Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-10-10
i, Original Papers.

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Written for the SPIRIT of the Age.
CHARLES WESTON; Orthe Coquette.
BY CHARLEY MERTON.
Charles Weston was young carpenter
in a little village in the interior of the
State, and was doing thriving business,
for the village was growing place, and
he, being the only carpenter in it, had as
much work as he could attend to. Charles
was happy, kind hearted fellow, and was
beloved and esteemed by all who knew
him. He was good Son of Temperance,
and withal good christian. For some
time ne had been addressing young lady
by the name of Mary Gordan, who had not
accepted him as an afianeed lover, nor had
she yet rejected him. About the time our
story commences, Charles had completed
a small Office on the principal street Of the
village, for one of the citizens, who inten-
ded it for his son, a young doctor, who
had just married and settled down in the
village. Great was the astonishment, when
early one morning the inhabitants saw on
the shutters of the Office, small sign bear
ing the name Of Frederick Seabury, At
torney at Law.
All the village was agog to know who
was Frederick Seabury, and ere the day
had closed, some at least had their curios-
lty satisfied, for about nine clock in the
morning young man left the Office, and
approached the hotel kept by Mr. Gordan,
father of Mary. As he entered the door
that led to the rooms above, he met Mary,
whom he had not seen before, as he had
just arrived the preceding night. He
bowed to her very politely and thought
to himself he had never seen so much beau
ty and grace in one person before. Reach
ing his room, he rang for the servant, and
when he appeared he inquired who was
the young lady the servant replied that
she was Miss Gordan, the landlords daugh-
ter. Breakfast was announced by the
ringing Of the bell, and when the young
lawyer reached the breakfast room he was
introduced to Miss Gordan and Charles
Weston, for the latter boarded at the ho-
tel, although he had cottage of his own
, and was waiting for some gentle maid to
share it with him.
The conversation turned on different
topics, and Charles found that the lawyer
was very intelligent man and quite witty
Withal. After breakfast Charles proposed
to Seabury to take stroll, which he very
!. readily agreed to; they walked up the
street and on returning they parted mu-
tually pleased with each other Charles
discovered during the walk that Frederick
was not religious, as his occasional oath de-
noted, and that he was fond of the glass
= as he himself had confessed Time passed
: on and as business was not very brisk with
the young lawyer, he and Mary were in
: each others society very much. Fred had
:, made up his mind that he loved her, and
, that at some future time, if she was will
: ing, he would make her Mrs. Seabury.-
> In the meantime Charles had pressed hi
suit, and had received as usual the reply
that she was too young (for she was only
seyenteen) to marry yet, but at some fu
u ture time she might be induced to become
!, his; and thus the poor fellow was held
= he hardly knew whether to leave the felc
or not.
The winter now set in, and man cam
to the village and erected bar-room AM
:, ten-pin-alley. Soon he was patronized b,
:, most of the young men in the village an,
- :, vicinity !; the winter nights werel long an
: to drive off the ennui and to take exercise
= :. Fred Seabury sometimes visited the ba
:. and rolled the ball sometimes, to max
= the game more interesting, he would max
" small bets with the frequenters of the he'll
! Charles Weston, true to his religion an
- temperance vows, .studiously avoided tn
of place. Mary Gordan did not know ths
- :, Fred visited it, but she knew Charles di
- not, for he had often spoken Of the place
destined to utterly ruin all those who mad
= = it their nightly rendezvous
=, One evening Fred came home very muc
- = under the influence of liquor, and as
T entered the parlor he found Mary seate
N by Charles, who was earnestly pleading b
!. - suit; Fred overheard some of Charlie
~ ~ words and Mary's reply, before they wei
ii aware of his presence. Now the evenin
. m before he had proposed to Mary, and W
~ accepted, and when he heard her reply
- Charles, which was as usual to wait,
- uttered an angry exclamation accompani,
/ by an oath, and told Charles he was an il
ID I truder, for Mary in the sight of heavt
til til belonged to him. Charles sprang to
- :. feet at this, and casting searching CLAN
~ at Mary, asked her if it was so that 81
90 had been playing the coquette with hin
= She could say nothing, but hung her he
Do down and began to weep. Turning
u5 1at Frederick, Charles said
$50 sir, you play the eaves-dropper,
cry you and have so much politeness th
ing you swear in the presence of lady; eou
t you not have chosen more appropris
' lss' words, and more suitable time for letti
lei. ei me know this ?"
ur do not pick my words, sir repH
ON Fred, without it suits me As to t