The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1856-08-14
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WESTERLY, r. l., THURSDAY, AUGUST IA, 1856

was the first person that [ had ever
really loved. She was a naughty and
cold woman, possessing great strength
of mind, and exerting powerful inau-
encc over all those who come within the
sphere of her attractions. She was a
perfect lady, and somewhat of a stick
Ter for forms of etiquette and ceremony !;
but under all this, beat q true .woman's
heart she had loved my father devot-
edly, and on his child she lavished equal
affection She would not consent to
part with me as my uncle proposed, and
| wished it still less, so it was decided
that | was to live with her, and my re-
latons, displeased with my course, held
henceforth little intercourse with me.
She knew perfectly well the distrust
with which she was regarded, and the
efforts which had been made to preju-
dice me against her, and loved me al
the more for the perfect trust reposed
in her. She did one day attempt tt
make statement Of affairs to me, bu
1 stopped her: l embraced her warmly
saying
My dear mother, nothing could
shake my confidence in you, nor could
any explanation from you increase it,
Tears rushed to her deep brown eyes ;
SIC clasped me to her heart, and whis-
pered, - God bless you, my own dear
child =
I felt that the kiss she pressed on my
brow was the seal of adoption, and from
that time my life flowed on calmly and
happily. Though very much older than
| for she had grown son by pre-
visus marriage, she was my most init
mate, indeed, my only friend and bosom
companion. 1t seemed as if she could
not do enough for me no wish Of mine
was ungratified, and her pride in my in
tellectual attainments was unbounded
Nothing could exceed her delight at my
success in society for though not beau
tiful, / was considered very striking
and Stylish and whatever Miss Lin
coin did, and I was fettered by no con-
ventionalities, but acted as caprice led
me, was received admiriDgly by the
clique who surrounded me. 1 valued
the triumph had achieved little ; it
had cost me nothing, and | priced it at
its true worth. Mrs Lincoln was
leader in fashion, and her step daughter,
of course, could not but he admired.
l was beginning to tire of society,
when my mother received letter from
her son, Leonard Montgomery, announ-
cling his intended return from an ex-
tended tour through Europe and Asia,
and I was to the full as happy as she.
| had been out paying visits one day,
and when I returned, on entering my
mothers room, saw q young man
seated at her feet Even before she
presented him, l knew that it was
Leonard, and throwing aside my usual
colduess, | welcomed him with the
greatest cordiality, and sank into seat
alta little distance. In the midst of
her joy, my mother did not forget me (;
she beckoned me to her side, and
wound her arm round my waist, while
we listened to her sons account Of his
travels.
He was eloquent and witty, and his
voice was singularly melodious. l lis
tened entranced, and gazed at him with
admiration. He was uncommonly hand
some, and evidently conscious of it /;
but be was so evidently devotedly at
tsched to his mother, and in considera-
ton of his love to her and in her idol
lied son, / could have forgiven a
greater fault than this spice of conceit.
l was prepared from my mothers un-
comiums upon him, to offer him Sis
ter's affection but he did not seem to
expect it from me. In fact he was ut
terly Indifferent to me he was polite
but it was evident that his mothers
praises of her daughter, and her efforts
to make him share in her regard for
me, rather had the opposite effect OF
wearying him, and deterring him from
becoming acquainted with me. Per-
haps Mrs. Lincoln perceived this, for
she left to himself, for which we both
were very grateful.
l, in my turn, took no notice Of his