Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-01-29
DIAMONDS.
by Mrs. MARY J. HOLMES.

The boys mustn't look at the girls, and the
girls must look on their books" was said at
least II dozen times by the village school.mas-
ter, on that stormy morning when, Cora
Blanchard and I-She in her brothers boots,
and in my fathers sOckS-wadcd through
drift after drift Of snow, to the old brown
school-house at the foot Of the long, steep hill.
We were the only girls that dared to brave
the wintry storm, and We felt amply repaid
for our trouble when we saw how much attcm.
ton we received from the ten tall boys who
had eUnc-comc for Gun-Somc because they
saw Cora Blanchard go by, and one, Walter
Beaumont, because he did not wish to loose
the lessons Of the day. Our teacher, Mr..
Granns, was fitting him for college, and every
moment was precious to tho white.brOwcd,
intellectual student who was quite lion
among us girls, patty because he never no.
ticcd US as much as did the other boys. o..
iis occasion, however, ho was quite attentive
to Cora, at least pulling Of her boots, removing
her hood. and brushing in: large snow flakes
from her soft, wavy hair, while her dark brown
eyes smiled gratefully upon him, as he gave
lirr his warm seat by the stove.
That morning Cora wrote me silly on the
slate.
~ don't care il mother does say Walter
Beaumont is as poor as poverty II like him
best of any body in the world, dent you?"
thought of the big red apple in my pock
ct, and the boy who had SO carefully shaken
the snow off my fathers socks, and answer
ed "NO," thinking the while that should say
Yes" if Walter had ever treated INC as lie
did my playmate and friend, Cora Blanchard
She was beautiful young girl, favorite with
all, and possessing, as it seemed, but one glar-
ing fault-a prOncneSs to estimate people by
their wealth rather than their worth. This,
in measure, was the result of long training;
for her family, tn, ugh far from being rich,
were very aristocratic, aud strove to keep
their children US much as possible from asso-
-eiati#g with the %v Vulgar here, as thoy styled
the laboring class Of community.
L. her Sc>r!t EClrt, Cora had long since
cherished a preference for Walter, though
never, until the morning Of which l write,
had it been so openly avOwed. And Walter.
too, while knowing how far above him shr
was in point OF position, had dared to dream
of time when bright-haired woman, with
face much like that Of the girlish Cora,
would gladden. his home whatever it might
be.
That noon, as we sat around the glowing
fire, we played as children will, and It came
my turn to "answer truly whom intended
to marry" Without a thought of the big
apple, the snowy socks, or any in particular,
| replied unheSitatingly the one love best, "
and the question passed on to Cora, who was
sitting by the side Of Walter Beaumont. lie
had not joined in our sport, but now his eye
left his book and rested upon Cora, with an
expression half expectant. She, too, glanced
at him, and, as if the spirit of prophcsy were
upon her, she said, Z" / shall not marry the one
love the best, but the one who has the most
money and can give me the most diamondS.
Sister Fanny has magnitiCsI It set, and she
looks sObeautifIl when she wears them"
Instantly there fell shadow On Walter
Bcaumont's face, and his eye returned again
to the Latin lcttcred page But his thoughts
were not of what was written there; he was
thinking Of the humble cottage on the borders
Of the wood, Of the rag carpet on the OakCn
floor, Of the plain, old.iashioncd furniture, and
Of the gentle, loving woman who called him
her boy, ," and that spot her home. There
were no diamonds therc-no money and Cora,
for il she married, she would never DO his
wife.
- Early and late ho tOiled and studied, wearing
his threadbare coat and coarse, brown pants,
for an education such as no must have, adj
mitted Of no more expenditure; and the cost
ly gems that Cora cravsd we're not his 70 give.
In the pure, unseltish love springing up for
her within his heart, there were diamonds ul
imperishablc value; aud these, together with
the name he would make for himself, he would
offer her. but nothing more: and for many
weeks there waSa shadow on his brow, though
he was kind and conSiderate to her as Of old.
AS the spring and summer glidOd by. how
ever, there came a change and when, in the
autumn, he LEFT our village for New Haven.
thtre was happy Joyous look on his face,