, 1860-05-11

]
without result. Next day, another note
from the lady, sent in from the country, ex-
pressing IAN unalterable determination new
er again to listen to bis suit, and requesting
that the subject might never be renewed" !"
Late in the evening of the same day, on re-
turning to his lodgings, the vice president
learned that boy had been three times
that afternoon to deliver message to him,
but had refused TO say from whom it came
At last Col. Burr's servant had traced the
boy to the town residence of Celeste
Early next morning the message came; Ce-
leste requested an interview. PoSt-haste
the vice president hed to the presence of
his beloved. He found her engaged with
visitor, but observed that she was agita-
ted upon his entrance, and impatient for
the departure Of her guest. At length
they were alone, and he waited for her to
state her reasons for desiring to see him
With extreme embarrassment she stam-
mered out, after several vain attempts to
speak, she feared her note had not been
couched in terms sufficiently polite, and she
had therefore wished for an opportunity to-
apologize. She could utter no more. He
expecting no such matter, stared in dumb
astOniShment, with an absurd half grin up
on his cOuntenance. As she sat deeply en-
gagged in tearing to pieces some roses, and
he in pinching in the rim Of his hat, she all
bushes aud confusion, he confounded and
speechless, the pair, he afterward thought,
would have made a capital subject for a
painter. lie was the first to recover pow
or to articulate. Denying roundly that the
fatal notc was any thing but polite and
proper, he offered to return it, proposed
that il should be considered Cancelled, and
begged to he allowed to call the next morn
ing, and renew the suit. To this she OBJ.
jected, but family. Waving Hsrequest for
a formal permission, he changed the sub
jcct, and, after an hours not unpleasant
conversation, took his leave.
He now confessed to Theodosia, to whom
the affair had been circumstantially related
from day to day, that he was in the condi-
tion of certain country judge before whom
a cause had been too ingeniously argued by
the lawyers. Gentlemen Qf.the jury" said
the judge, you must get along with this
cause as well as you can; for my part, I'm
swamped." But the sapient Theodosio was
not puzzled in the least. "She meant, ,"
wrote Theo., from the beginning, to say
that awful word, yes; but not choosing to
say it Immediately, she told you that yOu
bad furnished her with arguments against
matrimony, which in French means, Please,
sir, to persuade me out Of them again. But
you took it as plump refusal, and walked
of. She called you back. What more
could she do? l would have seen you to Ja-
pan before l should have done SO much"
However the offer Of marriage was never
renewed. The lover was probably himself
undecided as to the desirableness Of the
match. But between him and Celeste there
was always tender friendship, and for many
months it seemed likely enough that at some
unexpected moment the conclusive word
would be spoken.
To complete his good fortune, he began
his Official life very popular man. He was
popular with his party for giving it victory.
He was admired by vast numbers of honor
abe men, because he had disdained to seek
his own elevation by defeating the will Of u
majority Of his countrymen The eclat Of
office was added to his reputation as a sol.
dier and as politician; and he, Of men,
seemed to he the cne most likely soon to
have at his disposal the favors which Pres.
ident can confer. There chanced to be in
1901, before the vice president had yet pre-
sided over the senate, convention in the
state of New York to make certain amend
ments to the constitution. Upon the meet
ing Of the convention the vice president was
made chairman by unanimous vote.
Up to this time, Aaron Burr had known
little but good fortune. He had been a sue
cesSful soldier, more successful lawyer, o.
most successful politician. Fortunate and
huppy in his domestic relations, he was
strengthened now by the alliance Of his
daughter with an ancient and wealthy fami-
ly. His own estate was ample and improv-
ing. His rival and enemy was distanced.
Still in the very prime Of his days, there was
but one more honorable distinction for him
to gain, and that seemed almost within his
grasp. High in the esteem Of his own par
ty, he enjoyed also the generalrespect of the
federalsts, as being more moderate parti-
san than other leading republicans.
Such was the position Of Aaron Burr in
the year l80l.-Life of aaron Burr.