyesterday's meeting; and-by tn,
bow of Eros there is he. too, wandering
accidently in the same direction with hi
sketch book under his arm We had no bu
siness to be caves dropping; but "a conceal
ed fault is half pardoned' We were inyisi
ble,- and heard every word they said r 1
should all be set down here, but it was dread
full nonsense, at least which he said for sh,
pride and prudence, intrenched herself be
hind the rampant of her maiden modesty ant
answered only-by listening.
The young man was in state of tempora
ry insanity at least, if one might believe hi
words. Like all lovers, he professed to hav,
skill in phisiognomy. He asked no informa
ton about Florence. did not care who sh,
was ncr where she came from: all he wante,
to know was, whether she was free. HI
1 SpUhc tlOJututly anu Will SulHClcuC TCSDGcl
The young girl more than once felt her hear
melt and it was great exertion for her a
length to reply, that her mother was away
and that she could not listen to another wore
without her knowledge and sanction. &
| She did listen, however, for he went OF
talking interminably. According to his ac
count, he was an artist who had studied ma
ny years at Rome; but he did not say whett
er he was of English origin or not, and, O
course, Florence could not ask the question
This would have been to avow a strongerin
terest in him than consisted with her views
We should have liked her better, perhaps
had she been more frank and artless. Yet
/ after all, her conduct was not at this time an
image of her character, but arose from a
struggle between her own simplicity and her
recollection of her mothers warnings.
1t is needless to say that, after many hesi-
tations, She now invariably went every day
to her accustomed seat. This might be in
terpreted into giving rendezvous; but she
had a prescriptiye right to the place. and why
should she be driven from it by an Intrusive,
impertinent stranger? Impertinent! Nay,
not so nothing could be more reserved and
1 resuectfui than his demeanor; and if he was
really in earnest, and if he turned out to be
a respectable man, why-perhaps it would
be a matter of duty in her not to repnlse his
| advances. Matrimony was indeed they had
4 told her, an aWful responsibility put Ii, py
undergoing it, she could raise her mother to
a more comfortable position, wouldit not be
her duty to make the sacrifice?
Matters went ON in this way for several
days, and Florence began to wait impatient
ly for the arrival of her mother, 10 whom she
might relate all that had passed Angelo ac-c
customed, perhaps, to more easy conquesis,
was irritated by her cold caution. not know
/ ing that hers was the hypocrisy OF duty he
/ once even went so far as to say, that he bia-l
med himself for wasting time with a ealculka,
! ting village coquette. and rising, departed
with formal salute. FlOrence's bosom hea-
we'd with emotion, tears started to her eyes
her iips trembled, and she was on the point
of perilling all her prospects by calling him
/ hack. But by prodigiJus effort OF wiiL she
| restrained herself, and kept her eyes firmly
fixed ON the ground till the sound Of his steps
had died away. se
No, said she rising. am not to be so
lightly won These days have given me ex-
perience. He is certainly captivating in
manners, but sometimes think that one mo-
ment of weakness on my part,--And she
thought of the fate of Lucy Lightfoot, who
| had baep left tn wear the willow, after say