The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1854-01-18

tender httle fingers, and Mrs. Chesterton
saw that she must have suffered a great
deal. However, she gave her an expires
sFe admonitlon with her knee, which said
plainly, Don't mind little pain-it is
well bought" And Eveline ahauJ,ucd
her small fail hand again 10 her maIa,Iroi,
lover, who squeezed it even moro unmer
clfuly while pouring forth Hood of love
and happiness, and cbildIikc security in
the bright PROMISES of the future, that
made Evellme yawu behind her h,rdkcr.
Chief, driving her Il, last 10 count verses
on her fingers.
III this is love-" she thought, "lo,e is
horrid bore. O, when will he have
done! How tired | am, How wish
that Horace Graham would come in. Thi.
little man would be obliged to be uuct,
then, AMI 60 away"
Charles all the time was in lie seventh
heave', believing he had carried up his
f,dncee with him, Stated on the same .sol
den garment OF love with hiuseIf. As Le
did not suspect, he understood uolhinu of
the ennui Of stated ambition, Which a
keencr vision would hayo read in every
word aud gesture OF the girl, and tortured
the heart which, he believed, ne was eu-
rapturlng 10y the passionate IaJbIe of his
unanswered l. We. 1t WAS very late before
he gave the first threat Of going away.
and much later before he had gained snf
ncIent moral courage to fulfil it. And
even then he fingered Till thc girl was in
despair; telling her in vcry doIcful voice
half sobbing himself" Not to weep:
he would come very earl Y to- omerrow ~
E>eIIne did almost cry from WEAKNESS.
And, when Mrs. Chesterton said, in dres
sing gown and curl-papers, with the air
OF workman at supper or a cabinet min
lster after dinner, with the peculiar satis-
faction inspired by repoae after laLor-"I
give you JOY, my dear Ten thousand
year, md only a mother with mere
Jointure, charged on the estate. And |
have heard that old Mrs. Flzrcrald has
a heart-dissase." Evelue's omiy answer
was, "Ten tbousaad-a year dearly paid
tor too, mamma. As YOU would .av your
self 1T you were going to be married TO
haif All idiotT Then, fearful and poutiny
slIe went to bed to dream of waltzes aud
poikas with Horace Graham, aud TO act
imaginary scenes Of tempest aud storm
with Charles.
Charles Fitzgerald, good and amiahe
as he was, did in truth almost justify Ey-
cline's harsh expression from his excessive
weakness of character and teuuilv Of III
tel.e,'t. lie was one of those credulous.
generous, kind-hearled beings who are
the chartered dupes of the worl. A
man who thought it sin to believe any
kind Of OWL, no matter of whom or what;
who denied the plainest evidence if con-
demnatory, and who interpreted the most
potent fact OF guilt into so much conclrI-
sive proof OF innocence: a man who could
not receive truth, and who dit not reumire
1t; but who WAS conicntel to slumber
away his days on optiInst faIlacies and
rose water possibilities man without
nerve or muscle, weak, amiabIe, aud wo-
manly. His temperament was nervous;
his habits shy ; his manners reserved. IIe
had dislike that was almost adherence
for society, and n desire that was almost
mania for solitude and rural life Of
love.
Mrs. Fitzgerald was at breakfast at
Orusby Green, when she received letter
from her son, announcing his intended
marriage with Miss Chester,on, "the only
child Of a deceased General Officer: n
Lady as remarkable for her Beauty as
Tor her Virtue" he said, with nervous
flourish among the capitals. The letter
was written very .atfectionately and re-
specially; but gave not the most distant
hint Of compliance with the mothers
views should they be opposed to the mar
riagc. Or the contrary, the energetic Ge-
termination expressed under different forms
throughout three pages and a half, "of
making his adored Eveline his own at the
earliest possible opportunity" showed no
present intention of reference to Mrs. Fitz-
gerald in any way. He neither asked for
advice nor waited her concurrence; but
IN every line that passionate doggedneSs
OF weak mind which admits no second
opinion and requires no aiding counsel. !!
Mrs. FiHgerald's heart sank within her.
She had heard OF the Chestertons, and
drea led them.
However, as Charles had asked her to
the wedding, and a. Eyeline had enclosed
u short note also--wrttan on pink paper
with Violet.colored ink-Ms. Fitzgerald
determined on seeing the bride herself be-
fore she allowed presentiments to degcn-
crate into prejudices.
"But Charles is so very, very weak !"
she thought, 81 have always dreaded his
falling Into the snares Of a family of sche. ,
men; and few, none indeed, except some
rare nature like that of Agnes Crawford,
which corld see aud love his goodness in
spite Of his mental defects, would marry
him except for his money. But suchlwo-
men," she further thought, with aisigh,
do not write with violet ink on pink pa.
par scented with patehouli; and they do
not write such hand as this. a
Mrs. Fitzgerald determined to 90 to ,
London, where the Chesterton's lived in !
pretty little cottage at Brompton, 10 Judge 4
Tor herself by knowledge rather than by
Iear anxious and willing 10 prove herself