Preble County Democrat. [volume] (Eaton, Ohio) 1857-1859, 1858-08-19
Srlrtt MlstrIIunrl,
ANNIE LEE,
ALDEN FIRKINE s.

In the neighborhood of Liverpool
there are many pretty villages, quiet,
unobtrusive places, with charming ru-
raj 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 contiguity to TIE great sea
pert. there is generally to he found Il
class of persons, who, to limited agri-
cultural pursuits, unite the business of
a tradcsman. Ofthis class was Mr. Lee,
a worthy, and to use the familiar phrase,
swell to do" man. He had married
late in life, and at somewhat advanced
ago had been left a widower with an on
ly child, a daughter, and, according to
the unanimous testimony of the male
portion of the community amongst
whom she dwelt, the pride Of the vii
lage.'
Annie Lee we'll deserved this title,
for she was not only beautiful in person.
but amiable in disposition, and, for a
young girl in her station of life exceed
ingly woil educated. We will not spe-
city 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. Gf the middle height of her
sex, she possessed that poetic indescrib-
able grace which We associate with a
form whose modest pliancy and moder-
ate fallness at once impress us with the
3 idea of woman who has rot loaG pass
ed out of the sparkling bUoyancy of
sporting girlhood. Annie was twenty,
and her department had acquired that
tinge of seriousness natural to girl of
her years when the cultivation of the
mind has not been neglected. Her face
was extremely beautiful in outline, al
though some Of the features were not
classieaIIy 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 An
MES face was unexceptionable. Her
straight nose, with slightly curled nos
trils, above which beamed the light of
dark blue unfathomabfe eyes, and all
crowned by delicately arehed, white
forehead. on each side of which reposed
thick bands of dark brown hair, togeth-
er with the blushing bloom of maiden
health on her cheeks, rendered the en-
sensble of her Ioveliness delightfully."- at
trSctive. Annie, however, had an in
ward beauty, which manifested itself in
her daily life, With the most exquisite
tenderness there was linked a moral
courage-an elevated moral courage
sense of duty to herself and others rare
ly to be found in young women upon
whom nature has lavishcd her favors,
and who are continually exposed to the
incense of Aattery 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 preference. He
belonged to the same village as herself;
and their pecuniarys prospects were
about equals with the difference, that
Frank Harvey was already in possession
of his patrimony, his parents being both
dead. The; young man rented on q
long lease small well stocked farm
and had at command several hundred
pounds in money; so that the mattel
apparently appeared promising one
1t was evening on the market day IL
Liverpool, and Annie was slowly return
ing from the railway station about I
mile from the village. She had gon'
there to meet her lover on his return
from market, but>he had failed to keel
his appointment. His horses and car
: