Brookville American. [volume] (Brookville, Ind.) 1858-1861, 1858-06-25

Mr.. Sinclair was a gentleman of for
tune, residing about forty miles from
the hall, and his father, an invalid,
about fifty years Of age, was on his way
in company with his son, to his sons
house there to die and be buried. They
were strangers to me, but made them
welcome to my house, and insisted on
their using it.
Miss Sinclair was the first woman
who had crossed my door-stone since
had been possessed of the hall; and
well might she have been loved by bet
ter men than /. She was small and
very bcautfuI-of tho size of Venus,
which all men worship as the perfection
of beauty, but having 4 soft blue eye
shaded by jet black brows, her face pre-
sented the contrast ofpurity, the white
ness Of her complexion set off by raven
hair, and yet that hair hanging in clus-
tering curls, unbound by comb or fillet,
and the whole face lit up with an ex-
preston Of gentle trust and complete
confidence in all around her, or else in
her own indomitable determination; for
Mary Sinclair had mind of her own,
and a far seeing one, too. She was
nineteen then.
Her father died at my house, and /
ATTENDED the long procession that bore
him to bis long home-over hill and
valley, to the old church yard in which
his ancestors were laid. Once after
that | called on the family, and then
avoided them. / cannot tell you what
was the cause of the aversion felt TO
entering that house, or approaching the
influence of that matchless girl. i be-
lieve that feared the magic of her beau
", and was impressed with sense of
my own unworthiness to love her or be
loved by her. / knew her associations
were Of the noble, the educated, the re-
fined, and that / was none Of these
What then could l expect but misery if
/ yielded to the charms of that exqsite
beaut or grace which l knew was in
her soul
A year passed and was very boy
in my thoughts of her. / persuaded
myself thousand times that did not
love her, and a thousand times deter
mined to prove it by entering her pres
ence AT length | entered the vortex
Of London society, and was lost in the
whirlpool.
One evening, at crowded assembly,
/ was standing in recess, near win
dow talking with q lady, when felt Il
strange thrill. | cannot describe it /;
but its effects was visible 10 my COM
panion. who instantly said : "You
are not well, Mr.. Stewart, what isfthe
matter ? Your face became suddenly
flushed, and your hand trembled so as
TO shake the curtain"
1t was incxplicablc TO myself; but /
was startled at the announcement OF
Of Mr.. and Miss Sinclair. | turned and
saw she was entering on her brother's =
arm, more beautiful than ever How
I escaped did not know, but j did so.
Twice afterwards was warned OF
her presence in this mysterious way till
believed there was some mysterious
link between us, Of an unknown but
powerful character. Ihave since learn
ed 10 believe in the communion Of spir.
its sometimes without material inter.
vcntion. Mt this timc heard Of her
frequently Ms being engaged TO Mr.
Weller, man whom ! well knew, and
was ready to honor as worthy of her
love. When ut length i saw rs | sup
posed, satisfactory evidence of the ru-
NOR, left London and saw them no
more. The rumor followed mo in my
letters, and yet was mad enough To
dream of Mary Sinclair, until months
after awolxe to sense of what fool
had beel. Convinced Of this went
aboard my yacht about midsummer
and for four weeks never set my foot on
shore.
One sutry day, when tho pitch was
frying on deck, in the hot sun, we roll.
cd heavily on the Bay of Biscay, and
passed the afternoon under sail on
the larboard quarter deck. Towards
evening | fancied n storm was brewing
and havirg made all ready for IL, smo.
kcd on the traffrail till midnight and
then turned in. Will you believe me-
| felt that strange thrill through my
veins as / lay on my hammock, and
awoke with il, fifteen seconds before thS
watch on deck called suddenly 10 the
man at the wheel:
"Port-port your helm a sail on the
lee bow; steady so !"
was on deck in an instant, and
found that q stiff breeze was blowing
and q small schooner, showing no lights
had crossed her fore foot within pisto
shot without signal and was now
bearing up the northwest. The SKY
was cloudy and dark, but the brecz'
was very steady, and / went below
again, and after vainly attempting t
account for tho emotion | felt, in any
reasonable way, | fell asleep, and th'
rocking of the vessel rs she flew before
the wind, gave just motion enough Il
my hammock to luli me into a sounC
slumbor. But / dreamed all night o
Miss Sinclair-I dreamed Of her, but !
was an unpleasant dr.am. i saw he
standing on tho deck Of the Foam,
and "a strove to advance toward her
the form of Weller would interpose.
would fancy at all times that my arm
were around her, and her form wa
resting against my side, and her hea'
lay upon my shoulders, and then b,
the strange mutations Of dreams,
was not but Weller that was holdin
her, and was chained TO q post look
D ing ut them, and she would kiss him
and again the kisses would be burnin
: on my lips. Tho morning found IN
wide awake, reasoning myself out {
these fancies. By noon had cnoug
TO do--the ocean was aroused. A ter
pest was out on the sea, and the Foam
went before IT,
: Night came down gloomy. The YER
blackness Of darkness was on the waite