The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1859-02-12
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA.

she had ever had as--. Well, no matter,
''Miss Cyuthia1' said Frank, "when a
man loves woman, rs have long loved
you, he singles her out from the whole
world as his representative of womanhood;
and there is that in her before which lie bow
down, doing homage to the woman's nature
within her. But this does not imply uncou-
seriousness Of her faults. He may see where
she comes short Of her own capability.-
And that marriage is true union in which
the husband, up to whom she looks, and on
whom she should lean, strengthens her bet
ter in its struggle against her worse ma
ture."
They were walking towards the homestead,
and walking fast. Cynthia was angry, dis
turbed, mortified. Was this time to dwell
upon her faults? She admitted that she
had some. Vague confession! by no means
implying that Cynthia knew that, at that
moment, she was proud, vain, iDsincere,
and petulant, and that she was crushing
down the better feelings of her heart to
give the victory within her to the worst. If
Handy wanted her, she thought, he might
WOO her with more respect to her pretensions.
And he should WOO her. If he loved her as
he said he did, she knew her power was
great. He should bring his homage not
coldly to the womanhood within her, but to
herself-to Cynthia Susan Simpson, in spite
OF the full display of all her faults, and even
| in opposition to his better reason. She
was not to be defrauded of her triumph /;
| and it would be a great one, indeed, if
she forced him, by her faults themselves, to
surrender at discretion.
They reached the steps over the stone
fence which led on to the highway. In
their path lay disabled grAsshopper.-
Frank set his foot on it and crushed it firm.
ly. "Nliss CYNTHIA" said he, STEW women
have the courage to treat rejected suitors
thus. 1t is the true humanity"
lie helped her over the steps, and paused.
He took the hop-wreath carefully from his
arm, and gave it into her hands. She took
it, crushed some Of the green blossoms
She would have treated him with more
courtesy chad Frank but known III If she
had been entirely Indifferent to his udmira.
ton.
"Miss Cynthia" said he, now in grave
and measured tone. which, in spite Of her
self, impressed with sense of the power
lessness Of her little arts when brought into
conflict with his self possession and sinceri-
ty," know very we'll how you have dealt
by many men. and nm not disposed to fall
into the ranks, and take my chance among
your many other patient sutors. 1t is true,
that the wound which you infct on me,
will leave its scar for life; but cannot
make my self-respect an Offering even to
you. And if you have the feelings of true
noblencss, which always fancied discern
ed in you, you would respect me, esteem me,
love me less, for suchla sacrifice. shall
never offer myself again TO you" Cynthia
started. Slight and rapid as her movement
was, he saw it, and repeated, 81 shall never
offer myself again to you; and leave this
place tomorrow, never to return to it, till
have subdued this love for YOU. TO night
shall be at the wedding. am groomsman to
Seth Taggart, and shall stand up with you.
| am going home to consider fully what has
passed, to convince myself, if can calmly,
whether my love for you has been an error
in my life, for which my Judgment is re-
spousibie. nr only its misfortune: whether
the Cynthia have loved is really capable,
rs have dreamed, Of scattering the clouds
that dim her beauty, and shining forth in
her sweet 1ueenllness upon the lonely dark
ness Of the man who can teach her what it
is to love. do not know what shall think.
To-day has shaken my confidence in you.-I
As said before. shall make you no fur
ther offer: but, if | make up my mind to re-
new the one have Just made you, shall say
Snip. during the evening; and, if you an
swer Snap. shall understand it is favora-
bly, received by you. "Mind," he added,
81 think it doubtful whether. notwithstand-
ing my love for you, shall think it right to
say it. nm going into the field to 'medi-
tate till eventide' upon my course, and
may bring back the conviction. that for the
present rejection of my suit ought to be
much obliged to you. Nor shall say Snip!
more than once. In this uncertainty leave
the matter to your considerations"
"What impertinence!' thought Cynthia.
81 never heard of such n thing" And she
began to cry, standing alone upon TIE high
way, holding her hop wreath in her hand.
81 don't know what had better do. |
wish he had taken some other way of
speaking to me. Oh! why should he be so
very unkind. don't care. 1t is his loss
a'great deal more than mine, if he is really
in love with me.''
The evil spirit was coming hack, and it
whispered, ''IIc will certainly say Snip!
but you had better not say Snap! too
readily"
She walked on thinking, imagining a
triumph, when suddenly the thought came
to her. that she was confessing to herself
she wanted to sny Snap!-anL why? 1t
was not possible that the tables of her pride
were turned upon her; that she was in Frank
Handy's power, to refuse or to take; that
she loved himl 81 don't care for him ut
al" was the suggestion of the bad angel.
81 only want to teach him for the future to
behave. lie is presuming, exacting, self
conceitcd fellow"
"Have you ever, in the course of your
experience, said the good angel, ''seen any
other nun like Frank? Has not the con-
versation Of this very day raised him high in
your estecm-which is-which must be
that is, he stands before you in light in
which no other man has ever stood be-
fore?''
81 don't believe he loves me-" said her
perverse heart, "or else he would have taken
a great. deal more pains to win me-"
"Ah!" said the good angel, "what better
love can n man give, than that which sees
your faults and strengthens you against
them? True, he has set his ideal of woman
hood so gh that you do not come up to it:
but he sees in you capabilities for good
beyond those of other women, though to
the height Of your capabilities you have
never attained"
"Oh! shall be n worse woman, and an
unhappy woman, If do not love Frank
Handy, and if Frank Handy does not love
me-" said her heart, now turning to its bet
ter instincts, ns she threw herself upon her
little white, dimity- covered bed, in her own
chamber, and, shutting out the light from
her eyes, thought what life would be if
Frank never said Snip!-Frnnk, who was
even then walking in the fields, trying to
think all the harm he could of her.
Here she lay, and cried, and disquieted
herself in vain. And she thought over all
the good she had ever heard of Frank Handy,
neutrality-suspicious. though it seemed to
her he had the good word and good opin-
ion of every man who knew him, no one
had ever quite seemed to appreciate him to
his full value. Perhaps he had never shown
his inmost heart to other people rs he had
to her. Her wounded feeling seized upon
the balm che found in such thought
Frank was not n man to nut forth his nre-