Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1856-11-15

family in the middle walks Of life. named Gun
NM. They were Mt richly endowed with this
watl1's goods. bat possessed Sufficient for all the
comforts Il nj the iux1rie- of life. Matthew
Cunning was fafmer by profession. iii 80 it may
be cae,i.) aud had IL pos-e~sed that spirit Of
frneali,v. which seem. almost unknown t. the
lrish nation he might have been n wealthy man;
a. il was be generally followed the principle If
"letiiug to. mofraw tahe care Of itself," His
vie bad been the village hclle aud still retained
traces Of that extraordinary beauty which
had excited the admiration Of all who be.
he'd her. Two pirl- were the sole fruits Of their
nnion who promised, even in infancy. 10 equal
+ nat surplss their mother in personal charms.
nnd that mothers whole soul wns bound up in
them. Being neaf If an ugr, the children wore
constantly together; and the sprighily Lizzie aud
the fairy Louisa spoiled by both young and
old in the village Of r. One summer after
noon. fatigued with their sports. tho infant sis.
tiers threw themselves upon the grass beneath "a
willow which enshadow~i their parents cottage,
nnd with the fair round cheek of Lonisia pillow
Il upon the tresses of Lizzir, aud their dimpird
limbs and snowy robo, thrown into strong relief
by the rich waVy sward they presented picture
which Lawrence would hnvo longcd to transfer
IL ennvnss. The mother ns she sat with her spin
iiine wheel in the deep cmbrasure of the window
watched them rs they slept nnd unconsciously
Aer thoughts wandered into the future; and. with
mothers fond anxiety, spoculaied upon their
future career.
A. she unused ,be, too fell into a gentle sluin
hef, and the visions of her musings assumed, n
II were tangible shape, "a local habtation aud
a namc," and like Pbania-magnria passed before
,r Shr flncied herself in London, that great
ciy o which she had heard 50 much, md she
seemed an invisible spectator of a scene that far
snrln .srd her prondes hope; she saw her love-
" daughters Appearing IN the perfected beauty Of
soHahhood, n aeter- on the busy arena of the
pri-tocrutc world. Peers and peeresses, prelntr,
nd statesmen, even lnynlty itself seemed 10 do
aamngr to their anrlyned charms.-1 hrongs Of
admirers Worshipped ut the shrine Of thrir beauty
aud distinguished from the rest by hi. naughty
behIine and the glitierng star upon bis brco.,,
knot al the feel 81 her youngest born. her bright
haif.d l.zlir, aud she thought upon that regal
brow aud any eofonei formed Of the ducnl straw
berry lenvc-, rested IA if it had found fit abb
dug place DriRhrd shr owobe, aud with the
g1teriHg vision sill filling her mng ination, she
started TO find hen sell ia her own humble cottage
and her children -til sleeping beneath the tree
She mentioned her dream to none, but the
memory of it fingered for years, and with moth
er'- fond partiality sbe Whispered why should
not such thing be"
1mo sped on, aud our hc,oines increased in
beauty aud yenIs, HEY received the best cducn-
ton the place could afford aud the worthy cure,
seeing thnt their minds scared for above medic.
lie powers L. such degree that ihey were soon
lit 10 grucc any cuclr.
When Louisa was about seventeen their moth
died, and on her death ted cxncted solemn
promise from her husband, that before the eNprn.
ton of six months he shonld take them to Lon
dpn,thcn for the first time relating her dream,
III begged him 10 remnIn there II year Mt least.
mud nj the end of thui time if they had not ntrao-
ted notice, Il" might return with them to his
tive village Had II been amy where but at the dy-
ny bed of his viii, Matthew Gmniug might have
smiled at the aseendrncy which the Imagination
Ind teen allowed 10 gum over the Judgment; but,
although he desired no higher destiny for his
children than Ia seq them the wives Of res pcctn-
u" mru IN turlr own sphere of life still he would
not refuse her last request, and mnde the rcqnir-
IL proml'c. tnnd lac have turcseru the future
~ soon aS the daughters could become recon
rlled To the thoughts Of leaving the grave of their
beloved mother, nnd thu many cndtniug associ
atoms Of their childhood for the vast eity,whcre
they would be "unknowing aud unknown" they
.tnrtcd for the great metropolis They arrived
thrre in June that month whose delights the ty.
tnnt Fashion has compelled the ari~loeracy Of
B.ltain'~ isles 10 iorego, and obliged them To-
mn.n in the city when they would llln ho repoS-
M beneath the shade al hose gigantic trees that
wave proudly over the ancestral homes of Eug
hnd's naughty nobility.
Matthew Cunning, willing to fulfill his wfos
II
Fashionable hotel, and ere many weeks had cops-
ed Lon Ion was in mn up~onr. Who were those
angels that had suddenly appeared from Par
adlsel The "frore," "a Horace Nnpolo calls
il. was unparalleled. The young mobiles. whose
tnstes were satated with the usual London bellies
begged their stately mammas to leave their cards
upon our hcrones, If they wished them ever
to assist at their monthly buls; md if the nri-to
cratic parent refused, upon the plea of their be
in4v "nohndics " the Youthful peer declared they
would repair to the club whenever their mothers
and sisters particularly desired their escort,
And so it went, day after day, week after week.
the gate of the hotel WAS througed with Euglnnds
proudcst aud noblest and the eyes of the fair IT.
ondaiscs were almost dazzled by tho array of
brilliant names, whose cards were hourly sent to
them. and even Matthew began To think that his
wife was not so foolish rs he had once deemed
her. From the duchess to the baronet's lady,
from tho pceress, who boastcd of descent from
the plnntagenets. 10 the parrsnu Of yesterday,
all alike struVe 10 do them honor and moro than
once has the proud duchess, in whose veins tlnw
ed the blood OF king. found her rooms deserted
ON the night of her most magnificent tefc; he
cause whyl she had neglected to invite the Gun.
nings: and, TO modification. she would hear
that the rooms of the rich bankers wife were
erawdcd the same evening by the cite of the no
bihty, and the magnet of attraction tho fair
sisters. These few solitary exceptions at length
gave way before the overwhelming tide of excite
ment that was rushing on like mighty torrent,
and the usually invinelble arstoeratio walls of
Almack's fell without a blow, before the irrcsis-
ti6,a power of beauty. Aud now had their moth
or been alive. she might indeed have thought her
fairy dream fully realised.
No person who WAS not spectator can hardly
conceive ofthe rnge for the fair sisters that was
evnced bv the fashionable world. Walpoe in
his letters speaks 81 II as the mos. extraordinary