The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1859-09-22

''he ID u Wcnab, tuat Is enough 10 make
me dislike her" az N IA AS
The words fell upon my ear, as lay Just
waking from my afternoon nap, upon my sofa
.'Horacer'
My aunt's gentle voice uttered the word
in reproachful tone, and knew that her
son, whom we had been expecting home from
his European trip for some days had arrived.
81 did not mean to grieve you, mother y
said the first voice, "Tdo love you, if you are
woman, bat on mother, if you knew ~
Knew what, Horace?"
II wrote to you about Amy, how loved
her, how gentle, true and fair she seemed,
and how she made me believe, was the only
one she loved"
"Well, Horace. you wrote that she had
promised to be your wife, next year a.. y
''She was married to another one week be.
fore left England; and she had deceived
me. She loved him all the time, but they
quareed. end while they were estranged she
met me. They met again. were reconciled,
and - Well it is oyerr'
| sprang up from the sofa, ashamed Of the
part of eaves-dronperf had been unintention-
ally playing, and began to dress for tea As
stood before the glass, l mentally drew a
contras: between the Amy he had so often
described in his letters, and the face before
me. She had fair, light curls, blue eyes, and
blonde complexion, with a tiny, fairy-lke
figure. was tall, full figure, with jetty hair
and eyes, gipsy complexion, and dark
crimson roses on my cheeks. Cousin Hor-
ace was tall, too. not very handsome, but
manly, strong, and talented, with an erect,
free carriage, and flashing eyes, rugged fea-
lures, and loud, ringing voice; all this
knew from his mother, for we had not met
since we We're children.
$50 he has determined to hate me because
] am woman" thought, as braided the
black hair, and looped it near my cheek
well, it won't break my heart, guess"
came into the parlor with quiet selfpos-
session, and was introduced to my cousin
lie started to find the little girl he reinem
bered tall woman, but l think felt relieved
that did not, in any way, resemble the lost
Amy. sEfs
Coldly, distantly polite was his greeting,
and mine matched it. We chatted on inlif-
ferent subjects till tea time, and took the
earliest opportunity to retire and leave the
long-parted mother and son together.
We were in pleasant country house on
the banks of the Delaware, passing the sum-
mer, but we knew none of the neighbors, and
Horace and were forced to become friends
Ne walked and rode together, but always
chatted on general subjects, and with the
formality of perfect strangers. 1t was ex-
ceedingly, tiresomei All my other cousins,
when had visited them, had treated me
like sister, and l enjoyed it; but this ice
berg ofa man talked in his stately, composed
way, as five were entire strangers meeting
in saloon. And yet-strange as it may
seen-I looked forward with impatience to
our walks or evening chats, longed, wished
for them. Ny cousin was talented, and had
travelled, not returning to pirate idly of the
wonders he had seen, but to profit by them,
and improve the great mind God had given
him. Hour by hour he could converse of all
he had read or seen, without one egotistical
remark or anecdote Of his own powers. I
could listen, losing little by little my heart
to one who, reflected bitterly, cared nothing
for it. would pace my room, my heart
swelling almost to bursting with the mingled
love and modification. resolving to go home;
and yet his voice, the fall of his foot upon
the stairs, calmed me, and l FASTENED down
to listen to him, and return more miserable
than before.
He never referred to Amy but sometimes,
when speaking Of his stay in England. a bit.
ter smile would fit over his face, as II the re-
miniscences he spoke Of were connected with
others buried deep in his own breast.
One morning, while we were at breakfast,
- ssr agoye W apd from it was hoisted a
'ighsd - sss piano.
n great - q a. brace, 'syos were lament