Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-02-05

love to me"
f'Unromantic! How much of your wo-
mans character is revealed by that ex-
preston Then you prefer to remain
here, at least until you have seen battle. J"
"Or have been taken prisoner" she ad-
ded, still laughing. "But, to be serious,
sir; it was your will that brought me here,
and l am ready to go away whenever it is
your wish that / should leave. A desire to
be with you, is an impulse offlial love, but
obedience is a duty to which I shall ever
be faithful"
81 do not doubt it, Ida but my object
is to arrive at your wishes on the subject.
Setting love and duty, as far as they relate
to me, aside, is there nothing that impells
you to remain here? No predilection for
this mode of life-no social ties that bind
you to the Fort?"
"There are friends here, father" she,
blushingly replied; with whom it would
give me pain to part but there is no tie,
the severance of which can make me per-
manently unhappy"
"That answer is to the point, my child,
and affords me much satisfaction. There
should be perfect confidence between us,
and to ensure this, we must be candid
My desire is that you never marry soldier
because Iknow the painful anxietes Incl
dent to such an nnion and did believe
that your longer stay here might so result,
it would be my wish that you at once re-
turn to the city. But in the absence of
cause for immediate apprehension, let us
not forego the happiness being together
few months longer, when hope to be in
more active service"
"Do not misunderstood me, father !;
My answer has reference only to the pres
ent moment-oft the future can not speak;
and should anything happen contrary to
your wishes, or my expectations, l wish to
be acquitted in advance, Of any want of
sincerity toward you. Cupid is not more
stranger in the camp than in the city
and it has long been remarked that epau-
let's and plumes and sword knots are am
bushes whence the blind god hurls his
most successful darts"
"Then you already feel that there is dan,
ger!' he remarked, in a tone of disappoint-
ment
"That, sir, is not the idea l intend to
convey. Love is an involuntary emotion,
and it would be presumption in me to claim
to be secure against it and what desire
to be understood to say, is, that should
be frought under its Influence, the fact
may not be cited as any evidence of want
of candor in my present declar alton"
"Of course not" He replied, "My con-
fdence in your truthfulness is unlimited F;
and content with the assurance fyour
present safety, we must leave the future to
take care of itself, have thus catechized
you, my dear, because Maj, Dade has ask
ed my permission to address you and l
thought it prudent to- ascertain your feel
ings before giving him an answer. And
as it is becoming questionable to ask the
father before obtaining the consent of the
daughter, | had some serious misgivings
as to the amount of encouragement you
may have given him"
81 have given him none, Sir" she re-
plicd-blushfng crimson ; "unless he has
mistaken easy courtecy for encouragement.
And as could not mistake his purpose
my department has been studiously so
) shaped as to give rise to no impressions
favorable to his suit and | hope, Sir, he
has said nothing to you susceptible ofa
different interpretation
: "On the contrary, my child, he stated
| explicitly that you had given no ground
l for hope. He is an honorable man, in.
capable of misrepresentation, or double
| dealing. May l, then, for answer, refer
him to you?"
| "Tell him, father, that you have confer
p ed with me, and not being willing, at this
: time, to contemplate any man as lover
hope that he will take no step calculated
to disturb the social relations subsistn!
between us. esteem him very highly
. and"
At this moment, Gen, Holmes was cal
led off, and Ida rctreated to her room in
p state Ofencitement such as most girls ex
a perience on receiving proposals of marriag
i especially if for tbe first time. Al
r though lady may have made up her min
to discard lover, his declaration is al
|, event in her life-onc that sometimes call
j. into play opposite cmotions-gratifcatior