Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1860-01-26

tlngu sUeu JOHh' Hhu Hot OteH W tHe
house fifteen minutes, before they had all
told me how muth they considered them
selves Hattered at receiving a visit from one
who had rendered the name of Brown fam.
GUS; haw happy they were at having the
honor OF the race upheld by so distinguish
ed parsonage.
OF course. was infinitely obliged to
them, and having expressed my obligations,
I asked Uncle James what were his propec,s
for good crop Of potatoes. Potatoes, he
said, were fair, very fair; but sometimes he
wished he had not followed farming-it was
a "hard row" any way. He had always
thought he d like TO get his living by his
brain, rather than his hands. For instance,
he remarked, by writing poetry.
(Alas! for my portly uncle's two hundred
weight, avoirdupeis, in that case, thought
~ ~.
1t was a fine thing, my uncle said, to be
called poet There goes James Streeter.
the poet sounded much better than, there
goes james Streeter. the farmer Aunt
Betsy agreed with him perfectly; nay, she
went a step farther, and informed me that
she had, in her youthful days, decided tai.
ent Tor poetry; she had written five verses
on the death Of a tame crow, fully equal TO
Poe's Raven, competent judges said. l her
genius had but been cultivated, she thought
| it very probable that, in time, she might
have rivaled Hemans, and perhaps, Byron.
Cousin Nelly said. demurely, that she had
inherited something Of her mothers pecui-
srity-she could make rhymes for heart, DART
June, moon, etc. Aunt Betsy asked Lucy
Green, il she had never felt something Of
the divine afflatus,' and Lucy said-no, she
did not care for poetry, as a general thing
This original remark coming from young
lody, caused me to look at Lucy intently;
and soon came to tho conclusion thst she
was neither plain, nor unintellectua She
was ruther pet,ic; with pale, interesting
face, lighted by large brown eyes, and fra
med in soft brown hair.
After tea, Cousin Nelly brought me her
album, and asked me 10 be so kind as to pen
Il lew lines therein, verse she would prefer
| inced, and thought OF my resolution not
| to touch a pen during my stay; then look
ed back at Nelly's sniling, rosy lace and
the eyes, and The blue eye. won. carried
the book to my chamber, and avaiing N.Y.
relf a black crayon, which happened TO have
been lett in my coat pocket, Ieh my auto
graph on pink leuf, under half dozen
lines OF Indifferent verse.
went to bed that gh, with my hopes
Of content a little Jarkened; had promis-
ed myself TO wash my hands clean of all
scrbbIing during my stay in Wheatwo!d. ]
was in fair way to keep 10 my purpose,
surely!
After breakfast, the next morning, was
just putting On my hat tor an easy walk.
when there was a gentle little knock at the
front door, and directly two ladies were
ushered into the sitting room. Cousin Nelly
presented me TO them-they were Miss
Jerusha iIurtwell aud her friend, Mrs. GruH
| Olson Newell. Both had called to see Cousin
John.
Miss Hartwell was the poetess Of the
place; distinguished contributor of the
Weekly Luminary,' and the Saturday Star
! Mrs. Newell was her conf liant, to whom all
her poems were read by Miss H. before be.
ing offered to her publishers. This | was
told bv the poetess, TO prevent any misap
prehenson OF Mrs. Newell's motives for
calling.
Miss Hartwell was tall, angular lady of
forty ve;--she was quite portlyi wore false
curls, and had pair of very red cheeks.
She had heard Of Mr.. Browns arrival, she
said, and had haslened TO pay her respects
to him; she had long felt acquainted with
the talent ed author OF 'Cavendlsh,' 'Ellwoot
Grange etc. She had read my poems with
tears 10 her eyes--tears of sympathy with
their sweet sadness ,-and mourniul refrain
of despair.
apologized for having been so unmerci.
fn as to have caused lady to shed tears;
she replied, with tragicul wave of the hand
that she loved the sensation of tender mel.
ancholy.
Forthwith she prodiced bundle--Q had
doticed, with fear aud trembling, that she
carried something under her wl)--which
she deposited in my hands. 1t was an album
"a treasury of some Of her dearest friends
choicest thoughts; would be 50 kind as TO
leave few Of my sentiments on leaftherel
What could dol. II would be exceeding
ly ungallant to decline the request OF q
sister in authorship, and | accepted the
abominable recovered book with my best
bow. i3
This brought up Mrs. Newell. She emer.
ged from her corner OF the sofa, and, to my
dsmay, | srw that she. too, carried bundle
Goodness, thought |, another album! But
no; it was book OF autographs; she wish
ed to count Mr.. Browns among her collcc
tion, and il Mr.. Brown would be so conde'
scending, would he please to write half 4
dozen times his famous name; Mrs. Peter
: Smith, and Mrs. John Jones, and Mrs
Samuel Robinson, and others, would like t.
1 have a specimen of MIR. Browns chiro
graphy.
Mr.. Brown, Of course, was excessive ly
overcome; he placed his hand OH his heart
and assured the lady that the Thing should
! be done. And having received and accept
ed an invitation TO take tea with Mss Hart
well, the succeeding day. Mr.. Brown bowet
the ladies' down the front door-steps, out OF
the gravelwa!k, and through the gate.
Il Scarcely had my late visitors disappeared