The prairie news. [volume] (Okolona, Miss.) 1851-1875, 1858-02-25

1 hdfc uolic very wrong Ill lldStlly enIer-
ing upon our engagements without a
propir knowledge of my true feelings to-
warf You. was charmed by your
beauty, dazzled by your wit, aud attract
ed bs your virtue; | mistook the whir-
of anotion l felt for love. But it is betl
ter sor me to acknowledge my fault, than
to e,mmit sin in leading you to the al
ter while my heart is anothers. Forgive
me End forget me. Farewell, and may
you find some one more worthy of
yot love than your friend, Gf you will
stillallow me to claim that title.")
LOUIS MEREDITH.
livery particle of color forsook Beat
ricds cheek as she read--her lips were
whie, her hands trembed so violently
she tould scarcely hold the letter, a
deatIsihc faintness stole over her, and she
sank ito a chair and buried her face in
her hbds. Not tear, not a moan es-
capped hcr; she sat there in silence, mo-
tionleS as a statue, but in her heart what
a whirEind Of emotion was raging =
How ldg she sat there she hardy knew;
when al last she looked up, the twilight
was debcning, and she rose with a start
from h r seat. Her countenancc bore
the trats Of the suifering-she looked
haggar@ and wan the agony of those
few hora Is had changed her fcartully, but
her eycShashed with all their usual fire,
and hcrlips We're firmly compressed TO-
gether. She drew herself up proudly,
as if sh4dcspiscd herself for her weak
ness, cr@hed the letter, which had fallen
from hef trembling fingers, contemptu-
ously ul ler foot, and then picked it up
with a lbk of disgust as if it had been
some loa hsome thing, and putting on her
hat and Nawl she walked firmly out of
| the roomA She went rapidly on till she
reached islow white cottage; she entered
it and passed quickly through the little
sitting r01n to her own apartment.-
Here she look from an inlaid box pack
age of letters and adding that she had
last recciVd to the number, she hastily
collected d'ery momento, however trif-
ing, whicl had been the gift of Louis
Meredith, md placed them securely to-
gcthcr in madness to return to him, than
carefully arranging her toilet, she return
ed to the sitting-room. An old lady
dressed with scrlpulous nicely, was its
only occunnt she was quietly knitting.
The table ras spread for the evenings
meal, and sle had evidently been waiting
her daughters return. You are late to-
night, Bedrice,' she said, "but | sup
pose Louist tame for you to go to walk.
1t is so foolish to take such unreasonable
hours for hi walks. Tea has been wait
ING this halfhour." II am sorry to have
kept you waling, mother" returned her
daughters Eilvery voice; "but those
long walks Sill trouble you no longer
Louis Meredith and | are parted forev-
er." The Of lady dropped her knitting
work in her hp, and looked at her daugh-
ter in astoni5 5rmcnt, at length she spoke:
"Oh | see, alover's quarrel. But you
will make it lp in day or two, and be
all the happid for it. Well, wcll-better
disagree befoIe than after marriage -
Mother" slid Beatrice, "listen to me.
| shall never marry Louis Meredith
Nothing on eirth could induce me to do
so. AS sail we are parted forever;
and now let ne beg you never again to
mention his NJ me to me; let the subject
never again bl alluded to between us, let
all be as if wd had never known him."
Her voice soft4ed, "you will not be scr
ry, mother deaf to have your Beatrice
again all your Own ?" And she took her
parents shriveAd hand fondly between
her own. Mrs. Lancaster was touched
by this expression of tenderness; for
Beatrice, though most devoted daugh-
ter, in fact the ,ny support of her poor
and widowed mDther, rarely made any
demonstrations If her attachment, and
this caress, slight as it was, filled the
mothers heart with joy. She drew her
child to her side, and kissed her tenderly,
but Beatrice ESCAPED from her embrace,
and saying chcerfuly, "are we never GO
ing to supper!" led the way to the table.
She talked gaily during the supper, and
though she ate little, succeeded in with
drawing her mothers attention from her
want of appetite. Not the most watch
full eye could have detected shade of
sadness in her face or manner that even
ing; indeed she was gayer than usual
No wonder that her mother good unob-
servant soul--believed that she was hap
py in her release from the tic that had
bound her. A few evenings had passed,
and Beatrice stood in the little sitting
room, dressed for party. Never had
she looked more beautiful than now, in
her simple white dress, with its crimson
ribbons, and red rosebud in her hair.
Mrs. Lancaster looked at her in admira-
ton nor was she alone in her apprecia-
tiop of her cbild's loyelinpss she was tho