The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1856-08-07
WESTERLY. R. l., THURSDAY, AUGUST T. 1856.

to open the day by singing solo with
one of the professors.
You will be obliged to wear some
simple dress, said Madam Asbly.
| cannot possibly do So Isabel re-
piled calmly. 1t would not be in good
taste. l shall not appear if the dress
fails to come but it is yet fifteen min
utes'
How quietly she waited till ten of the
allotted number had passed the robe
was handed in, and arrayed in it, she
looked the embodiment of perfection,
Every look and act of that trying day
was faultless, she stood very queen
among her companions, the cynosure Of
every eye as for me, spite of her
teachings, l failed in the little that
had been assigned me, and ended the
day in tears and bitter self rcproaches.
The next day Warner came for me, and
| went home. Isabel was to follow me,
and went home Isabel was to follow
me and pay long visit, after she had
made trip to Bath, with her guardian.
l have said 1 loved Warner Gray al
ways, but you are asking, was that love
returned Alas I! my woman's heart
was full of doubt My beloved father
had finished his earthly labors, my
mother was confirmed invalid.
Dwelling beneath the same roof with
such being as Warner Gray, no longer
a mere youth, but now in his zenith Of
manly perfection, is it strange that the
love of childhood, so deepened and
strengthed TINT it became, in a creature
Of my passic gate nature, wild idoIatry.
Twill at, pt 10 o,scriptlon of him
here he was one OF those characters
that commaDd respect from all, but are
made only to be loved by few His
person and bearing was the reflection of
his inner man. lie was not brilliant,
but he possessed great strength Of mind,
and a world Of earnest feeling, but it
lay deep hidden beneath quiet reserve
that awed strangers, yet he was not
morose or unsociable but you felt ever,
while in bis society, that there were
depths il his nature tina. you mrht not
reach. In childhood there had seemed
to be great gulf between us, but now,
oien | was thrown So wholly ou bis
protection aud kindness, there WIS an
unwonted kindlincss in his manner
Perhaps, with dawning womanhood,
some latent goodness Or beauty Of char
acter had developed itself iu me. |
believe was not wholly without attrac-
tions, few women are at seventeen. :
That our lives were to be one day
united we both knew, and sometimes
casually spoke Of it, but it seemed a
great way off, samethiug hidden in the
far distant future.
| knew not why it was so both of
US had passed the age, when it had been
designed we should fulfill the wishes of
the elder Mr.. Gray, yet it seemed to me
oflcntimes strange presumption that
poor, frail l, so simple in my ways, SO
childish in my character, could dream
of being, at any time, worthy to be
Cdllcu Tue WIG VI w Ill ucI Nldy. DuTc-
ly, no woman ever loved with such hu-
mility, surely none ever so deeply felt
their own unworthincss. SO great, SO
good secmdd Warner to me, that |
feared him as I did my maker His
disapproval seemed to me the reflection
of the divine displcasurc. If he smiled
kindly on me, | could draw near to the
Father snd feel no fear of His anger
but if he censured me, so deep was my
self abascmcnt, [ scarce dared to hope
for forgiveness or lift my eyes in prayer.
Do not misunderstood me my brother
was not stern or exacting nay, there
was world of gcntlcnesS in his manner
of reproving an offender, and when he
folded me to his heart, and kissed away
the tears that come in spite of my eff
forts to restrain them, when some child
ish ebulition of temper or unwomanly
act had excited his merited ccnsnre. L
was crushed by the thought | could
ever make him sorrowful fer a moment.
From childhood l had worshipped
everything loved with an intensity of
devotion that my parents had sought in
vain to check, and yet l was never cx-