Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-09-14


/ 1t was glove-my glove which l had
inadvertently thrown out. in taking my hand
kerchief from my pocket.
go on, driverl' and he tossed it into my
hand as he resumed his seat in the open stage
Take your reward" said l, Offering him
cigar, "but beware of rendering me another
such service.'
''If it had been your hat or your handker-
chief be sure / should have let it be where it
fell, but glOve-that is different. once
found romance in a glove. Since then,
gloves are sacred" and Westwood gravely
bit off the end of his cigar. .tJte[jL 81
"A romance? Tell me about that. l am
tired of the endless stretch of sea-like country.
these regular ground swells, and its a good
two hours ride yet to yonder headland,
which juts ont into the prairie, between us
and the setting sun. Meanwhile, your ro-
nance"
did say romance? / fear you would
hardly think it worthy of the NAME" said my
companion, .1every life has its romantic
episodes at least, incidents which appear
such to him who experiences them. But
these tender little histories are usually insipid
enough when told. | have maiden aunt,
who once came so near having an offer from
a pale STRIPPING, with dark hair, seven years
| her junior. that to this day she often alludes
to the circumstance, with the remark, that
she wishes she knew some competent novel
writer in whom she could confide- feeling
sure that the story of that period of her life
| would make the groundwork of a magnifi-
! cent work of fiction. Possibly | inherit my
aunt's tendency to magnify into extraoridina-
| ry proportions trifles which look at through
! the double convex lens of a personal interest.
| So don't expect too much of my romance land
| yon shall hear it.
Il said | found it in glove. 1t was by no
means remarkable glove-middle sized,
straw colored, and new fit for the hand in
which L hold your very excellent cigar. Of
course, there was young lady in the case;
| let me see-I don't believe [ can tell you the
story said Westwood, ''after alp
| gently urged him TO proceed.
"Pshaw!" said he after kindling his cigar
with few vigorous whiffs, whats the use
Of being foolish? My aunt was never diffdent
about telling her story, and why should L
hesitate to tell mine? The young lady's
| name-we'll call her simply Margaret. She
| was n blonde, with hazel eyes and dark hair.
| Perhaps you never heard OF blonde with hazle
eyes and dark hair? She was the only one I
ever saw; and there was the finest contrast
imaginable between her fair, fresh complexion
and her superb tresses and delicately traced
eyebrows. She was certainly lovely, if not
handsome, and-such eyes! 1t was an event
in ones life, sir, just to look through those
luminous windows into her soul. That could
not happen every day, be sure! Sometimes
ivory shutters half closed, or the mystic cur
tains of reserve drawn within; then again.
when | was tortured with unsatsfied yearn-
ings, and almost ready to despair. she would
suddenly turn them upon me, the shutters
thrown wide, the curtains away, and a food
of radiance streaming forth, that filled me so
tull Of light and gladness that | had no shad-
Owy nook left in me for doubt to hide in.
She must have been conscious of this power
of expression. She used it so sparingly, and
it seemed to artfully! But [ always forgave
her when she did use it, and cherished resent
ment only when she did not.
Margaret was shy and proud; l could
never completely win her confidence, but |
knew, knew we'll at least that her heart was
mine, and a deep, tender woman's heart il
was too, despite her reserve. Without many
words, we understood each other, and So
Pshaw ~ said Westwood, my cigar is outn'
ION with the story!'
"Well, we had our lovers quarrels of
course. Singular what foolish children love
makes of us rendering us sensitive, jealous,
eXacting, in the superlative degree. | am
sure we were both amiable and forbearing to-
wards all the world besides, bnt, for the pow
erful reason that we loved, we were bound to
misnterpret words, looks, and actions, and
wound each other on every convenient occa-
sion. | was panied by her attentions to 9th
ers, or perhaps by an apparent preference of
a book or bouquet to me- Retaliation on my
part and quiet persistence on hers continued
to estrange us, until l generally ended by
conceding everything, and pleading for one
word of kindness to ond my misery.
| was WrOng-tOO quick to resent. too
ready to cOncede. No doubt it was to her a
secret qualification to exercise her power over
me, and at last | was convinced that she
wounded me purposely in order to provoke a
temporary enlargement, and enjoy repeti-
ton of her triumph
1t was at party; the thing she did was to
waltz with a man whom she knew detested,
whom she knew | could not respect, and
whose half-embrace. as he whirled her in the
dance, almost put murder into my thoughts.
Margaret | said, 'One last word! If you
care for me, bewarer
That was foolish speech, perhaps. 1t was
certainly Intellectual She persisted, looking
so calm and composed, that great weight
fell upon my heart. | walked away; wan
dered about the saloons l tried to gossip and
be gay, but the wound was too deep.
| accompanied her home late in the even
ing. We scarcely spoke by the way. AT the
door she looked me sadly in the face-she
gave me her hand. ! thought it trembled.
'Good-nightn she said in low voice.
'Good-byer | answered coldly, and hurried
from the house.
1t was some consolation to hear her close
the door after had reached the corner of the
street. and to know that she had been listen
ing to my footsteps. But | was very angry.
| made stern resolutions | vowed to myself
that | would wiring her heart, aud never
swerve from my purpose until | had wrung
out of it abundant drops of sorrow and con-
triton. How | succeeded you shall hear.
l had previously engaged her to attend
series of concerts with me an arrangement
which did not now regret, and for good rea-
sons. Once a week, with famous punctuality,
| called for her, escorted her to the concert
room, and carefully recoaducted her home
letting no opportunity pass 10 show her Il
true gentlemau's Difference and respect-con-
verSing with her freely about music books,
ANYTHING in short. except what we both knew
to be deepest in each others thoughts. Upon
other occasions | avoided her, even RETAINED
from going to places where she was expected
especially where she knew that l knew she
was expected. --a
"Weil," continued Westwood "my designs
upon her heart. which was going to wiring
so numerically, did not meet with very bril-
liant success. To confess the humiliating
truth soon found that | was torturing my
self u good deal more than l was torturing
her As last and desperate resort, what do
you think did,
You probably asked her to ask your for
giveness ?r
Not /! have will of adamant as people |
find, who tear away the amiable flowers and
light soil that cover it; and she had reached
the impenetrable. firm rock. neither made
any advances towards a reconciliation nor in
vited any. But will tell you what did do
as "a final trial of her heart. had for some
time been meditating an European tour, and
my interest in her had alone kept me at home.
Some friends of mine were To sail early In
the spring, and now resolved to accompany
them. don't know how much pride and
spite there was in the resolution-probably IA
4. 4 L.