The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1859-05-26
THE WIDOW.
By mrs. ELIZA sIssEE DuTTEY.


Young is neither lonely nor unloved. The
Election that might have bound her to one
family, is divided among many, at whose
homes she is a welcome and expected guest.
As the world speaks, she has herself only to
look out for but she is not satisfied with
this selfish life /; Of no one could il be said
more truly than of her-'she goes about do.
ing good Miss Young is not so much to be
pitied. l think she might rather be envied.
Then do not call her an old maid. She is
a widow" =
"a widow You astonish me ! Yet you
called her Miss"
$50 do. She is widow, nevertheless.
|, who know more of her than most--Nh no
have learned her history from her own lips
know her to be a widow, though call her
Miss, as others do"
"Then there has been romance in her life
something more than those who have al.
ways known her are acquainted with Do
| understand you Alright 7"
"There has been romance in it, though
perhaps not more than very many could re-
count from personal experience yet suffi.
cient to change its current, and make her an
old maid in the belief Of the world, widow
in NINE"
The story I then listened to, OF Miss
Young's girlish days, will now repeat,
substituting my own language for that of the
narr ator.
twenty-five years ago, Lucy Young had
just passed her seventeenth year, and was a
fresh, good looking country girl, whose prin-
cipal personal charms consisted in the glow
and vigor Of health, and cheerful smiles, be-
tokening contented heart, that beautified
her face. "A city belle, with her hot.house
ideas. might have sneered. if Lucy had been
cited to her as model of beauty. Never
theess, Lucy was among the fairest mai.
dens of the little neighborhood in which she
lived. She was belle in her country way,
challenging by her natutal graces-not CO.
quetshly, as the city Miss knows how-the
admiration Of all the beaux for miles around.
She was a farmers daughter, and busy
with the heavy share OF farmhouse work
which was her daily duty to perform. she liv.
ed happily on through Winter and Summer,
ignorant OF the havoc among hearts she was
guilty Of, as her bright eyes, and tull, rich
voice charmed the village swains. Ignorant,
did say She would not have been a wo-
man, il she were ignorant of it all. Nor
must II be d. MED that she sumptimes cit a
womnnish fulerng o the henrt, mny be an
innocent feeling OF eation, which might
have been mistaken as coquett,sh, as some
more daring admirer gave slight token 0! his
preference. -. 1859
There was onr to whom she was not in
different; James HartwelI, neighbours SOM
who had been her boy lover rom the time
when they leaned over the "schoo M 'am's''
lap, side by side, and learned the rudiments
Of education; onwards, when they had walks
to and from school in Summer time, and
when he gallantly assisted her through the
deep snow, upon his sled in Winter; on.
ward, from the innocent time when the hon.
est affection of their boy and girl hearts was
something they did not think of Disgusting;
up, when, as they grew in knowledge and
stature,an learned more of the ways OF the
world, they became more timid and reserv'
ed, though not more cold, till now, when
she, finding herself coming woman's es'
tate, and with the consciousness that child.
ish feelings had passed away, was waiting
coyly to be won; and he, with the newly
Aedged dignity Of manhood, justified by the
appearance of soft down upon his chin,
was eager to WOO her-James Hartwell, oil
all her admirers, could most readily cell q
blush to her cheek, and send happy thrill
| to her heart. ..e
James was, man now, and he had higher
ambition than that Of following his fathers
occupation as tiller of the soil. With in.
cessant labor, his father had acquired lit.
tie money, and so might he in the same pur.
suit; but it was such humdrum life. So
after deliberation in the family, which was
somewhat hastened by the young mans
eagerness, it was decided that the city should
be the place wherein to develope his talents
before he settled in business for himself.
To the city, then, he went but not be-
fore he had claimed and received promise
from Lucy, that she would be his wife at the
expiration of the years of trial, when he was
prepared to enter life for himself.
He went away with a glad heart, strength
ened by the assurance OF her love, and ready
to give battle to thousand imaginary diff.
culties. Lucy remained at home, while the
remembrance of her lover frightened bel
matter.ot.fa life, which was spent in dairy
and culinary duties. James was so noble
and good; SO energetic and persevering.-
He would be sure to succeed. And then,
when he had established q reputation in the
world, he would come back to her. Nor did
she,overrate his powers He was person
sure to succeed; thoughhe found difficulties
whihc when he FIRST set out to seek his for