The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-02-14
THE DAILY DISPATCH.
saturday marninG, February II, 1857.
THE STORY OF AN ENG AGED YOUNG
PERSON.


THk STORY OF AN ENGAGED YOUNG,
PERSON.
Il seemed very long journey that we poor par
namentary passengers were taking, In this earfy
November weather all the way from London to
Liverpool. The stoppages were FREQUENT enough.
bnt OF such short duration that we had scarceIv
time to get ourselves warmed at the crowded gate
before the fnexorabie bell rung for us to start
again, and off we went with q shriek into the
ohnditg & fog. II was positively too dark to read
with any comfort, even IL one Indifferent "a
the biting air ~ to lend of bs hands to hold the
book mp; We put both of them In our pockets in
stead. or more usually sat upon them to keen
them warm. 1t was only when the guard came
from time to time TO look at our tickets and trod
upon our feet that We began to feel we had them,
so dead they were with cold
Sir, observed a comicai looking tailor to this
official, your seats are too to be sat upon
after my crossrleRged fashion; so please be care,
full for although my toes are frozen they will not
bear" :.
his produced . laugh, and then arose . little
tax, principally abou; how miserable we were,
and then, As poor people use, we began to tell
what our business was upon at Liverpool; where
upon 1t seemed that half the carriageful at least
were emigranss. Each had his say; and every
tale, however roughly told, had more or less Of
interest. because it was real and human, 30 that
we quite forgot our weariue, and cold for little
time. Then, since this answered SO well, the
sprightly tailor ed that party should
tell US regular story, of lis own life if be chose
ont not only of his present circumstances, but
what had led TO them-which WAS an idea we all
received quite rapturousy, expecting the fsflor
himself to begin. But he said no; we must draw
lots for that. So producing some long slips of
measuring paper, he wrote a word on one and
shook them altogether in a hat, and sent 1t round
There was great deal of secrettrepida ion among
the men, but for long time nobody pulled out the
fatal lot at last a burst of laughter from those
about one Of the corner seats announced that the
victim had been selected, and that from among the
ladies.
She was certainly the plainest of the female
passengers. Her nose turned up and her mouth
had scarcely any turn at all; her hair was red and
SO were the rims of her eyes; and her eyes them
selves were far from being good ones; but there
was certain piquancy and sprightliness about
her, too, as though she had been q French lady g
maid rather than an English one. She looked as
If she could put her hand and her well rounded
arm to anything, and had been very good tenn
pered and obligiDg, throughout the journey. 1t
was understood-it had been expires sed, indeed
already. rather trumphanty by the young lady
herself-that she was an engaged young person,
gtilg out to Australia to be married; that there
a somebody waiting upon the other hemis-
phere with ou:strrtched hands, yearning TO receive
her as his bride. She would be capital wife for
a settler without doubt. although perhaps in Eng.
land should have called Ter rather a settler for
. wife. She seemed to know very WELL indeed,
what we were aillikely to think about this matter
but she didn't care.
If / had been little better looking-she began
her Story with this-I might never have got bus.
band, or at least not the money to marry him up-
Cd, which is the same thing, The unsuitableness
of my face to what may be allowed to call a very
toier8b.e figure, has been literally the means of
bestowiDg happiness, as hope, upon Joseph and
of putting s400 inie my own pocket. And this
WAS bow it all came about; my late mistress, who
was very kind to me, and had Intended, poor thing
for she told me so-to leave me comfortably pro
vided for took me over with her, seven years ago
to Paris. She was widow lady, fond Of . gay
life and brilliant amusemeRts and that place suit
ed her 80 WELL thatsshe made it her home, and !,
but little 10th, remained there too Joseph and
kept company together before that time but he
was not so foolish as to wish me to give up my ex
pectations for the sake of hurried marriage; he
said, that he would wait patiently, dear fellow, al
though the great salt sea was to roll between us,
and there could be no chance of his getting let
ter more than once q day. He was a mason's
sisiant in London, and very hardly worked, it
seemed for he himself was not able to reply near
SO often; however, of course l was not a bird, so
that could not be in two places at once, so made
the best of it, and was as happy . confidential
lady's maid, under such circumstances, could hope
to be.
One evening had been preparing my mistress
who " w-sa very splendid dresser for the opera;
my only fellow servant was on leave of absence
for some days; and except the porter in the court
yard there was nobody when the carriage had
self; therefore, having nothing better-or at least
ncpr-to co. n | being in her tnistress's bedroom
among her beautiful robes and ornaments, it was
hardly to be expected that should resist such an
opportunity of trying them on. The room, be-
siues being chxrmingly hung with mirrors, had q
d i'ijus full length swinging glass, and before this
l amused myself for good long while l beheld
how MaGemoisele Elizabeth Martin-thst is my
present name, but dear Joseph's is Apdrews-how
she looked in bareges, in silks, in muslins for the
hnx iap nd tin, hox ell
with pearls, became her for evening wear; finally,
equipping myself in particularly pleasant glace
silk walking dress, with bonnet aud falling veil
fit for bride, l could not help twisting around a
little to see as much of myself as possible, and
contra sting the effect at the same time with that
Of madame-who was beautiful enough, but in
differt ntly proportoned-1 involuntary re-
marked aloud: "Wsl we may be plain 10 the
face, but We are certainly unexcepionable be~
hind
1t was an absurd thing to say even to ones self.
and remember bushipg like beet, as though IL
were not quite ont of the question that could be
overheard There were several ljewe-drawers-
this ruby upon my Middle finger, q ring belonging
to my MISTRESS late husband, was in one of them
but had no time for more than to set off a hand
some necklace or two, and tp very much regret
that my ears had not been punched for the accom-
II iation of an especial pair of diamond earrings
btf,re heard wheels In the courtyard, and nay
mistr. ss came home. Everything had been put
to bed as usual She was more than commonlvl lad
and gentle in her manner that night, rs have
since thought aslaast; aud when she wished meher
bon s0ir, she added: II am sure we shall both be
tired tomorrow, Bessie; SO cali me an hour later,
and take al extra sleep yourself" was never
to hear my good mistress speak any more.
Did dream that night that she had left me all
her wardrobe, aud that was married In the glace
silk Did /, even in my sleep, build schemes OF
what would do with the money that my dead mis-.
tress might enrich me with No; rs hope for
heaven, and to meet dear Joseph, with all my wo-
mans vanity had my woman heart too, beating
true and warm, and thought no shadow of evil
l tod them so in court, where all looked black
against me, and they believed me even there. But
in that morning. late when the sun was shining full
upon the window, and the noise Of the eope going
ABOUT their daily work was full and clear, saw q
figh.fui sight, ct as.ly horror that the day but
served to make more hideous and uunatural-my
mistress murdered in her bed No answer when
Knocked; again no answer. The curtains at the
bedside were close drawn, but through the open
shutters fiery food Of light fell red upon the carr
pet and the curtains az, and on the corner of the
snow~white couutarpane, red also. 1t was blood
thought there had been . rain of blood; upon the
handles of the drawers, upon the toilet cover, ON
the dressing case, upou the towels IN the basin
everywhere where the mnrderer's hands had been
after their deadly work; and in the bed dared
not look Ia the bed but in that great swing glash
where had decked myself but q few hours ago. /
saw It al, and every mirror In the room was pictu
ring the same sight-there lay the corpse the muir