Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1859-11-11

really committed himself. A young lady
may be deceived once, and, generally spea
king, is taken in the first time; but if she
RECEIVERS from the blow-which most Of them
do-she learns how to play her cards safely
afterward.
There could be no doubt they felt secure,
after what Mr.. Headleng had said what
his intentions were; he was so fervent, so
eloquent, so thoroughly, lnadly in love, it
was such an overwhelming case with him !,
that only one view could be taken of the
subject
Mr.. Headlong was, to be sure, almost a
perfect stranger. having made his appear.
ance in Mr. Beddington's house for the very
first time on that eventful day. But then
their brother Charles. who was in the ''woods
and Forests had for some time been ac-
quainted with him, had spoken of him to
papa as "a rising man, . and on the strength
OF that recommendation, Mr.. Bedd;ngton
had invited him to dinner. What "a rising
man" signifed, none Of the Miss Bedding
tons exactly knew, nor could brother Chas.
who was not distinguished for sagacity, ac-
curately define. He had heard Headlong
say upon one occasion that he hoped Gas well
he might some day to rise in his office J;
and having seen the phrase applied, in a
leader of the Times, to the Hon. member
for Bedford Level, he thought it was just
the expression that suited his friend, and ,
therefore, freely bestowed it on him. Be-
yond this fact, the Miss Beddingtons knew
nothing of Mr.. Headlong's antecedents !;
and it was fortunate for the complexion of
their dreams on the night in question that
they cid not. When they became aware
that 'ssome gentlemen" were expected to
dine that day, one Of whom was deJutant,
and friend of their brother, they merely
dressed themselves with more than ordinary
care-the engaged" as well as the for
saken"- and, waiting till all the guests
were assembled, entered the drawing room
en- anasse, as was their wont, to produce what
eney called ga sensation" At dinner, Mr..
Headlong found himself between Miss Bed
dington Nsabella) and her youngest sister
Emily, Matilda and Charlotte being seated
opposite. One pair Of sisters thus gratifed
his ears, while he feasted with his eyes on
| the other. The effect wrought by this quar-
tette of destructives we have already parti-
/ ally seen. Mr.. Beddington's wine was good
and flowed freely. After dinner, ga few
friends increased the social circle there
was music and singing, and an impronptu
polka. Mrs. Beddington liked young peo-
pie to amuse themselves, and they always
seemed to enjoy thing Of the kind most
/ when there was no preparation, for which
reason her daughters were always prepared.
Mr.. Prettynan had gone down to Cowes,
Gust to bend a new mainsail on the Zephyr"
and make her all right for his nuptial cruise
to the Mediterranean; and the Rev. Paschal
Pyxe was engaged at Saint Zig-zag in con-
struoting rood-loft, with the full approba-
ton Of the Protestant bishop of his diocese
There was nothing, therefore, to prevent
either Miss Beddington or the pious Emily
from. making themselves agreeable to the
stranger, and it would have been a difficult
point to determine which of the four sisters
exerted herself most with that hospitable
purpose in view. M..
Augustus Headlong inherited from The
common ancestor Of mankind that facility of
disposition which opposes no resistance to
temptation. He could not refuse the apple
let who would offer it. Had he met with
less kindness, he had been more discreet ;
but with every new partner he experienced
a fresh sensation; and after every dance,
the tent-room, the small conservatory, the
second library, and, finally, the tigers back,
being severally brought into play. to use a
popularand expressive phrase, she took end
went and did il" leaving two out of the
fair daughters of his host in that state of
excitement which we have spoken Of as the
natural consequence Of a proposal when it
happens unexpectedly, and is not address
ed to a preoccupied heart.
Matilda and Charlotte seddingten were
in this predicament, for the scars of their
early wounds were no longer visible, or, at
the least, were studiously concealed from
the garish eye Of the world and those who
like Augustus, met them for the first time,
felt assured that the plumage of the dove of
innocence within their bosoms had never yet
been rufled by the slightest emotion. But
Augustus found eventually, that even doves
have beaks and claws, like other birds.
TIE breakfast-tabl at the Beddingtons
was a pretty object to look at, less for the
good things that were on it-though they
were numerous than for the pretty things
that surrounded it. The eyofell upon moth
ing but what was agreeable, for NJ. Bed
dington's red nose, the onlv slur on the
beauty of the family, was entirely concealed
from view behind the Times newspaper. He
ste and drank behind it, he listened from
behind lt-imperfoctly, however, for he was
deaf of one ear--and be talked behind it,
uttering now and then words of wisdom,
which he gavo cut as if they were his own,
though all the while he was Indebted for
them to ''our own correspondents. KS he
always put the Times IN. bis pocket when ho
rose from breakfast, the man@uvre was
never detected. Not that there was much
likelihood. Of it in any case, for Mrs. Bed
dington read nothing but the advertisements
Tin the third column, and the births, deaths
and marriages, in the supplement and the
voun g. ladies, if they looked at the paper at
all, studiously avoided everything that sa-
vorod Of politics. Emily, perhaps. was an
exception, for she admitted the interest she
felt in the question whether ''the Holy Fa-
thero intended to return TO Rome. There
had been, too, at one time, little general
excitement about the ''dear Iidnggarians, :
| but that subsidized after seeing few of then
in the Quadrant SO that, on the whole, MIR
u ID. ! I,oJ h;c V1,,,ac prat.v nunh tf