The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1857-10-17
THE ELOPEMENT.


Matilda Murray was left an orphan and
an heiress ut the age of sixteen. Jacob
Dale, member Of the Society Of Friends,
was her guardian; and, with him and his
wife, an invalid and great sufferer from
nervous attacks, Matilda was to find home.
She had been pettcd and idoiized child;
and the change from the lavish outporings
Of parental love to the cool, calm eompan-
ionship and care Of Friend Dale and his
wife, was like coming out the heated air of
ballroom into the dark and chilling night.
They tried to perform the duties that MIR.
Murray, in his confidence and esteem, had
devolyed upon them; but Matilda felt, with
out knowing exactly how or why that duty.
and rot affection, was the motive that in
fuenced her guardian and wife towards
her. She was not pretty girl: although,
through the mistaken fondness and fattery
Of her parents, she had learned to think
herself beautiful. Neither was she very
wise or prudent. She had grown up in such
an cnervating atmosphere of praise and in
diligence: that her mind was almost in a
state of lethargy. She could no. endure
study or books of any kind, except. the
weakest and trashicst of love-sick. ro-
mances; and it was great mental effort to
her to read one of those quite through, that
she rarely accomplished it. The only. mo-
tive sufficiently strong to arouse her to much
cxertion was love for dress. She was
quite happy and excited when she was shop
ping; and, next to that, she liked to sit at
the window, and eriticise the attire Of the
passers-b by-a most uncongenial inmate for
the household of strict and uncompro-
missing Quaker. ....
1t was not the least Of Matilda's troubles
that her ribbons and laces had to be laid
aside, as Friend Dale, though he did not re-
quire her to conform exactly to the mode
Of dress his tenets prescribed, yet objected
decidedly to allowing ward of his to deck
herself out with any superfuous gauds. 1t
cost the young girl many sigh and pang to
close the drawers in which lay her useless
fnery. She pined, too, for love, and for
the fattery and praise Of which she had SO
long been the object. Her guardian still
allowed her to attend the school viii sh her
mother had selected for her-one of the
most fashionable establishments in New
York. And, although he often shook his
head, and groaned over the worldly notions
and love for display which seemed to be the
chief results of this kind of education, vet,
as he said, he did not feel free to take the
child away; for, while Mr.. Murray had left
him at full liberty to act as he thought best
with regard to Matilda, Mrs. Murray had
made it an especial request that her daush-
ter's education should be finished at Mad
ame Constants. ' .l'a .1@ 's .
There Matilda had formed an intimacy
with q young girl, named Anna Fleming,
who affected to regard her with that exas-
gerated fondness so common among school
girls. Their homes were in the same direc-
ton; and Anna always seemed to consider
it an important part Of her duties, as .
friend, to accompany Matilda to her OWE,
door before she parted from her. &<"
{ One day, they were joined IN the steet BY
q tall-showy-looking young gentleman,
whom Anna introduced to Matilda, as hc-
brother. After this, Mr.. Fleming became
their constant escort on their way to and
from the school, leaving them regularly
when within ! square Of either place.
Mr.. Fleming was one of the most FASH
ionahle and dashing young men in the city.
tie lived elegantly and expensively; yet NO
one could tell how he contrived to do so.--
His way of life was one of those mysteri-
Gus secrets that abound in large cities, for
ne nad no apparent means; and yet he wed
with the wealthiest around him. Admirer
as M 40 was, OF beauty and spirit, and wit,
there must have been some reason for his
selecting plain, uninteresting girl to Be
the object OF his devoted attention. Proba-
ply the solid charms, in the shape Of three
hundred thousand dollars, with which Ma
tilda was endowed, had much to do in gain
leg her 50 devoted q wo.shipper. She ad-
mired him excessively. He fully realized
the beau-idedl she had formed from the
books in which she delighted. She told
Anna she thought her brother perfect. This
compliment, of course, soon found its vay
to the ears Of the gentleman, who smiled 10
think how easily ne had won so important 4
prize. &~ 9a