The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1859-08-30
run CHARMING LITTLE WIDOW

"No sn =, ~, nloy me. especially tonight;
s',, ~ had not Eaiery, should oe Oh, LOT !
p pa. III az Weliers fears Of 'vidcrs' LOOK
on them as mos. aesr IS sIs-. re.dv tears for
w .Sssr daparted, II l should lose my
enses 40 far to marry one, nope she q,
isas, had the honor Of having her first husband
hang. as bellows that would prevent nus
virtues being brought up in comparison Win
s.is, ha, laughed Eliery. "Aii this TRADE
against widows drawn forth by my Iuckiess
.nyitatioa But you are entirely too yerdant,
NV friead. the subject. 1 Will Der you
something handsome that You will fail IN love
with widow yet But, good evening" l mus
% and make myself Killing LOT pss,os ss.,. -,
widow, there will be lots Of pretty girls AZ
Mrs Emp,on's Tonight and always, LOT the
honor OF the 'bu,tons,' look handsome
This conversation was held at shiriey
Ram where he was sittiag, laZity iinpfofis-
ing on the guita. when Eiiery gave the insi-
talon. Though not woman-ha rs ms
friead had stated, yet II ON his retirihg napns
he did not seek the society OIL LADIES. W men
recessed from official duty, he preferred en-
l1ying himself with books, music, ana MAZE
friends. and thus induced some Of his brother
officers 10 bestow upon him the coghomeh vi
woman hater."
inquired Mrs. Martin Of Eilery. II must
confess that have quite curiosity 10 pehoid
Lieutenant Shirley, after all you nave oeen
telling me Of MIN"
~ regret exceedingly not being able to re-
deem NV PROMISE" he replied; "but prior
engagement prevented me from doing SO. nov
do wish you would sAter Into niue pio u.a y,
mine against him for week OF SO. DAY yo''
like the childs bargain, before l tell you.
aNo. excuse me- Mr.. Eilery, l shall 90 no
such Thing Tell me, what is your plot
"Teii me, too, Mr. Eiiery," SAID youhs no,
of about twenty, who approached, and whSse
merry eye betokened Kindred spirit 10 his
owuEatelI me, too, and will answer for IL
that sister Juiette eniers heart ana souI III "
49, hoy m "a
II shall be a thousand fold indebted 10 you,
Miss Jeanne," said Eilery. "Weil, now lot
nv plot, or rather the outline OF II, II you WIZ
accept my arm TO lead you 70 that cosy sea-
for / must confess l should ike soihe "''''''''
wit 10 perfect my ideas" .,o. .,r
"None of your plots and conspiracies TOT
me I'll have none of them, SAID Mrs W
tin the widow, she left them 10 ooey NJ
aunt,s previous request for music, ana "heIe
we must leave her, seated az tiie Iihe - ~
piano discoursing most excellent niusIc, en-
holding her audience enthraiieo as a ~ m,ssir
As for Eiiery and JEANNE they had ilo nus,
in their souls''-aI least for the time, anu w.t.
therefore better fitted for "treasohs, stIau'-
gems" and plots; in when we iea'e 'iieN' q"
gagged. o T,1i.,ta
Martin. you, like EIlery, would have called
her a .'bewi tching creature" Her aeiicate
form large, beautiful eye, OF llSht haZei, neI
brown hair nearly approaching ilaxeh, neeaed
not the cherry Juth, nor complexion ike the
sunny side of peach, to set her down at once
AS a beauty. Then her manner, TOO, was so
soft SO insinuating, that you could not choose
but To love her. She had married, at her ia
theirs command, u man whom she highly es-
teemed. ii she did not love him with young
girls romantic furore, ana whose sudden
death had left her with an infant daughter,
and a competency, alone in the world. at the
early age Of twenty lone. Many offers OF mar
rage had already been refused by her, al
though she never asserted she did not intend
marrying again
JEANNE Martin. her hu .band's young sister,
was now on a visit to her; she resided with
her aunt, Mrs. Empton, and from her gay,
cheerful disposition, had rendered herself
fayorite with every one OF their social cir-
Gle.
