Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-01-29


what she had written, but never a word cfhis.
There was t0O much love" she said too
much good advice in his letters for ME 10
see and thus the time passed OH, until Wal
ter, who had eutered junior class, was grad
uated with honor, and was about to commence
theological course at AndOver, for he had
made tho ministry his choice.
Walter wHs twcnty-One now, and Cora was
sixteen. WondrousIy beautiful was she to
look upon with her fair young focc, her soft
brown eyes, and wavy hair. And Walter
Beaumont loved her dcvOtcdly believing, too,
that she In turn loved him; for one summer
afternoon, in the green Old woods which
Skirtcd the little village, she had sat down by
his side, and, with the sunbcains glancng
down upon her through the overhangng
boughE she had told him so, and promised
some day to be his wife, Still, she would not
hear of positive engagement; both should
be free to change their mind if they wished,
she said, and with this Walter was satisfied.
q" have no diamonds to give you, darling,
he said. drawing her close to him; and Cora,
knowing to what he referred answered that
his love was dcarcr TO her than all the world
besides" Alas, that woman should he so
tickle! The same train which carried Walter
her daughter q daShing, fashionable woman,
who lived in the city, aud who wished to bring
her sister Cora "out" the coming winter.
"Shc is old enough now," she wrote, "to
be looking for n husband. and of course she'll
never do any thing in that by.place."
This proposition, which accorded exactly
with Mrs. Blanchard's wishes, was joyfully
ncccdcd to by Cora, who, while anticipating
the pleasure which awaited her, had yet no
thought uf proving false to Walter; and in the
letter which she wrote, informing him of her
plan, she assured him Of her unchanging fldcl.
ity, little dreaming that the promise thus
inadc would soon be- broken.
Pvttcd, carcsscd, 0attcrcd and admired MS
Cora was in the circle of her sisters friends,
how could she help growing worldly and vain,
or avoid contrasting the plain, unasSuming
Walter, with the polished and gaiIy dressed
butterflies who thronged Mrs. BartonS draw
ing-roOm? When summer came again, she
did not return to us as VIC had expected, but
we heard Of her at Saratoga and Newport, the
admired Of all admirers, while one, it was said
"a man Of high position and untold wealth.
badc fair TO win the bcautcous belle.
Meantime, her letters to Walter grew short
and far between, ccasing at length altogether;
and one day, during the second winter Of her
residence in the city, | received from her
package containing his miniature, the books
he had given her, and the letters he had writ.
ten her. These she wished me to give him
when next saw him, bidding me tell him to
think no more of one who was not worthy Of
him.
TO be plain, Lottic," she wrote, 81 am en-
gaged and though Mr. Douglas is not n bit like
Walter, lac has got u great deal of money,
drives splendid horses, ant | reckon We shall
get on well enough. wish, though, he was
not so old. You'll be shocked to hear that he
is almost tilly though he looks about .t1,ty!
don't like him MS well as cid Walter, but
after seeing aS much of the world as have,
could not settle down into the wife Of poor
minister. am not good enough, and you tell
him 81. hope he wont feel badly,-poor
Waiter, 1--we kept the lock Of his hair--l
couldn't part with thnt; but Of course, Mr..
Douglas will never see it. Ills hair is Gmy!
Go"d bye"
This was what she wrote, and whtn heard
from her again, she was Cora Douglas, and
hcr feet were trcading the shores OF the old
world, wh'ihcr She had gone o" bridal tour.
In the solitude of his chamber, the young
student learned tho sad news from para
graph in city paper, and bowling his head
upon the table, hc StrOvc to articnlatc =" 1t is
well" but the flesh was weak warning with
the spirit. and the heart which Cora Blanch-
ard had cruelty tramplcd down, clunS to her
still with deatllike londnesS, aud following
her even across the waste waters cried out,
" How can give her up?" But when he re-
mcmbercd, as ere long he did, that twas sin
to love her now, he buried his face in his
hands; and calling on God to help him in his
hour Of need. wcpt such tears aS never again
would full for Cora Blanchard.
Il
The roses in our garden were faded, and
the leaves Of autumn were piled upon the
ground, ere he came to his home again, and I
had an opportunity Of presenting him with
tho package which many months before had
-heen committed 10 my carc.-llis face WAS
very pale, and his voice trcmblcd as he asked
me-
"Whcre is she now?"
"In Italy," answered, adding that her
husband was said to be very wealthy.
Bowling mechanically, he walked away, and
n year and u half went by ere saw him again.
Then he came among us Us u minister. The
old white.harcd pastor, who for SO long II
time had told US Of the Good Shepard and the
better land, was sleeping at last in the quiet
graveyard, and the people had chosen young
Walter Beaumont to fill his place. lie was
splendid looking man, tall, erect, and finely
formed, with most winning manner, and Il
face which bGtOkcncd intellect Of the highest
order. We were proud ofhim, ell ofus, proud
ofour Clergyman, who, on the third Of June,
was to be Ortlaintd in the old brick church,
before whose altar he had years ago been bap-
tiScd smiling infant.
On Thursday afternoon preceding the orlin-
alton large travelling carriage, covered with
dust and laden with trunks, passed slowly
through our village, attracting much attcn-
ton. Seated within it, was a portly, gray
haired man, resting his chin upon gOli.hcnd-
cd cane, and looking CuriOusly out at the peO-
pie in tho street, who stared as curioOsly at
him. Directly opposite him, and languidly
reclining upon the soft cushions, was pale,
proud faced lady, who evidently felt no inter-
est in what was passing around her, for her
eyes were cast down, and her thoughts seemed
busy elsewhere.
was sitting at my chamber window, gnz
ing at them, and just as they drew near the
gate, the lady raised her cycs,-thc soft brown
eyes which once had won the love OF Walter
Beaumont, and in which now there san un-
Mistakcable look of anguish, aS if tho long
cVn Ia ehav .lrOoninrv CIV wCarilv unOn tho rnl-