Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1857-03-19
alisccllolrcolt5.
THEBROKEN IMMATURE.
FOUNDED ON FACTS.

Two young officers belonging to til
same regiment aspired to the hand o
the same young lady. We will concea
their real names under those of Alber
and Horace. Two youths more nobl,
never saw the untarnishcd colors of thei
country wave over their heads or tool
more undaunted hearts into the field, OF
pure forms or a more polished address il
the drawing room.
Yet there was a marked difference in
their characters, and each wore his vir-
tues so becomingly, and one of them, at
least, concealed his vices so becomingly
also, that the maiden who saw them both,
was puzzled where to give the prefer
ence, and stood as it were, between two
flowers of very opposite and perfumes,
and yet each OF equal cOlOrs and beau
ty.
Horace who was the superior officer,
was more commanding in his figure than,
bat not so beautiful as Albert. Horace
was the more vivacious, but Albert spoke
with more eloquence upon all subjects
Horace did not claim the praise of be-
ing sentimental nor -Alhcrt the E4r,n- of
jovial Horace laughed the most with
less wit, and Albert was the most witty
with less laughter. Horace was the most
nobly born, yet Albert had the better
fortune, the mind that could acquire, and
The circumspcct;on that could preserve
one.
Whom of.the two did Matilda prefer :?
Yes she had a secret, an undefned pre-
ference; yet did her iaclinations walk
sisterly hand in hand with her duties
that her spotlcss mind could not divide
them from each other. She talked the
more of Horace yet thought the mare of
Albert. As yet, neither Of the aspirants
had declared themselves Sir Oliver,
Matilda S father, soon put the matters
at rest. He had his private and family
reasons for wishing Horace to be the IA
vored lover; but as hoby nomeans wish
cd to lose to himself and his daughter
the valued friendship of nun of prop
erty and honor, he took the delicate
method of letting Albert understand
that everything he possessed, his
grounds his house and all belonged TO
him. lie, accepted only his daugh-
ter.
When the two soldiers called, and
they were in the habit of making their
visits together, Sir-Oiiver always had
some Improvement to show him, some
dog for him to admire. or some horse for
him to try; and even in wet weather,
there was never wanting a manuscript |
to decipher, 50 that he was sure to take |
him out of the room or out of the house,
and leave Horace alone with his daugh-
ter, uttering some disparaging remark, |.
In a jocIlar tone to the effect that Uor-
ace was fit only to dance attendance up
on ladies
Albert understood all this, and sub
mitted. He did not strive to violate the
rights Of hospitality, to seduce the affec-
tions of the daughter, and outrage the
feelings of the father. He was not one
Of those who enter the temple of beauty,
and under the pretence of worshipping
the shrine, destroy it. a common place
lover might have done this but Albert
had no commonplace mind. But did
he not suffer? ., that he suffered, and
suffering, his actually altered looks, his
heroic silence, and at times his forced
gaiety, too plainly testified.
He kept his fame in the inmost re-
cess of his heart like lamp in a sepul-
chrc, and which lighted up the ruins OF
d s4a%paaess alone.
10 his daughter, Sir Oliver spoke
more explicitly. Her affections had not
been engaged; and the slight preference
that she began to feel in her heart for
Albert. had its nature changed at once.
When she found that Albert could not
approach her as a lover, she found to
spring up in her bosom, regard as sis
tcrly and ardent as if the same cradle
had rocked them both. She felt, and
der father knew that Albert was char
acter that must be loved, if not as hus-
band, as brother.
The only point upon which Matilda
differed with her father, was to tho de-
gree of, encouragement that ought to be
given to Horace. --...- -. .t.
.Let us, my dear father" she would
say, t.be free at least for
one year Let us for that period stand
committed by no engagement; We are
both young, myself extremely SO. a
peasant maiden would lay a longer pro-