The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1858-07-10
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T HE CO u 8 l N 3.
A TALE FOR FIcKLE HUSBANDS

as ueE uazef eyes answered. TIC ardent Qu9h-
tion,ng other lovers glance.
"yes. Yes, Edward abe replied, and the words
were sweet to his eager ear.
"Again. and again, Emily could hear you,
say It forever my love-" said the young man.
He bent hss handsome head To kiss the lips that
had said, what othor lips had ever said &c him
81 love you" But his essess WAS given back with
halktmid. yet earnest tshaafueFe, and his soft
blue eyes beamed with happy emotion. II was
Edward vane's first wooing, and the pleasure he
experienced wasas rare AMI delicious as IL was
novel; for to tho young lover declaring his earliest
attachment 10 tho timid "yes," and the kiss Of
her he loves. tho sweetest thing he has ever
known
Under the trees Ia the garden of the old par
sonage, they walked together in the sunset, AFTER
this sweet eonfsssion-walkipg side by side, 3D.
ward holding Enily's hand, aud talking tender
fy 20 her as they went, with HE warm heart beam
lug in his handsome face, aud Emily listening si-
lentiy, witha happiness whose very silence mani.
Tested its depth; aud the sun sank lower, and the
shadows grew longer. as the pleasant moments
siipped away-golien moments to Edward and
Erai.y; and finally, as the tSiiight began to gath
er, they heard the voice of fnlys father, calling
Der, from his study.
hey went back; and now. standing for single
instant longer in the old stone porch under the
eurtainiug vines, Edward drew Emily to his breast
again, aud pressed his lips gently 10 her cheek.
"a few moments tny darling, before you go TO
hiE,' said Edward Let me Sea him first. j must
tell bim--'
happy thrill ran through Emily's heart. She
laid her head quietly on her lovers bosom, and
kissed softly the beloved hand that held her own
in a lingering clasp.
"Yes, tell him." she said with blush, and then
loosing herself from his embrace, sine went away,
while Edward Eane sought her father study.
1t was no new thing to the good old pastor that
Edward aud his daughter loved each other; he
had seen it long sinoe-had known 1t perhaps be-
fore they knew 1t themselves. Edward was not,
IL may be, the husband her father would have cho-
sen for her. sfectiouate in disposition with an ar
dent temperament but impnlsive-changing-
certain of purpose-ali this the old man had seen
him to be. But he himself had not many years to
live; they loved each other, and it might be after
ALL for the best. At any rate he could not md II
in his heart to their love, Rndso his consent
was giveu, and Emily and her lover received his
blessing.
And now the old parsonage seemed another
Eden, IN whose garden dwelt only happiness. But
has not every Eden its serpent 1t came In dark,
but beautiful and shining guise. it came IN the
shape of Enily's lovely cousin Helena, who, with
her sweet bewitchng face, glided in upon the nap
Ply lovers and brought fascination with her.
1t was not that Helena Wyndham, with her
beauty and her pride, cared for Emily lover, that
she lett for awhile the score of suitors at whose
expense she had been amusing herself, coquetting
with them all by turns, and givns hope to none
But Edward was handsome, and winning, ana ete
CANT: and, above all. he had never kneit Ell her
sbrine-the Unsuitable hear:huutor! And 50, for
the ecst of new conquest, she came dally over
from her fathers maguliicent estate to iadiey par
soDage, to win away, with her De"ltchihs onhe'
the heart OF her cousins lover.
Emily saw her, riding lightly along Oh her white
steed, with her dark locks braided and her snowy
plume waving to the breeze, her red Ups smilins,
aud her dark eyes beaming with the de'sht OF an
tcipated triumph. Emily. sitting with her father
and her lover in the old parsonage study, saw ME
brilliant cousin, aud thought, How lovely Helena
is' But the though, was not mingled with envy.
