The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1859-02-26

| memory, Wllle lnouSaHuS OF more I'M
portant events which have transpired
since are forgotten. | rccollect the
color of ribbons in her hair, the lool, and
scent of flowers she wore, the precise
aspect Of the rooms in which she sat and
worked or moved about, even in the
minutest detail Sometimes this retro
spection Is misery to me.
/ loved her with my whole boyish
soul. The sound of her girlish voice,
the very rustic OF her dress, affected me
with delicious pleasure which Was half
| pain. | have woke up at night from Il
dclirous dream to sob out her name and
call passionately upon her. l knew, at
the same time, that my passion was IT.
rational and absurd, and that she was
not worthy of it. Belief in the obj
is not necessary to love. A man shall
be well convinced in his heart that no
good can come Of his success, that peace
and happiness do not lie therc-nay,
shall be sure of the moral porversity of
her he worslips-yct shall be ready to
risk life and soul 10 get her.
My brothers. passions was equally We
hement, and he became savagcly jcal-
Gus of Inc. think he had greater faith
in her than I-showed his feelings with
less disguise, and was therefore more
cruelty sportcd with. In wooing CO.
quette-and Katy was born co1uette
he who feels or betrays least emotion
will have most chance OF success for he
can avoid unpleasing manifestation,
while his rival is morbidly sensitive to
every look, word and action-at once
exacting, slavish and rcbelious.
Katy cared for neither of US, but her
tickle tavors were sometimes bestowed
upon me, Il was considered the hand
somer,) though always with an air of
seniority, which her one years differ.
ence in age rendered equally lud crous
and cxasperating. Tormcnted by her
caprice, found a cruel pleasure in aug
Menting Jacks suilerings. Very soon
he hated me with all the strength Of his
fierce, ungovernable nature. She know
it, and unconscious Of the depth aud dan
ger of the feelings excited, triun.phed in
it.
| Of course we made no confdants.
cannot tell how my uncle became en-
| lightened as to the existing state of al
fairs. When that happened, his scorn
of what he considered our Juvenile folly
seemed to intensity his brutality. Goa, Sc
jbcs and singing jccrs alternated with
blows and i'll usage, and were still hsr-
der to bear, for boys are always sensi-
tive III the extreme to ridlculc, especially
On that topic. lie tainted us to cur
faces before strangers, coupled every re-
proach addressed to US with some snccr-
Ing allusion to Katy, gr;nncd at our
presumed jealousy OF one another, and
III a word, made our lives uncomfortable.
He was strong man, or he mig bt have
col'e of with mortal injury in some Of
the furious struggles which cnsued.-
After one of these, Katy, weeping with
rage and yexation, vowed that she would
never speak to us again
That pleased him for time. think
the devil put it into his head to ill-use
her, as he did afterwards. Or it might
have been merely to spite US. have said
that he was more considerable towards her
than others. Now he began to chide, to
strike her. Shall ever forget Witnessing
the first blow! did not wait for tho
second.
! remember going TO her that evening
with some Wild project Of flight which
my brother was to share. QIc had man
Tested such tfenzied rage during her
chastsemcnt that my uncle locked hin
up III an empty room, imprisonins him
for some days.) She cried, but seemed
to think much lighter Of the matter than
| It's influence had already faded from
her variable temperament. Henccforth,
however, she shared our uncle's b.utal-
ty With us. What would have come O!
ths-how far we would have been able
to endure it do not know, had lie re-
Trained from one act. In a fit of sheer
malignancy, he one day took pain
of scissors, and cut of katy's hair. II
was long and beautiful, and she has
been excessively proud oft.
That night, when we had been order.
ed off to bed, there was an expression IL
Jacks face which frightened me. Hc
had bceu unusually taciturn all day
; we never talked much together of late
but this day fewer words than ever pas.
sed between US. | tried to draw hiu
into conversation without success. And
l noticed that he trcmbled very much
when he lay down beside me. 1t was
my uncle's custom to lock us in, bu
this night, of all nights in the year h,
omitted to DO so.
Unable to sleep for long time, l lay
listening to the wind without. 1t was
wild, blusterous night, such a one as
had always exerted an unquiet influence
over he such Il one as | shall now,
mover contemplate without horror, to my
dying day. Sometimes fancy that day
will be its counterpart.) No moon wa.
visible as l looked out of our curtainles,
easement, and rack of heavy black
clouds moved rapidly and continuousl,
athwart the face Of the heavens. The
wind made dismal clamor among the
chimney-pots, and now and then a fierce
dash of rain drove against the window
panes. Fearing to speak to my brother
and as scared and troubled in my mine
as though some evil influence were abroat
Was there not fl lay listening
until from sheer WEAKNESS tumbled, Il.