St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1859-05-26
NUMBER 2l.

she would talk" said my mother.
" You must be hypercritical if Miss
Lcnnox's style of conversation does
not please You"
" l had not formed any very definite
idea on the subject, only under foolish
fancies of what such beautiful crea-
ture would probably say, but have
certainly no right to criticise Miss
Lennox, for am sure could not talk
like her. replied Helen.
| fastened to turn the conversation,
though somewhat vexed and disap-
pointed, TO find Helen's Judgment, or
rather feeling, differed so much from
my own with regard to Ida did not
like the sharp and unkind tone which
my mother used towards her. And
now the Lennox's were the order of
the day we had walking parties, rid
ing excursions, moonlight boatings,
pic-nics in constant succession. Ida
soon attracted a youthful and fashiona-
bic society around her, and | was
more than ever intoxicated at the
sweet incense of tiattery which this
"cynosure of all eyes offered on the
shrine of my vanity. began to imag-
inc myself very much in love with
her, and this delusion was tostcred by
my mothers continually speaking of
Ida as the only person she had ever
seen whom she considered at all a
match for me- The prize was high
enough for me to aim at
Helen and | had been much less to-
gether since this Lennox fever than
formerly she did not often attend
our parties, and | saw plainly, to use
a common but expressive phrase, that
Ida and herself did not take to each
other
Though Helen never offered any
criticism upon Miss Lennox, felt q
want, loss which diminished my hap
piness, but did not ascribc it to
the interruption of my intercourse
with Helen. l thought sometimes
too, that she was colder, more dis
tant in her manner towards me
than she used TO be, but there was
nothing in her conduct of which |
could have complained, even had l
been disposed to do so.
A tritiing incident occurred about
this time which might have shown
me that such love as | was capable Of
feeling belonged to Helen but was
not in the habit of allowing myself to
make disagreeable discoveries in that
hidden region-my own heart. was
finishing copy of verses for ldas al
bum, after having made six unsuccess.
full attempts, when my attention was
diverted by the joyous sound of Hell
ems laugh, evidently excited by some
speech James had made. They were
sitting Il little apart, at a table upon
which Heleu's working materials lay,
and she was engaged in mending
pair of gloves for James. l looked
up; the picture did not please me.
though it certainly was one upon
which an indifferent spectator might
have looked with pleasure, and my
dissatisfaction was increased by my
mothers saying, "Do you know |
think Helen and James would suit
each other exactly, and though Heleu's
fortune is so moderate, | should not
object to her as wife for James. He
never aimed high, poor fellow, and
never will a good humored, cheerful
wife, with an average proportion Of
beauty and education, would be quite
enough to make him happy. He could
not appreciate an Ida Lennox, but
Helen Grey would suit him exactly
If my mother had studied for week
to make speech which should annoy
and provoke me to the greatest possi-
BILE degree, she could not have sue
cceded better felt my face flush
deeply with vexation, as | replied,
"To me the idea seems simply abb
surd, begging your pardon, mother.
In the first place, | have never OBJ
served that either OF them seemed in
love with the other in the next, | am
far from thinking it would be suita.
bic match, and You appear to take it
for granted that Helen would marry
james if he wished it 3: cannot imag-
inc upon what grounds you think So"
My mother looked at me for mo-
ment with surprise she saw | was
veXcd, and was at loss to guess
why, but glancing at the verses | had
been writing, saw that she thought
| was annoyed at being interrupted in
the tervor of composition, by a subject
that did not interest me at all. She
only said, as if to end the matter, " 1t
was rather u random thought that
came into my head, and though | see
no absurdity in it, still acknowledge
that have no very strong grounds
for the opinion | expressed
did not pursue the conversation
| had an uneasy consciousness that
was feeling and betrayinG more vexa-
tion upon the subject than was at all
consistent with my devotion to Ida.
felt dissatisfied, miserable, vexcd
with myself and every one else, and
closing the album, walked out to ono
of my favorite haunts to compose my
self did not wish to love Ida Len
nox, but with all the ingenious sophis.
try could use, could scarcely dis
guise from myself that my wishes and
intentions by no means correspond
with the facts. To offer Helen my
! iiultNl, "OuIb y DStli - W
my aims which l was not capable of
making, even had been sure of her
acceptance but to me the risk OF be-
ing rejected for James, the very idea
was humiliating. And now a hundred
! little circumstances rushed on my
memory, confirming the idea that Hell
en- and James loved each other at
Z ,,f4 ,,nvn,A-r,Ilx, ,Nn,nf,n
conflicts of feeling, returned. calmer
if not happier than when ! left the
house. found my mother in state
of great excitement ; our neighbor.
Mrs. Stanley, who always possessed
the latest intelligence, had just called
and told her that the famous Mr.. Riv.
ers, of whom we had all heard, had
arrived at Lennox Hall the day before.
This Mr.. Rivers was Miss Lennox's