Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-09-08
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WORK VS.. WORTH.
I, What AMI elepant Grill,

",What an elegant girl!'
This was the inward exclamation OF
Harry Stephens, as a gaily dressed young
lady passed by his Office window, one
balmy May morning. Very gracefully
was the mantilla folded about her pretty
person, and very gracefully and d~aintily
her light feet pressed the grayeled side
walk; yet there was an air of haughti-
ness in the carriage of her head, aud in
the fash of her cold blue eyes, which was
not quite SO pleasant to the searching
glance of the Young lawyer.
He had spoken truly. Helen Fowler
was an elegant girl, in face, form and
mind; but, as often happens, that meagre
word elegant described her thoroughly.
Underneath her calm elegance there was
nothing to be unfolded, hower-like. BY
the stnshite of friendship or love. Her
education was elegant; not varied nor
profound. She could speak the-Ftench
language excellently. she could dance
enchantingly, and play gracefully all the
fashionable music OF the day. In man.
ners she vas faultless; in conversation
the %quickhess of her wit generally con.
cealed the shallowness Of her brain. For
her brain was shallow and her heart too;
yet she was an elegant girl, and the only
daughter of the richest man in the -four
fishing village. of Weston.
She had scarcely turned the corner,
when another young form appeared, and
another light footstep sounded beneath
Harry's window. But this figure, though
dressed with neatness and grace, was not
airily robed as that of her h~eiress who
had preceded her, nor did she bear her
sell with such al ar of ~cerScious beauty.
But just as she passed the window she
looked up. and eyes of such deep lowell.
ness met Harry's gaze. that his book fell
from his grasp UNDECIDED. and he watched
her retreating form, until sheswa out of
sight.
Helen Fowler is certainly an elegant
girl" he said, as he paced up a1d down
his Office floor, "hat Agnes Bryan is
something more. Helen is rich, proud
and graceful; Agnes is poor in worldly
wealth. simple in manners. yet rich in
graces of the heart and intellect. Helen
would shine. in the Hottest statiou to
which | could eve attain; Agnes would
be a household angel to the rich man or
the poor man. At which shrine shall |
bow-that of wealth or worth ?"
And leaving him to decide this momen.
tous questf8h, we will inform the reader
that Harry Stephens had lately located
himself in Weston; and being now estab
llshed in business. aud able to have a
home of his own, he was looking about
him in search Of a wife. Two only of he
village girls, had yet found a favored
place in his t%honghts-if the truth were
told a great many were ready to smile
upon him. These two, Helen Fowler and
Agnes Bryan, he had met several times
at the social gathering, of the village. and
he admired both. He called once at the
howse of each, when he was charmed by
the animation and wit of the one, and the
Unaffected sweetness Of the other. Both
received him gralefously, for in the eyes
of both he had found favor. Though one
acknowledged this to herself boldly, the
other felt the admiration~which she would
rot confess. Helen liked him because he
belonged to an arfstoeratic fsnily, and
possessed. a pleasing and polished man
ner; Agnes, in listening to his eloquent
and varied conversation, had discovered
that there was a chord In his soul and in
hers which yrbrated to one and the same
harmony.
After both graceful forms had disap-
peared, Harry suddenly remembered that
ne was invited to a social party that
evening, where he would undoubtedly
meet the two who had lately occupied so
large a space in his thoughts for Helen
Fowler, being the belle of the village,
was always invited, and he knew that
Mrs. Temple, who gave the party, was a
warm friend of Agnes.
Il viii choose tonight" said he.
" whether / shall offer my suit at the feet
of the beautifu' heiress, or at the heart
of the lowly but lovely music teacher"
At night, if Harry Stephens had been
gifted with a pair of magic spectacles.
making brick walls and closed blinds
transparent. he might have seen Helen
Fowler in her dressing room, standing
irresolute amid a profusion Of silks, laces
and jewelry. From one rich robe she
turned to another saying softly to herself:
/" I wish | knew which arc his ~fayorite
eolors. | thought he locked admiriugly
at this purple satin the other eveaieg, but
the pale blue is becoming | must look
as beautiful as I can to night, for when
We were at Mrs. Gray's, he actually talk
ed all hour with that noboty, Agnes
Bry a i. @t
And with the same magic glasses,
Harry might have seen Agnes Bryan
giving the last music lesson of the day
to a stupid pupil, who either did hot, or
would not understand the spirit Of a SIM
pie waltze, which she was practicing. but
persisted in drumming it forth as if it
were a march for the battle field. But