Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1859-08-18

yhats the matter! Tor Atfreds face Wort
snything but rapturous expression.
why, was think;ng-thst is, 70,
know, I have no professiou, and my moihe
nothiag bot her annuity. and don't se'
how
That will do. Mr.. Binks, understan
you perfectly. release you from your en-
eagement, and have the honor to wish yo'
4 very good morning. and with low cour
tesy, Miss Amy left the bewiIdered you'll
standing. and marched back to the hous,
not little indienant-though truth com
pels US to say. she was not very sorry.
.He's not so ugly, after aIl,' she thought
glsncing slyly at Mr.. Arnot, and he's ire
eomse Il tast-but I'm shure he's conceited
must take that ont Of him.
Could il be psssibIe that M. Assot divin
ed her kind attentions, or was that mis-
ehievous smile habitual: Amy suspecte.
him strongly, but he laughs best whs
| laughs last she muttered, and sudderl,
our cspricious. childish. impert,nent little
Amy, was transformed into gentle tiny
creature, who appealed to Mr.. Arnot and
looked down sideways through ber curls
and bIushed and was confused.
o, woman! womsnI surely you had the
larger half of the apple. Here was . gin
of eighteen, country bred, carefully and re.
ligiousiy trained. and the most thoroughly
ed watering place belle could not have
surpassed her in the arts by which she lured
on George Arnot to 4 declaration; or the
pretty affectation Of surprise with which
she received it.
She was SO sorry, She hadn't the least
idear but the Aimsey ft lseheod died away or
her lips, - George Arnot arose, and looked
into the very depth of her soul with his
clear, honest eyes.
Amy he said sadly, Il am grieved, not
30 much at your rejection-though you
have found way to make me love you-as
ut the discovery of your unwor:hiness. ]
know you were careless, childish, and (par.
don mel somewhat selfish, but I thought
you more noble. have been mistaken in
you.'
Amy sat like one thunderstruck. This
was her triumph, the way in which she had
taken the coneeit out of him. Childish
selfish that was true. When had she
ever thought Of anything, except the graft
fica,ion of her own whims. He spoke Of
her unworthiuess. Whas it, then, so con-
temptible to use every art to attract the
notice of mani To feign a passion that q
modest girl instinctively tried to conceal
to surprise the secret Of an honest heart
with soft words and softer looks. only to
ridicule and scorn it. Was that worthy
sdabitionl What was a noble woman!-
Were there any higher pursuits in life than
Pstty nFftdtidns, ne s15aaiess Of shssf s1sks
and the most trivial of maneuvres! Was
it quite sufficient to have pink and white
cheeks, blue eyes and golden hair,
Amy ponderea long and deeply. snd the
result of her cogitations was, to confound
Aunt Hester by asking her tor something
to do. That lady could scarcely believe her
ears.
Something to do. Why whats come
over you, If gave you come work You
would not stay at il FIVE minutes
81 don't want housework, Aunt Hester.
Phoebe and Jane can do that better than l.,
.uy day. But are there no poor persons,
no sick or distressed in the neigt borh bod.
want to do good; to live to some pur-
pose.'
.Poer persons! Bless you. there's 4
plenty of them. Whe ever heard Of place
where there ~asn't-though they do say
there was none in the days of Soloman.-
There's old Mrs. Pritehsrd laid up with the
rheumatism, and widow Blanchard-with
three young children, aad nothing to clothe
them with-and there's q school wanted for
the children, and-5ut there's enough for
once. Ifyou sre in earnest, you will soon
fird plenty to do
ANY was 10 earnest, and ere long she
realized the truth of Aunt Hesier's words.
On every side her newly-awakened moral
sight found something to occupy her. She
had commenced from secret desire to meri,
the approval of George Arnot; she perse.
.ered because she found in so doing source
of true pleasure; persevered. though heI
path was by no means one of roses. When
she found n one house drunken mother
and screaming chilGren-in another, the
oots,oes in the middle Of the bed, on the
tsble, unwsshed dishes, half eaten loaf
of bread, and some ribs Of fpork-ihe delicate
seesibilities, the thin skinned refinement VI
which she had 90 long prided herself, wer'
immeasursbly outraged. When the children
| in her little school were rude, disobedient
and dirty. she found it difficult not to relin
ish ber undertaking. Society. too thai
monitor: that dread incubus on every goo'
and charitable nderiaken-begsn to bur,
itself with her movements. sShe was try
|. ing to gain influence in the church 'Sh'
was canvassing votes fu her cousin. wh'
. as to run at the next election She wa
setting her cap for the minister
This last explanation was that of on
Miss lane Slo:um, to whom Mr.. Arnot ha
Of late paie some attention, and was I'D
/ dressed to that gentleman at one of thes
female orgies called sewing societies.
Then she won't get him. joined in Mis-
Prim-a sour maiden lady, who owes
/, ANY no good will-'every one in the villng
| Knows of her carrying on, and it won't be
/ few old dresses and sixpences that viii
/, change folks minds.
. Il guess she's getting tired already sal
MIA SIocum. 4 asked her to come to ou
b meetings; and she said she didn't like scanda
and Hyson.' .,s,
i Mr.. Arnot listened in perfect silence.-
o Whatever the color of his play, he did no
(, choose to display. It was long time sine