Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1854-04-27

4
though my paragon was not strong-minded
woman she was verilable authoress,' and
to one so passionately fond as I, of the atmos-
phere of the literati, it was an honor not light
| ly esteemed to be associated so intimately with
one of their number. Thus, as / caught up
with avidity every diamond that fell from her
pen, or read with glowing cheek and kindling
eye the praises that the press were lavishing
upon her, / often wished she could inoculate
me with some of her genius, that | too might
be extolled, and allowed free entrance to the
literary arena.
Rose Weston was gentle being, with
certain kind of comeliness-not of the start
ling heroine order, however.
"The beauty of her placid brow
Awoke no special wo3der,
Thou4h like stream beneath the snow
A rill Of thought ran under"
She had eyes Of light blue, graceful auburn
hair, a face of delicate and almost sickly cast,
and figure petite, but neat and symmetrical
In manner she was very quiet and unobtrusive,
easily eclipsed by US butterflies of the parlor !;
but when she left the room, the appreciative
felt that some charm was missing
Successive deaths in the family had cast
tinge of mournfulness over her sunny horizon,
and wove haziness into the golden sky Of
life She had beheld five manly brothers
stricken down as their feet touched the threshold
of the wide, wide world and watched the
fading away of beauteous sister, whose fair
heart-pages were just written en- by the hand
of Love- Only two (beside Rose) of that
once large, prosperous and blooming circle
remained. They were the feeble mother and
the youngest sister, whom Rose had now for
some time supported by the proceeds Of her
pen.
And she, with her wealth of thought and
feeling was it possible she was destined to
be the wife of Fred Fortescue! Well might
aunt Patience, with lifted hands and eyes, eX-
a matter of amazement. True, Cousin Fred
was very handsome, very captivating, very
talented, lin certain sense,) but such rat
tle-brained, vacillating, good-for nothing-but-
to-teaze fellow, seemed utterly unworthy the
love of the thoughtful, digniied, pensive Rose
Weston. loved Cousin Fred, (no offence to
the little gold medallion of another parsonage
just now nesting at my heart, twas only
"a, lo,- \ md thor
something so disquieting in his mode and
Manner that | rather rejoiced when some
knotty law case kept him tied to his office,
and me out Of harms way, for my work-box
could then stand unmolested, my pet cat enjoy
the slumbers of innocence undisturbed, and the
domestic pulse beat calmly and equally once
more. A walking jest book was Cousin Fred;
indeed his funny and original sayings and do
1ngs might have formed very saleable vol
ume of facetie, if any enterprising publishing
house would have taken the trouble of bind
ing them.
The idea of your being serious long enough
to make proposal = said to Fred. Pray
how did you manage il &
Thus !! and my worthy cousin assumed a
graceful theatrical attitude. Twilight had
woven her dusky veil about US, the gas-burn-
ers Of our eyes were the only lights to illumi-
nate the darkness as we stood beside the win
dow-mv adored and suddenly exclaimed,
fire I! fire!
where Z anxiously enquired my beloved.
In my heart = was my impressive reply,
laying my hand upon my buff vest. beneath
which presumed the heart to be, as | had
felt flutter there
1t must have been the ticking of your
watch, paren.hesized.
Cousin Fred did not condescend to notice
my remark.
"A flame burns here he continued, which
all the engines of this vast metropolis cannot
quench.'
sTd have trusted you were insured, was
my charitable interruption.
& told her she was the incendiary, and as
the damages were immense, | should invoke
High Constable Cupid to place her within the
bounds of Hymen for life
And what was the reply1'
sOh nothing, only that she submitted to
her fate, though she thought it capital punish
ment after ALL
We'll, I'd respectfully say that pity her
who becomes your wife, cried |.
'Ah! you're only jealous because don't ask
you to ''share my cottage, gentle maid,''' was
the saucy response, and he improvised polka
backwards out of the door, and bounded into
the garden, singing, Whistle, and I'll come
to you, my lad in the most provoking man
ner imaginable.
busted myself in disentangling my skeins,
out of which ne had been making 'cat's
cradle for poor tormented puss but in mo-
ment he was back again, and had broken the
thread of thought and silk. Then for full
twenty minutes it was nothing but teaze, teaze.
teaze, trying all the time to pout, but laugh
ing in spite of myself At length he sprang
up to 60. Good night!' said he; may
your dreams be woven of golden-hued threads
Of thought, spun by the drowsy wheel of Nor
pheus May no nightmare run away with
your charming intelligences, and may you moi
be found mapping when the breakfast bell
rings Addio, and yet once more adieu !!
and with this benefcent benediction and ma
,oe.;o ,x,,va a tho hand ha talk od OFF liLa a