The Portage County Democrat. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1859-05-11

House were not distant an honr's ride; and
even as these thoughts passed through his
n ind, he asked Mr.. Higgins if he coald not
stay all night--the young moon was already
set-the roads would be Oakland Catharine
looked up with pretty anxiety. which, how
ever, had not much doubt in it, for the an
swer. stHa---siTss s;f-r 81
. With every encouragement of this kind
from the Squire, it took everybody rather by
surprise when one morning it was discovered
that Miss Catharine Hearn was missing; and
when according to the usual fashion in such
cases, note was found, saying that she had
eloped with the man of her heart and gone
to Gretna Green. no one could imagine why
she could not quietly have stopped at home and
been married in the parish church She had
always been romantic, sentimental girl; very
pretty, and very affectionate, and very much
spoiled, and very much wanting IN common
sense. Her indulgent father was very much
hurt at his want of confidence in his never
varying affection; but when his son came, hot
with indignation from the Baronet's (his future
father in.lawis house, where every form of law
and ceremony was to accompany his own i'm
pending marriage). Sqnire Hearn pleaded the
cause of the young couple with imploring co
sency, and protested that it was piece of
spirit in his daughter which he admired and
was proud of. However, it ended with Mr..
Nathaniel Hearn's declaring that he and his
wife would have nothing to do with his sister
and her husband. Wait till you've seen him,
Nat said the old Sqnire trembling with his
distressfnl anticipations of family discord -
Hes an excuse for any girl Only ask Har
rvs opinion of him 'Confouud Sir Harry |!
So that a man sits his horse well. Sir Harry
cares nothing about anything else. Who is
this man-this fellow.2 Where does he come
from ? What are his means ? Who are his
family p .a- .s
He comes from the south-Surrey or Som
setshire, forget which; and he pays his way
well and liber-,lly. There's not a tradesman in
Barford but says he cares no more for money
than for water; he spends like prince, Nat.
l don't know who his family are, but be seals
with coat of arms; which may tell you if
you want to know-and he goes regularly TO
collect his rents from his estates in the South
O. Nat if you would be friendly. would be
as well pleased with Kittys marriage as any
father in the country s4u ica
| MIR. Nathaniel Hearn gloomed, and nut.
tered an oath or two to himself Mr.. and
Mrs N tthaniel Hearn Kept apart from Cath
arine and her husband; and Squire Hearn
burst never ask them to Levisou Hall though
| it, was his own house. Indeed, he stole away
as if he were culprit whenever he went to
visit the White House; and if he passed a
night there. he was fain to eqnivocate when
he returned home the next day; an equivo
cation which was we'll interpreted by the sury
proud Nathaniel. But the younger Mr. and
Mrs. Hearn were the only people who did no,
visit at the White House. Mr. and Mrs. Hig
gins were decidedly more popular than her
brother and sister ip-law. Ste made pretty
and sweet tempered hostess aud her education
had not been such as to make her intolerant
in the associates who gathered around hel
husband. She had gentle smiles for towns
people as we'll as country people; and uncon
sciousy played an admirable second in hel
husbands project for making himself univer
sally popular.
But there is some one to make i'll naturet
remarks. and draw i'll natured conclusions from
very simple premises, in every place; and il
Barford this kind of i'll omen was Q Miss Pratt
4 She did not hunt-so Mr.. Higgins's admirable
riding did not call out her admiration She
/ did not drink-so the well selected wines, 81
lavishly dispensed among his guests, coult
never mollify Miss Pratt. She could not bea
comic songs or buffo stories-so. in that way
her appreciation was impregnable. And the-'
three secrets of popularity constituted MI
Higgins's great charm. Miss Pratt sat ant
I watched Her face looked immovably gray,
at the end of any of Mr.. Higgins's best stories
but there was a keen, needle like glance of he
unwinking little eyes. which Mr. Higgins fel
: rather than saw, and which made him shivel
even on hot day, when it fell upon him.
! Miss Pratt was dssenter, and, to propitiat
: his female Mordecai, Mr.. Higgins asked tn
dissenting minister whose services she attent
: ed to dinner; kept himself and his company
:. good order; gave handsome donation to tn
poor of the chapel. All in vain-Miss Prat
stirred not muscle mere of her face tOwarG
! graciousness and Mr.. Higgins was conscior
: that in spite, of all his open efforts to capt
9 vate Mr.. Davis, there was secret influence G
the other side, throwing in doubts and susp
n cions. and evil interpretations of all he said
Il did. Miss Pratt, the little plain old mai
P, living on eighty pounds year, was the tho
III in the popular Mr.. Higgins side, although 81
y had not spoken one uncivil word to him; i
se deed, on the contrary, had treated him with
lP stiff and elaborate civility
.E The thorn-the grief to Mrs Higgins W
re this-they had no children Oh, how s.
q would stand and envy the careless. busy mott
80 Of half a dozen children; and then when o
Jul served, move on with q deep. deep sigh
to yearning regret. But it was as WE'LL
"a, II was noticed that Mr.. Higgins was remal
n tbly careful of his health He ate, drank, to
lat exercise, rested, by some secret rules of
Ell own; occasionally breaking into an excess
,h is true, but only on rare occasions-such
when he returned from visiting estates in t
he south and collecting his rents That unus,
dr.. exertion and fatigue-for there were no sta
ch coaches within forty miles Of Barford, and
old like most country gentlemen of that day, ,wo
H., bo,l
seemed to require some strange excess to co