Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1854-04-06

hiCV VIII III SOCiety, WHO uOtS HO
know, fl EN- experience, what pain
ful thing it is to crush the hopes o
a man i no is paving her the higl
compliment of wishing to place tb,
>happineSs is of his life in her keeping
and whe en to this source Of embar
rassment is added the CONSCIOUSNESS!
Of Havirg 6 culpably raised ex pecta
ton thu t she shrinks from realizing
the situation becomes doubly dis
tresSingI On the present occasion
agit Ated, ashamed. and confused
Fra bees, instead of honestly avow.
ing her flult, which would have been
the Safes thing to do, had recourst
to a subtorfuge; she answered, that
she had been betro,hed by her father
to the Sd II of his dearest friend, and
that she was. not free to form any
other engagement OF course, Vim
cent pleA Aded that such contract
could not be binding Oh her; bat as,
while shd declared her determination
to adhere to it, size lorbore to add.
that werd she at liberty his position
would' not be improved, the young
manand 4is lamilyremained underthe
persuasIdp, that this premature en-
gagemen was the only bar to bis hap
piness; al ID withthis impression, which
she allowed him to retain, because it
spared hi m and herself pain, he re-
turned I'd bis regiment, while she, as
sPeedily7fs she could, decamped to
her next quarters, armed with a thou
sand gooA resolutions never again to
bring her self into such an unpleas-
ant dilem ma.
MIS- Gaskoin's was different
sort, of i Iouse to the Ddnbars'. 1t
was Rot gfy, for the place was retired,
and Mrs, Gaskoin being in i'll health,
they saw but little company; but
they werf young, cheerful, and ac-
eompIishfd people, and in their So
ciety Fra hces soon forgot the vexa-
tons she had left behind her. She
even ceas ed to miss the admiration
she was accustomed to; what was
amiable a hd good in her character A.
and there wa much--regained tie
ascendant; her host and hostess CON
graduated themselves on having SO
Agreeable an inmate as much as she
did herself on the judicious move
she had made, till her equahimity
was distu fbed by learning that Mr..
Gaskoin was expecting avisitor, and
that this visi tor was his old friend
and broth er-offcer, Maj. Elliott, the
person of all others, Vincent Dunbar
excepted, she had The greatest de-
sire to avoid.
81 can pot express how much ]
Should dislike meeting him." she
said to Mrs. Gaskoin, to whom she
thought it better TO explain how
she was 81 tuated. 'SYou must allow
me to keep my room while he is
here"
"If YOU are determined no It to see
him, i thI ink you had better 60 back
to the D4nbars for little While"
answered the hostess; "but ! really
think you should stay and let things
take their course. IF your aversion
continues, you need not marry him;
bat my hu sband tells me he s charm
ing; and in point Of character, |
know no one whom he estimates so
highly"
But Frances objected, that she
should feel so embarrassed and awk-
ward.
"In sh prt, you apprehehd that
you will Bpear to a great disadvan-
tage,' said Mrs. Gaskoin. 'iThat is
possible, cf frtainly; but as Maj. FL
lott is only coming for day or two,
/ think We might obriate that diff
Guilty, by Introducing you as my hus-
bands nie4 be. Fanny Gaskein. What
do you say? You can declare your
HI
self whenever you please, or keep
the secret till he goes, if you prefer
it,"
CRtcZuded merit week.