Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1857-10-31
n1A1Js(6 - vgxAr
* clAsaA sTDlEEY.

sASt- 7<sN W. = 49,
Why, in tho pame Of al thstls ca.
], .ioa ~. Ny !, hens'a' As1s yaa a11sr- 81
81 ks,ss xss .,ksd sya gcutlo-
md Esof kistys6veor six years Of age,
who had been for nearly twenty minutes
closely watching }the motions Of q lady
Who eat near him q a work table. /
! III fHntlethan - fine, noble look
fhe man, with frahk, well formed fea-
lures and pleasant expression. lie was
handsomely dressed, and, to Judge by
the looks Of his hair. you might havcl
sid that he had . wife, had no looked
IN other Gspects like married man
(which he did not. II
The room in which tho two were sit
ting betokened wealth and taste. Its
occupants we're evidently in the upper
ranks OF life.
The lady addressed was person Of
fair, interesting face, and graceful form.
She certainly did look remarkably we'll,
as she bent her head with its abundant
and shining hair, and piled her white
hands in the task (which employed her
sigAt'sad apparently her whole thoughts.
Probably o conviction Of her attrac-
tiveness and worth had caused the ques-
ton which her companion put in such
hearty, abrupt tone, that May started
and dropped the red worsted work upon
which she had been intent.
What . question: she cried, with
light laugk-.just as If | cared about
being marricdo
why should you not caro-, May?
Surely it is the best ndshappicst state
for man or woman.'
Granted, with proviso, said May;
but, Mr. Rossitcr, If you think so, why
have you never married?'
lyon are q truo Yankee, May, and
answer q question by asking another;
but tell me, now, why you are, at thirty
years of age, still single!'
How dare you sayI am thirty years
old? Upon my word, if you were not
brother to my sister-in-law, I'd not
speak 10 you again for week.
May pretended to pout and the rout
was quite becoming to her full archcd
lips.
Didn't You yourself tell me your
age, and only the day before yesterday?
Your memory seems very short, Miss
Benton
We'll I didn't expect yau was going
tothrow it up to me that was an old
maid, to pay me for my confidence in
you.'
sOh! May-did I say that!-and if
| did you can break my glass house,
by ainging back my very taunt. But,
como now, do answer my question:
i never could get any one to have
me- said May, shortly. Are you sat-
isfed?'
No. You need not tell me that a
person SO interesting and attractive as
you arc has never yet had ardent low
ers. I know better, May-so tell me
tyuly why you are not Mrs. Somebody,
now?'
Il May suddenly sobcrel down and
said, ncrvously ITS because no man
whose love / could return ever loved me-.
And she resumed her work.
How her face had altered! There
had come oser it stern, hard express
sion, as if she we're saying, inly-
1T matters. not-I can wrestle down
these yesnings for something worthy
and noble, and true and strong, against
which to lean T; for something winning,
and teuder, and loving, which to love.
Nlhefe is no heart on earth whose best
love Is TIA love I want / can do without
It'll can Walk to the end Of life as l
have, xaiked thus far.
Roster regardedeher in long silence.
HsAa2skpsn Ter for many ycalS, and
ha2 ! = Snd6rl at her goat indif-
fels<eS tdtkc xttontions of gentleman.
He had even, on more than one occa.
sion, taken her to task for her manner
tDwnua them III
fpu Won't allow chem to become ac-
qnaAtcd with you at ALL he said
goa ~ introduced to man,
that's the last Of it. All the young
mea adnjrebpt they ere afraid Of you.
Yoa chill them to desth. I heard one
man say hat he thought You q beauti-
~ end interesting creature, but then
he would q soon undertake to warm
into 1stssan iesbsss . yourself sven
Il hshad courage enough to make the
/, As1empt.'
"A sksptical smile had bee the only
answersto such questions. 81
How could May believe that she was
cnnabls Of inspiring affection in others
when those who knew her best were 50
lightly touched by it? /
Kossiter had been For three or four
yeaSs absent, and had newly returned
whsn the above conversation took place. |
Hpvwas - ssmfdrtdGle old bachelor,
happy in disposition; happy in posses
sine An independent fortune; and hap
py in bis sisters home mot to say hap
p1 Il ~ compaaionship Of May,
whom "a honestly believed to be about
The best and most lovely girl in the
world He had once dearly loved and
saddsnly, lost : fair, promised bride; |
and never aimee had he allowed himself |
70 think Of loving. And, besides, he
di31ltk nsw'as he Wished to marry
"a Ms uell Satisfied with his state and
rQndition' when be was at home; to
Ra did feel uneasy and dissat-
ished al the while he was abroad.
Nobodyh company seemed to FIJI the
" III ! lesrt. \ He did not miss his |
81 - I'd May--oh !! how gIad he
was IA go them when be returned land
Z ~ ( n