The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1859-04-16
THE OLD MAIDS STORY.
A WarWickshire Tale.
BY CEORGIANA 8 PERDUE

| BY GEORClANA s. PERDCE.
| You will, perhaps. smile at an old wo-
mans vanity when tell you that this face,
now so wrinkled, was once fair this white
hair once golden; these sunken eyes once
brilliant that was the beauty and the
pride of the village through which you
! j lst now passed. In that villa my father
was wealthy farmer, and was his only
child His gold, and my fair face, brought
me many suitors chose one whom. with
a womans penetration in love, l knew
wooed me for myself alone; but unfortu-
nately. my lover was the one of all others
that my father disapproved My father
was proud of his wealth; prouder still of
the antiquity of his family. He loved to
boast that the Flowers had for three
generations held the farm on which he
was born, and it was with rage and morti-
fication he learned that Frank Stopford
the son of the gamekeeper at the hall, was
the chosen lover of his daughter, Jessy.
The story of our love is brief-tis but
| the history of a day | with many of my
village friends, had started in the morn
ing to visit a spot dear to every English
heart, the birthplace of Shakespeare. We
wandered through the tIme-worn rooms
and spelt out many a name upon the
| walls-some lowly and unknown. others
noble and kingly At length it was pro
posed that we should separate and seek
amusement for ourselves. Frank Stop
ford begged permission to show me the
churchyard and the tomb of the great pc-
ct We soon reached the row Of noble
trees that ovcrhang the Avon; under their
shade we walked while Frank. with elo-
quent words, pictured To me the life Of
England noblest son, his Wild youth, his
love his genius, his life in London. his end
so sad and SO inglorious. Then he pro-
ceeded to speak OF himself, and 10 tell me
that the solicitor in Warwick. TO whom he
had been articlcd through the influence
of the squire, had spoken favorably OF MS
, abilities; and that III two more days he
would leave for London. to ,ry his fortune
in the great city. where 50 many hopes
are blightcd, many hearts crushed
My quivering lips and starting tears en-
boldened HIM. Jessy he said. " 90
without fear, if 90 armed with your love; :;
it will he a beacon TO guide me i'll time of
trial, to cheer me in moments of dcspond-
encv Tell me, dearest is il minci ! feel
that shall some day win a name worthy
for YOU TO share; We are both Young; tell
me. Jessv. can YOU love and watt With
wildly throbbing heart. but clear. firm
voice replied For. YOU, dear Frank,
I | will love and wait, and hope Taking
my hand III his with a look from hl- fine
blue eyes that sank into my heart. he
spoke To Inc III iaitering tones of his deep.
/ abounding love | could not reply, for
my heart was too full There are mo-
ments into which tn. feelings of life
I seem compressed. and this was such 10 me.
/ ! would have given worlds TO have told
! him how long, how lassionately | had
loved him; but the words died upon nv
joined our companions.
During the homeward ride. we con ured
up bright visions of our future life spoke
with hopeful confidence of his talents and
/ success. He, with a lover ; enthusiasm,
declared that possessing me, he was alrea-
dy rich. At parting, he pressed upon my
! lips one long, close kiss and ful Of hope,
: sprung across the fields to meet my faith
/ er and acquaint him with our mutual love,
! That night, as laid my head upon my
! pillow, the world seemed To me TO over
flow with joy, my path through life to be
strewn with roses
The following morning, when MY father
| and were seated at brcakfast-l should
have told you that my dear mother died
when was quite young-l noticed that a
cloud rested on his brow Presently he
said Those Stopiords are unbearably
presumptuous Yesterday evening that
| young upstart lawyer clerk asked me for
you Jessy. and when'l fatty refused To
hear him. he dared To hint that YOU loved
! him. told him that my daughter, Jessy
! Flower was far too handsome and sensible
a girl To marry a fellow like him, and that
if you had given him any encouragement,
it was because YOU We're ignorant of his
circumstances which ! would take care
YOU should be acquainted with soon enough:
so. Jessy, in future you take no more no
tice of the fellow
Father" | cried. what have you done,
driven him away, and insulted him, too
him with his sensitive mind and noble
heart q
Trash about his noble heart" broke
out my father, in towering rage; is IL
possible YOU are such fool as to care any
thing about him.
Care for him. I answered through pas
siona,e tears 81" love him dearly, better
than any one, more than life
In a cold calm voice, a. he left the room
my father said, Mind, girl if You have
anything to say to Frank Stopford, YOU
may die in ditch before shilling OF my
money shall save you
All that day hun. heavily on my hands
longed to see Frank. and wondered il
he would write or send me some token oi
remembrance: but | was doomed to pass
the week without n word of acknowledg
ment At length as time wore on, | con
cluded that pride with him had conquered
lovs, and that / was forgotten; but
wrOnged him bv these thoughts; for, the
morning after my fathers harsh .retusal
he sent me a letter. which was delivered
into my fathers hands, who quietly lock
ed it in his desk, where it lay undisturbeC
for years, until at length | discovered it.
The letter ran thus: My .Jessy l have
? spoken to your father, and can hardl!
wonder that proud of you, as he justly is
, he should have scorned my humble suit
Assured of your love- can trust to time t
overcome his objections; but dearest, h
told me that which, if true, will grieve M
to the heart. He said that his daughte
+ too, would scorn me did she know tina
e her lover. unfriended and poor, truste,
u u only to his own ability and energy. Jessy
J., is it so? Have you already lost faith il
u ME? If not send me one word before
!. 90. that YOU will be true to your promis
t to love, and wait and hope ask no more
= 1t shall not be long before come to CLAIM
d my bride and then, even your father sha
not scorn for his sOn-in-law your fond, d,
voted lover Frank Stopford" This lette
l never received and Frank left our vi
!. lage, with sad and bitter thoughts in hi
). heart, Of the proud village beauty, VIII
' could SO soon plight and break her troll
d The weeks counted from our partin
grew into months, the months into year
and heard nothing from Frank Tw
wears after he left, his aged father diet
!. and his mother went to London to .joi
II her son; 50 all communication betwee
r him and our village ceased Once Lo,
e don newspaper fell into my hands, and
,e read of a trial in which the prisoner WI
p eloquently defended by Mr.. F. Stopfor
u Once, too, saw a notice of q book, of whic
. he was named the author, and the hig