The plot discovered by Eilery was not en-
tirely revealed by JEANNE to her slster-ln-law
at bed time; although she obtained from her
the somewhat reluctant promise OF allowing
her to personate the widow for few days, the
farce Beginning the next morning with an e1-
eursion planned to the country.
IL do not ask you TO fb sister } uliette, sald
the merry girl, s'only not to unmask me. L
wish 10 tease that young fellow, somehow OF
other, for pretty little speech OF his that has
come to my ears!'
"Bat will not lend my aid in the least ii
any one Will be injured by pour frolte,' said
Mrs. Martin.
II beg you not to frighten yourself in the
slightest" returned JEANNE. No one, as
sure you can be harmed
"WelI only for a few days, JEANNE. think,
however You should let me into the secret,
mo! no! bide-a-wee," said JEANNE. I" i
will promise you merry laugh one Of these
days for its use"
Thus ended their conversation. The next
morning Ellery came before breakfast, to beg
leave to bring friend to take the fourth seat
in their carriage, which was the more readily
granted as Mrs. Empton had already started
with little Annie Martin and the ntials to
where the pic mic was to take place. Dear old
Mrs Einpton she was certainly the incest
old lady on earth for n picnic; always ready
10 attend to that most necessary part, the seat
ings;" but withal, so deaf, that never word
of anything did she hear unless shouted
through her ear trumpet
About ten of the ladies were awaiting their
beanx Ellery soon arrived, and oh, ''mira-
bile dictu!" accompanied by Shirley, whom,
by some powerful eloquence, he had dressed
into the service. In the hurry of setting out,
and msled also by Ellery's description, 1t is
not to be wondered at if he mistook JEANNE
for the widow; whilst the giriish looking
blonde answered his own idea of Miss Martin.
lie therefore, true TO his prejudice, left to FL
lery to task Of entertaining her-the widow
with the merry black eye--whilst he was
himself enjoying the bewitching smiles and
sweet-toned warbling of his tair vis-a-yis, Ju-
liet,e.
'"I am sorry that we can only offer you such
poor fare, for your first dinner party with us.
Mr.. Shirley" said JEANNE, in her assumed
character; but hearty welcome and our
company IL the extent you must expect"
This, of course, brought forth polite dis
ciaimer from the gen tleman and with more
truth than the generality of such speeches, for
in the mile over which they had already passed
he began to think the widows sister, at least
was particularly interesting Al this crisis
the sudden stoppage of the carriage and the
hurried exclamation from the driver of ''open
the door, Mr.. EIlery; quick, please, and let the
ladies out! showed that something was amiss
The widow screamed as she chung to Eliery's
arm and even al that time of danger Shirley
could aot but admire the calmness of the beau
tiful Juliette, for SO he had heard her called
as che endeayored to soothe her sister
IT was found that one of the horses had got
his foot over the trace, and was already rear
ing and plunging so rs to make the carriage
very unsafe After some trouble, they sue.
ceeded in extricating him; but both the
horses continued very unruly, the ladies pro-
posed walking TO their destination. So, forth
they set, en- route; The widow, pro tenn, on the
arm Of Ellery, and Juiiette following with
Shirley, chatting and laughing.
Insensibly Shirleys conversation with his
fair companions took a deeper tone, for their
path led through thick forest where the tall,
stately trees, like the pillars in some old hal
lowed minister, shed their peculiar fragrance
on every passing breeze that swept through
their shade. Eiiery and his lady were far
ahead. Shirley felt surprised at himself at
feeling such atender sentiment springing from
his heart for the fair young creature leaning
forest
slow glad am soliIoou ized he. shat the
widow did net fasten herself ON me- instead
OF her enchanting sister; for, Joking aside |
they are always SO exacting, and by no means |
dependent. There is certainly ar, exouisste
charm in the tinid reserve Of this fair 1a,ia,,a
Methinks shall begin to play the Romaa is |
very truth; for wish even now tha, ,ns..h,
BE- glove Upon that hand. SO that could Kiss
gs Aud Jniieite, 10 Judge from the bright sr,,.
dimpling her soft cheeks, and the interas,ss
look hich she turned upon his face ever ana
don, was equally well pleased with her es-
U6rt What 4 delightful listener he found her, |
He fvit so pleased with her-wifh himsalf