The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-10-28

- <he4a--eno, my word tor 1t
spite Of all their boards, they will cling 10 You,
Eap&on strings stiIl. Not 90 did Mr.. Flem;pc ina,
ho.ever; and hence Lasper, though Of an e1
tirely contrary disposition ia this respect. BEING
open rather than secretvs, felt himself az Il we're
compelled fo'withheid from her al knosledpe
OF h,s little romasee.F Perhaps he faueied thai
nef up would enrl 10 scern at the recital of his
rosy cream and be was az susceptible as her
self 10 fidiculeii ~ 81 S so Ers ss1E n
Baa xhen, being twenty years old, he had en-
tered INTO con versation with Rutb's father. tell
ing him Of his love, of it's refrigeration, inten
slty, &C, and asking his consent to forma]
engagement, and Mr.. Gilbert Conprsve bad
caanl5 inquired, y What does your moth u cav
yssesrf !. our hero vas forced to acknowledge
amt e Iss = e she wss entirely igno
Me-. Congreve ssid-and Jasper aftervard,
remembered that Ne siehedLhe would olive M
consent nor aescouragsuant, unless the affair
had MrA Hemings cordial approval. 30 ,.,
Inns Jasper was made aware of the necss.
sity for this hitherto 80 scrupulously avoided
conidsnce. G9b5sssing tie need for il, he was
not az % MI intbeT pefformsase lduty.,
for hn waia was iike' his mclher'S; ffannsa Ia
steel. he felt persuaded. that shs vaa ,sntirelv
ignorant of his love and of its object. for the
simple reason of that repellsnt way she Had q,
treating those who proffsred her unasked in.
formation. He therefore resolved that. from
the beginning to the end, she should hear the
whole story, and that he would tell her in such
way as to surprise or conquer her into acqui
escence. -f8
So, one morning, at the breakfast table he
asked his mother if she would have the leisure
to spare him an hour during the day, "a he had
. matter OF some importance to commandments
"a 1oo q. a. L. =
she said, and would hear him with pleasure st
any time. Well, to be more definite, she had
little writing to do that morning, and he would
ind her IN the library. Jasper thanked her,
and, a. he helped himself from some convene nj
dish, told her, by way of introduction, that it
was something of great importance, and she
must expect surprise to which she respond.
ed, that 20 she imagined, since she was aware
he had too much good sense to handy triHes
about--that she apprehended nothing disagree.
able, however, having too much confidence in
his pride and prudence; and then she dismiss.
ed the case for further hearing, and spoke
upon some topic of common and ordinary in
terest. ~
Jasper read bis newspaper, and afterwards,
by way of stimulus, galloped his horse over the
fields for an hour.
Returning, he sought his mother in the
library. |tl 4 /
This Was very stately room, its high ceilippa
ribbed over with deliberately carved oak. On
three aides, the books were ranged in cases of
oak, craven with much taste into Gothic forms.
The fourth wall of the room, in accordance with
some whim of Mrs. Fleming was hung from cor.
nice to floor with rich tapestry of rather dark
pattern, wherein was worked the fable of Medea.
The windows admitted mellow blush of light
through psnes Of glass stained with Roman
symbolisms and legends Of saints In their deep
recesses and upon their projecting cornices
were placed miniature copies OF antique celebri.
ties of sculpture, busts of sages, and divine
forms Of human beauty. Three or four gems
OF landscape were hung up in places appropri.
ate to the proper effects of light and shade. A
chess table, set off with the pieces az if game
we're about TO begin; fragment of q broken
column OF glorious Pentelican, time. worn, but
sculptured on what of the capital remained to
6-.as- il Phihiss had ,sald tina ,eh;saI. .laa,,ad
and in portfolios, we're lavishly 8 rewn upon
centre table. the carpet was of subdued
tint, and sank luxuriously under the foot. The
chairs were of oak, and matched the book cases
The whole impression of the room was that of
stately, formal, but exquisitely cultivated taste
supported and sustained by means to procure
and ~ II to demand whatever might be needed
It WAS Mrs. Fleming's favorite room, and in
truth seemed her most appropriate sphere. As
Jasper opened the door, and, pushing aside the
tapestry, stood within the room, his mother
laid aside her pen, wheeled her stiff high back
ed chair round, and sat waiting Mrs. Fleming
had an abundance of rich, straight, black hair,
and che did not affect the cap. Now, she wore
it plainly parted over her forehead, and brought
obliquely down by the upper part of her ear 10
one broad fold. Into this hair, with wonderful
effect, was carelessly thrust the stem of a ca
mela, and the flower itself, rich, double, and
fresh, half hung, half reared itself above the
left ear. Her face was turned partly towards
the door, and in such position that mellow
rose light streamed down upon it; and her
white arm was stretched out, the fingers towing
with the white Queen of the Chessmen. which
she had taken from the board. As she sat
there, her feet resting upon q velvetcovered
hassock, and her head, crowned with the proud
camelia, leaned back against the carved chair
so that the white curve of her neck caught
some of the purple rays from the stained win.
dow, and her ruby brooch flashed back the at.
tempered daylight defantly, she seemed a
Queen of some old realm, whose fiat admitted
no denur, and who well beftted her naughty
state. She might have sat for q portrait of
deep souled Chrimhld, widowed and welded.
seated upon the throne of E!zsl, and waiting
for news of the coming of her hated kinsfolk.
Jasper gazed at her as he took chair little
in the shaded part of the room, and to one side
of his mother, and never did he feel more vivid.
~ the impression Of her peculiar beauty.
Whether it was that she really had more beau.
ty on this occasion, or that the uneasiness con.
corning the result of what he was about to
communicate gave him an unusual suscepti.
bility, is doubtful, but certainly he was never
more awed, nor. less competent to bold adyo.
cacy Of his cause, than at that momentj
However, he began Tie recital in low tone,
telling her how he had, in his second year with
Mr.. Classic, met this little school girl, and, in
boy fashion, fell in love with her. How, during
his vacations he had renewed the amour, and
indistinct, general way of telling the story
combined with that peculiar pride of position
which his mother attributed to him to make
her altogether misconstrue the purport of his
narrative, and, with voice of some little re-
proach, she hastily interrupted him:
"Spare me the pain, my son, of hearing this.
You were young, and did not mean wrong,
am sure; therefore l excuse you. But let Us
have no more talk about the matter. l do not
wish to know who the poor creature is. Such
things are very painful to mothers ear.
Write to my lawyer, giving him possession Of
the facts, and will authorize him to settle the
matter at once, and definitely. If il becomes
public. it might injure you in the world. Say
no more about it, my son, only profit by your
experience"
And she waved that white hand, with the
Chess Queen in it, as if it we're sceptre, dis.
missing thus the subject. The naughty pride Of
'hs woman, the wicked, awful pride, that could
not see the possibility of her son STOPPING to link
ais fate with any namelsss grill And that vile
allacy of society which she 50 confidently ad-
vanced, that hearts do not exist without social