Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1858-12-22
ANNIE LEE;

-
In the neighborhood of Liverpool there are
many pretty villages, quiet, unobtrusive places,
with charming rural aspect, nowhere else in
the world to be seen but in England In such
charming retreats-the more charming because
they derive some prosperity from their contigui-
ty to the great sea-pOrt-there is generally to
be found class of person S, who, to limited
| agricultural pursuits, unite the business of
lradesman. Of this class was Mr. Lee, wor-
thy, and to use the familiar phrase, ''welI-to-
do" man. He had married late in life, and at a
somewhat advanced age had been left widow
er with an only child, daughter, and accord
ing to the unanimous testimony of the male por.
ton of the community amongst whom she
dwelt, the "pride of the village"
Annie Lee well deserved this title, for she
was not only beautiful in person, but amiable
in disposition, and for young girl in her sta
ton of life, exceedingly well educated We
will not specify the particular village, but we
will attempt to describe sweet Annie Lee She
belonged to that class of girls who, in personal
appearance are decidedly English OF the mid
die height of her sex, she possessed that poetic
indescribable grace which we associate with
form whose modest pliancy and moderate full
ness at once impress US with the idea of wo-
man who has not very long passed out of the
sparkling buoyancy of sportive girlhood. An
ME was twenty, and her department had ac-
ai,,i9d 9Ii 81 tbhat beft jt6sfs wien the curTvauO
| saInlI hos nj been neglected. Her face was ex
| tremely beautiful in outline, although some of
the features were not classieally regular. The
rich lips when in repose were rather firmly
closed and the chin was little too large for
| those critics who look for perfection in every
feature But the upper portion of Annie's
face, was unexceptionable. Her straight nose,
with slightly curved nostrils, above which
beamed the light of dark blue unfathomable
eyes, and all crowned by q delicately arcted,
| white forehead, on each side of which reposed
thick bands of dark brown hair, together with
| the blushing bloom of maiden health on her
cheeks, rendered the ensemble of her loveliness
| delightfully."- attractive Annie, however, had an
inward beauty which manifested itself in her
| daily life. With the most exquisite tenderness
| there was linked moral cOurage-an elevated
moral courage sense of drsy to herself and
others rarely to be found in young women upon
whom nature has lavished her favors, and VINO
are continually exposed to the incense of fat
terry and admiration.
As might have been expected, Annie Lee had
many lovers, but there was one in the throng
upon whom she had long ago bestowed her pref
erence He belonged to the same village as
|
about equal, with the difference that Frank Har-
vey was already in possession of his patrimony,
his parents being both dead. The young man
rented on a long lease, small, well-stoeked
farm, and had at command several hundred
pounds in money; so that the match appeared a
promising one.
1t was evening of the market day in Liver
pool, and Annie was slowly returning from the
railway station, about mile from the village
She had gone there to meet her lover on his re-
turn from market, but he had failed to keep his
appointment. His horse and cart had passed
through the village in the afternoon, and he
ought not to have been many hours after them
As she wondered-at his non appearance, she was
troubled, and not little vexed, for it was one oi
the pleasures of their courtship, this tete tett
homewa1ds on fine market days. As she was
walking along, her pensiYe mood was disturbed
by an object before her. 1t was a man reelinp
from one side of the road to the other Annie
recognized in him the village tailor, shocking
drunkard, and, with sensation of loathing, she
flew past him. As she entered the village, she
observed his wife and three young children
standing at the wicket gate of their humble cot.
, tage, evidently waiting for his coming. What a
coming Annie's heart sank as she kindly bade
the woman good night, and, when she had pro
ceeded some distance, she looked back, and saw
the poor wife still looking ''for the coming"
Annie did not sleep soundly that night An
anxious foreboding weighedupon her sense, and
when she did slnmber, she saw in her dreams, a
pale, withered face at a wicket gate, looking
down the road, through scalding, binding tears
for some one coming.
In the morning, Harvey called and found
Annie in the shop, serving some customers
She returned his cheerful salutation with that
! 4,
dressed by their lovers in the presence of others;
but when they were alone, she reproached him
for his neglect on the previous evening Har-
vey, with slight blush, said he had missed the
train.
''You must have missed two," said Annie
quietly.
"Only one; in fact, was detained by busi-
ness beyond my usual time," was the hurried
reply. What broad shoulders that same ''busi.
ness must have to bear the enormous load that
is placed upon them.
Annie looked her dissatisfaction as her father
emerged from the little paror behind the shop,
and in hearty English way, invited Harvey
inside. The old man loved to hear all he could
about the market he had ceased to attend, and
what was stirring in Liverpool.
Harvey, for man, was an excellent match
for Annie IN appearance. He was a tall, manly,
good-looking fellow, of about four and twenty,
with slight dash of rustieity in his manners,
and that rather enhanced his bOnhommie. His
features were regular and shone with rude
health, while bis dark eyes and black curly hair
caused many pretty maid to wish she had
such "beau."
Forgiveness for his first transgression was not
hard to obtain; but, as the summer months wore
OMIT was sooften repeated that the once delight
full meeting at the railway station was at length
wholly relinquished That coupled with other
matters, of grave importance to the tranquility