The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1859-12-07
THE UNKNOWN,
Or
MYrFIT OF JEAL0U UsY ;
BY MARY O. yAdHS.

aud some odd minutes, had been deSperatel
in love with her. We had been betrothed fou
weeks, and were to be-were to have been
married in four more.
From all this it will be inferred that it wa
q case of love at first sight, and that we-l, a
least was more inpatient than prudent.
Ireally did love Fanny, and believed that
had never loved before, though | lad scores
6itet do,r, and piles Of curls and tresseS OF hai
of every shade. the gifts of former flames, lyinl
that moment in drawer at home. There wer'
two or three miniatures there also, but nont
that pictured such sparkling eyes, such ravish
ing smile as Fanny Embree's.
1t was wstering-plac that we met. M
Springs was not enc Of the fashionable summer
resorts, where huge caravansaries are every
summer Allied by gay throng, whose sole OBJ
iect is to dress, firt. dance, set matrimonial
springs for the unwary Of either sex who chance
to be wsll-endowed by fortune or beauty, and
to ward off too pal pable maneuvers and attacks
lin word, to see and to be seen, to kill time
and waste money. No; it was quiet little
nook, where, beside a still, deep river, some
springs bubbed out Of the earth that possessed
rare healing qualities; and it was chiefly resort
ed to by invalids seeking health for more than
pleasure.
Fanny Embree came thither with her parents,
who, neither of them in vigorous health, drank
the waters as a specific, and, with the SELFISH
ness of elderly parents and invads, kept Fan
ny beside them for companion, reader or nurse,
as they required her services without consider
ing that her bright youth camored for gayer
lie
This was how Fanny Embree came to Nj
Springs that summer; but very different was
the cause that led me, Frederick Owen, com
monty known as Fred Owen, to seek that ru-
raj, and, sooth to say, somewhat dull retreat
/ had rochetted all winter, negecting my pro-
fession. But in the spring an important suit
came on; my uncle, whose partner / was fell
i'll, and all the labor and heavy strain Of anxiety
came upon me. It was season Of perllous ex
citement, but carried it through, and when
all was over and | knew that had triumphed,
even while the congratulations ofmy friends
were ringing in my ears, | felt a strange indif
ference steal over me-a dumb, dead feeling, as
if nor that nor any other victory or gain the
world had to offer, was worth the trouble ofac
cepting or caring for.
could not then interpret this, but its mean
ing was made obvious enough in the days that
followed, when lay stretched upon my sofa
unable to rise, wondering what chained me
there, because I felt no pain, and could not
therefore, be i'll. But the doctors talked of a
great mental strain, Of an over-tasked nervous
system, and prescribed absolute rest, freedom
from thought and care and seclusion from all
the excitements Of society.
When the warm weather came they told me
that must go into the country, and as needed
quiet, still NJ Springs was the very place
for me. This was how | came to be at this lit
tie watering place. among the valetudinarians,
that summer.
grew strong and we'll ere long, and very
soon should have turned my back uron NJ
and all sick people, and its waters that tasted
Of suit and sulphur, but for Fanny Embree. I
believe was coxcomb enough at first, to think
I was staying there merely on her account
'poor girl she would be Sc lonely when left
but when I decided one day to pack my
trunks and take place in the early stage next
morning, I found that was even more reluc-
tant to 20 than Fancy had ever seemed to part
with me, when had talked Of my departure
The resul. was that stayed, and the next
morning took an early walk with Fanny, and
from the door Of the hotel was holding her
little hand that futtered like an imprisoned bird
in mine, and listening for an answer to that
most momentous Of all questionS-"Wil you
marry me?" After that morning had no de-
sire to leave NJ.
Fanny ana were just as happy as the poets
say us lovers should be. Nobody opposed our
love, which was our only cause for regret. The
affair was little-just q llttle--too tame, but
then everything was so tame at M that
we just fell into the spirit Of the place, and were
quite satisfied that our true love should run
smooth. helped Fanny in her attendance up
on her parents, read speeches and politics and
war news to the old gentleman, hunted the old
lady's spectacles when she lost them, which was
about ten times daily tied handkerchief just
lightly over her cap, and arranged her pillows
with the proper elevation when she lay down
upon the sofa for her afternoon nap. All this
gave mo more time with Fanny, and placed me
very high in the estimation Of her parents
We are going on swimmingly. We were the
only young people at NJ, and had no one to
interrupt our Iove-making, the vinegar aspect of
certain decayed individuals ot both genders on
ly serving to give slight zest, an agreeable
acidity, to draught ofliie that might else have
been too sweet
How long this pleasant courtship might have
gone on uninterrupted, it is certainly impossi-
BILE to say, alwas providing for the natural and
expected termination Of marriage. But we,
like all of Adams fallen race, were foredoomed
to trouble.
had been out fishing one day; from early
morning till evening. When turned waited
only to improve my disposition by slight sup
per, and my outer man by certain ablutions and
clean, cool garments, ere hastened to meet
Fanny. saw papa and mamma Embree todd
ling toward the spring, from my window, and
congratulated myself upon clear halfhour of
uninterrupted talk with Fanny before they