Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1859-10-07

ner coincidence. She told him how one
especially devout adorer was continually
quoting scriptural puAs to her; and how
another, of chronological turn of mind,
would insist on comparing her to new
exquisite specimens Of bugs.
Then he told her quite malciously,
how precarious her rule was, and cruelty
likcned her position to that of keeper
in lunatic asylum, whose strength lies
in his confidence that his subordina.es,
having lost their wits, possess no power
Of combination among themselves to de-
feat his plans. Occasionally Miss Bran
don was a little tart; sometimes Mr..
Langford was little rude; but they
usually kept within amicabc bounds, and
we're understood to be excellent friends
nothing more
Not one of Miss Lucy's devotees ever
thought it worth while to look upon
Harry Langford with eyes of green in
dignation. He was in no degree rap.
turous about her; she often snubbcd him.
An infnitesimal quarrel between them
had once been detected. Besides, he
opportunities were thus limited.
| Moreover it is fact that no two per-
sons were more profoundly convinced Ct
their absolute indifference to one anoth-
er than Miss Brandon and Mr.. Langtord
themselves.
They had given much private thought
to the subject there was the danger y
and had satisfied themselves tha. they
were, as everybody understood, excellent
friends-nothng more.
Nevertheless i, happened that Mr..
Langford was suddenly overcome by a
sense Of shame at his want Of family feel
ing in so loa, ncgectins his Winston
relations. SO he endeavored to repair
old errors by frequent visits, AMI estab-
lished an extensive Acquaintance in the
neiyhborhood. He grew fond OF social
gaties. lie cultivated all Winston
At every important gathering he was
made welcome.
I At last winter came, and everybody
| knows how delightful the winter is in a
New England town, where the thermome-
ter never by any excess OF exaltaiion
| gets more than an occasional degree or
so above the 0; where frozen noses are TO
/ be met at every corner, and are deemed
neither uncommon or unornamental,
while frozen toes are accepted almost in
the light OF luxury; where ice-cream is
indissolubly associated with breakfast, i,
and where for many months life is bat
perpetual shiyer. Mr.. Langford, anxious
to experience all thesc joys. came up
Wins,op-i~.r'fe middle of February to
. remain two days. bringing with him
baggage sufficient for three weeks, to
which term, after much interchange of
entreaty and expostul,tion. he was in
duced. to extend his visit
The frs, time he met Miss Brandon,
he tempted her with the SUI gestion Of a
slegh-ride Said he "A slcish-ride in
winter is seldom amiss,' and was there
upon sharply critlsed for admitting the
possibility OF such thing at any ether
scn.cl. She would ride with him the
next aftcl noon.
In the morning Mr.. Henry Laneford
gravely inspe' ted the family stable, but
found moth ing therein equal to his own
idea Of tne magnitude of the OCCASION
At .hc public stable he was more sue
crsstul. At first he contemplated the
! luxurious masnlhcence of span, but an
irresistible impulse subsequently induced
him to settle upon the single courser.-
Zone horse may be driven with one
han, y l, is difficult to Imagine VIII t
impelled him to seek with such pfrtln-
acity as he did Tor the narrowest sleigh
in the collection.
At four O'Clock P. NJ. the lighthearted
young pair dashed away, as full of good
natured slee as the sleigh was iul o!
them--and they fitted very compactly.-
Miss Brandon. knowing the country
more intimstely than her companion,
undertook to point their way, a manner
OF proceeding quite agreeable, in view OF
the male creatures total Ignorance Of
localities. They slided on. tuning
hither and ,hither. until ere long they
left the clustering cottages of Winston
quite a distance behind For while
both chatterel and laughed with v!sor
that put them into precious glow; but
by.and.by Mr.. Henry stopped short, in
an unaccountable manner. and left Miss
Lucy to do the defamation, coutenting
himself with watching the sparkle OF her
eye, or the pretty curve OF her lip, as she
threw out incessant little smut sl rnkles
OF feminine wit. Presently he observed
with wonder faint suspicion ofa fiutter
trem bling through him, and attributed
it to their rapid motion, recollcctlng
similar sensation in earlier youth, caused
by swinging.
He must have expressed something
odd in his countenance, for, of sudden,
Miss Lucy cut short her fun, and subsid
ed into dim oblivious tranquility
Just one minute after it flashed upon Mr..
Henry Langiord, that he had for the past
six months been uninterruptedly occupied
in making muf OF himself, that the motion
of excellent friendship SO far rs he and
Lucy Brandon were concerned was utter
ly absurd and degrading to think upon;
that the truth was he loved he. dearly,
and that he ought to have known it long
ago. and should. if he had ever before
been alone with her, as he now found
himself. Having settled all this to his
own satisfaction, he took courage and a