She has won a heart without Helenas destinations:
and her soft cheek colored, and her clear hazel
eyes beamed with innocent happiness a. che look
ed at her lover
moment more, and the quiet of that happy
little circle was broken by the appearance OF this
beautiful enChaUtress cousin. Emily ana her
father both know Helena's hollow heart, yet they
gave her kindly greeting. She was their KIN. Ihey
never Dreamed with what intent she had come -
They, in their charity for others, could not con-
ceive that she had idea of evil regarding them
But Helena Wyn4ham laughed at their charity
She did not scruple to abuse 1t when II served her
purpose do; and she glided in, in her elegant
nttne, with her Soft yet brilliant beauty her cap
tivating manner, her keen, delicate, lishtfashins
wit, and placed herself ia bewildering, dazzling
contrast to her iair, simple, unworthy, aud yet
noble cousin Emily. IL was not the hrst time Ed
ward had seen her; but he had never viewed her
80 nearly, never spoken to her before this evening
Helena took that his earliest impression of
her should be only an agreeable one
She WAS peerless in her loveiness, her grace.
her mental gifts; she would have adorned Il royal
court. Edward WAS a scholar and gentlemaR
cultivated aud refined, aud passionate adniref 81
beauty It would have been marvel il one like
him had restrained her entertainments, for she was
the very spirit of beauty
How iucomparably ioveIyi" was his mental ex
clamation she sat near him, gayly and carelessy
chatting with her uncle and Emily, and now and
then turning her bright, yet softened glance upon
him, with some smiling word OF remark, or OF
question, that drew him ere long from silent al
mirstion into animated converse with the rest.
He did not mentally compare her with Emily.
He not thinking of Emily when he said 10
himRaIf that the world cOuli contain face more
enchanting than that of this charming guest; but
during the hour that Helena stayed he experienced
pleasure, the nature OF which tie could hardly
have defined, had he tried, and the depth of which
he never sought to fathom. lie only knew that he
admired Miss Wyndham very much
And so the heartless beauty fingered as long AS
1t suited her, seeing plainly, and with secret de-
light, how Edward Vane was attracted, until she
was fully satisfied with her first attempt, and bid
ding the party graceful adeu, vanished like some
brilliant STAR that. while We eagerly delight
eddy watching it, hides. itself far behind the clouds
And Emily never dreamed whose eyes that star
had daZZicd
When next she met her beautiful cousin, 1t was
after service at the little village church, and
Emily fingered near the door, awaiting her father.
Helena, in passing, slightly tapped the young girls
cheek with her gioved hand.
SLOW came you ever TO attract 80 elegant, 30
distiRgue a lover as Edward Vaneg" she asked -
''Do you know that AIN quite pleased with him Z
and that Is dangerous for you, you know Take
care, my pretty cousin. that do not win him away
from you. BY the way, dear, my brother Frede-
rick has also become acquainted with him, and !
belevs ,cultivates his acquaintance most seduous-
ly. At any rate, he has invited him to spend day
or two with us this week. You can afford to lose
him for that tne-can't you, Emily dear."
Finishing her heartless speech with a soft laugh
and kiss on her cousins lips, she passed on TO
her carriage; and Emily look after her Instant
with sudden tremor at her heart startled psllor
overspreading her cheeks, saying, in a low, half
bitter tone "Helena, Heiena was that what you
came for ~
Emily only said to Edward when he came again.
''Do you know Frederick Wyndh IN, Edward"
Yes, Emily was introduced TO him not long
ago-dd not mention it! am forgettul Of ev
erythpg but you, my dsrlingi' be aided with II
beaming smile. Then he continued, Yes, and
only yesterday, he made NE halt promise 10 come
and pass a day or two with him at his fathers. |
do not know whether / shall go, though he is very
urgent lie seems to like me"
dull pain went through Enilys heart but
she would say nothing, nor let him suspect what
she felt.
"Will he go," she asked, mentally; and with
slow aud unhappy suspense she waited to see.
Edward did go. If he had foreseen the result
he might have been wiser; but with him. as ia
the case with many others, wisdom was purchased
with experience.
During the days that he spent with Frederick
Wyndham he was thrown frequently into the soci.
ETY. Of the beautiful ileiera; their acquaintance ma.
tured, ard his admiration grew deeper with every
hour that passed, revealing some Lew beauty som
new grace in the variable, Maynard, yet ever en-
chanting Helena.
When Emily met him again she longed to ask
him, do you not like my beautiful cousin?" Ba
she RETAINED II will not mock myself" she
thought; how can he help lihing-nay even Low.
ing her
Ii was not Edwards last visit at his frIend's-
Helena chose to win him, and there was little re-
siStance made Frederick was pleasant TREND
aud Edward Nane, negiectiug to question his own
heart too closely. said that was because of this
that he liked SO we'll TO 90 there
But be always saw Helena. They played and
sang together-together rambied over the fine
grounds around the mansion, aud read from the
same book. Aud ueena's voice had woudrous
sweetness in It's tones, aud the gentle glance of her
dark eyes, in her subdued moments, WAS one OF
the most enchanting softness. And Edward lis