Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1857-05-06
Cbhlfe 4iteratnre.
II "A 5 II IL ARRIAGE.
CHAPTERI.
4 aEW CONTRIBUTOR.


q TO her he was S
bssr = othar- ~ - more.
- ssa zsss.1ys:i alaRssssss. : asss aaS
Tine aaas hha sassp ans \ sr--wneas sha loved,
Anoener. The DREAM.
| Never-Theresa Gordon-I tell YOU nev-
er! never wonld forgive man who doubt
ed my truthl' And Adelaide Lindslev's
dark eyes flashed and her lip curled haugh-
tily.
Better not to be confident, Adelaide y
replied Theresa Gordon. I have known
girls do great many things that they had
been very sure they should never do"
And 50 have l." added the third of the
trlo--taIr Kate Warren--the widowed sister
of Adelaide Lindsey, 'and particularly with
regard to matrimonial affairs. When / hear
young lady saying that she shall never
marry-oh, mol she would not marry for the
world-not she? generally take it for gran
ted that she is only waiting for an Offer
And don't you remember Charlotte Pierce
she was always saying that nothing could in
duce her to marry widower-and what was
the result? Why she married a man who
had lost two wives and had six children
And there was Susan Leconard-she would
never be the wife of any other than tall,
dlgnifed man, considerably older than her.
sef saw her last week in company with
her husband. He is just about as tall as
you are, Adelaide and looks full five wears
younger than yourself. 1t is just so almost
always; and as for you, sis, I expect you
would forgive not only seven times but
seventy times seyen."
You are very much mistaken, girls, both
OF you,' was the reply ''I believe I know
my own heart quite as well as you can posi-
bly, know it. I could forgive great many
unklnd and hasty words, for l know am
passionate and irritable myself, and might
often deserve to receive them. | do not
know but might really think I could
forgive Inconsistency, if it did not last too
long; but could not, aoould not continue
to love one who dared to doubt me-"
" You are "a queer girl, Adelaide" said
Theresa, sometimes hardly know what to
make of you. What if George Tilder were
here p
| That would not alter the case, should
say precisely what say now. The man
who wishes to call me his wife must trust me
with a perfect trust"
But, rskdear sister," asked Kate, "could
YOU rr'asssg - "a III 5iIcfrfy I0u Iove Heorge
Tilder andlexpect to marry him, but think
circumstances might arise that would lead
| you to doubt his truth"
No, Kate, [ would not believe that he
was false to me unless his own lips plead
guilty to the charge and I demand equal
confidence from him"
" But some people are naturally more sus-
Plclous inclined to be jealous than
others; could you not make allowances for
| that :?
"I don't think that ought to make any
difference. George Tilden knows that love
q hnS Il lkao H..
hot eRsy nor without effort-not so lightly
that he might be justified in thinking that L
was won by love more than by the lover, and
that the next pair of eloquent lips that chose
might woo me to a like confession-but So
bery and thoughtfully. And now he has no
right to distrust me. If he should"
Well, what if he should? 1t is always
best to be prepared for emergencies, Ada"
You think am only joking, Kate, but I
am IN sober earnest. Then | should tell him
that his heart was at his own disposal again,
and that he had better place it in the keeping
OF one whom he could trust"
The group to whose conversation we have
just been listening, would, together with
their surroundings, have formed fine study
for an artist. Only one of the three girls
for Kate Warren although she had, in the
short space of seven months worn both the
bridal wreath and the widows veil, had
hardly passed the age Of girlhood-was the
possesso~ OF more than ordinary beauty. Yet
as they sat there upon the messy bank, just
within the shadow Of those tall, dark pines,
1t would have been difficult to fnd a prettier
picture.
Kate Warren and Adelaide Lndsley were
SISTERS but you would hardly have thought
1t. There was truthtulness and a CLEAN
III kates sunny blue eyes, that to her friends
was far dearer than beauty-they were shad-
owed now, Tor she had been sorely tried, and
the wounded heart was bleeding still But
Tor the sake of those who loved her she
struggled with her grief, and few knew how
deeply it was seated. Kate was not beauti.
full 1 do not know that you would have
th"aght her even pretty, although her soft,
brown hair rested on very smooth, white
brow, bat you seuld certainly have loved
her for her gentleness and her purity.
pair OF splendid black eyes, and lashes
so long that they fairly swept an almost col
orless cheek, was all that saved Adelaide
from absolute plainness but they were
enough. After you had once gazed into
those glorious orbs. trying in vain to meas
ure their fathomless depths, you would have
forgotten that her other features were far
from approaching the standard of beauty
that her mouth was too large, and her cheek !.
too pale. Her figure was tall, and her bear
ing dignifed-some would say naughty
while Kate was small, even petite, and her
step light and airy rs that of q child
Theresa Gordon was unlike either of them
less lovely perhaps, but on the whole hand
somer at least she thought so, and she Ger.
talnly never looked in her mirror without
beholding bright eyes, rosy cheeks, and curls
glossy enough to confirm her in that opin-
[ ion.
But Adelaide has been waiting long time
for kate's response to her last remark. It
was at length made, .ayly and carelessly,
for the open air. the free glad sunlight, and
the joyous beauty of the early summer time
had fallen like a charm upon Kate's weary
heart, and she was this evening unusually
happy-happier than she had been for many
a month.
| presume you think so, Ada, but for my
part. don't believe one word of it. But
You had better be careful how you talx in
this way, for you might perhaps give some
rival of yours or of Georges hint on which
to act, and you would hardly like to be obli-
ged In self'defense to carry all these heroic
resolutions into effect"
q do not imagine there is much danger
of such a catastrophe" replied Adelaide with
a smile; shut c,me, girls, ought we not to be