The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-02-15
TF.Om the s.. Louis Republican,
Fidelity B Rewarded Q d.

tions Of her wit and the flashing Of her won.
drOus eyes challenging such sdmiration as
many a. fair friend coveted, but a chance
word from one Of that group had sent her,
under the plea of sudden indispositiOn, to her
own apartment with strange, bewildering
thoughts, filling the meaiure of the evenings
enjoyment. .... LIED :....,...a as......
Shutting the door and securing il that no
careless footstep might intrude upon her sol.
itude, she had. in the Arst fui,er Of her sweet
surprise, thrown herself upon her luxurious
couch, and pressing her burning face upon the
yielding cushion stole DEEPER hue. and lent
it back to the rounded arm encircliug them
in vehement embrace. Then she arose
and removed her jewe'ed ornaments, ex-
changed her gosssmer evening dress for a
snowy role de chGmbre, drew an inviting fdu-
teuI in front OF the mirror, and sat down TO
contemplate the image reflected therein. 1t
was a beautiful picture ,ht met her gaZe
and ye, the proud lip Of Agnes Bertrand soft
ened before it, and the dsrkeyes forgot their
hashing in the mist that gathered over them.
] II had been more beautiful sill, and this con.
viction. forcing itself so unceremoniously
upon her, impelled also the unconscious ut
terance OF those two words, which every wo-
man so slowly and unwiIhngly admits to the
vocabulary OF personal fidelity, "How chang.
ed |" .... .s
Yes, she was changed. and never had che
30 realized the truth as now. The face Of
twenty. eight was no longer the face Of eigh-
teen-something had been added and some
thing had been taken away, But to define
the gradual loss Of such rare personal attrac,
tions was a difficult task, even for their pos.
SCISSOR. The eyes had lost none of theil
magnetic power-now large and liquid snd
melting in their tenderness, now brilliant as
corruscation from diamond, now searching
or sympathetic as emotion demanded, the ra
ven tresses which her fingers idly unbound
were glossy and abundalt still. The liz
had lost none OF it's vermilion, the complex
ion none OF its dszzling wliteness, and yet {
change was plainly and painfully visible
1t was the lack of that attractive freshness
that indescribable something which youth al
wuys possesses. and for which no charms o
maturity can ever fully compensate.
She turned her head this way and that
pushed the wavy tresses back from her am
pie forehead, as he had done upon that las
night when--but we must not anticipate
wound them about her fingers and loosene
their bright rings on her neck, and traile
them out upon her snowy shoulders. Thel
she took from perfumed casket, ros
which had once been whte-withered an
yellow now-with tiny bud and a trifoliat
stem, and wound it with a shining curl as h
had done that very night-then the smil
i came back 10 the red lip, the light to tn
, dark eye, the bloom to the white cheek cam
and fingered until another thought and
, sadder forced them aside, end they faded ou
sgain, the bloom and the light and the rav
ishing smile. Then the proud head droope
upon the arms Of the tautensl, the bosot
swelled with tumuItuous recollections, an
the binding tears came gushngly and Ion!
No one ever saw Agnes Bertrand wee
. thus, and yet tears were no strangers to he
. ewes. The world saw in her a brave, gifte
:, soul, that lived upon it's own strength an
helped to sustain others, a champion O! tn
B needy, ready helper in all womanly ente
+. prisee, n queen OF festivities, fsithfuf 'rier
/. and an Invaluable comppnion. But she kne
what depths there were in the heart sti
x numb. what yearnings unsaisfied, what pu
J. poses unaccomplished /: she knew, moreove
y whit alone could answer those irrepressih
s longings, and, with woman'S fidelity to II
l. one memory treasured in her soul, che wei
d on her way unaded and unyielding, turnir
K q deaf ear to the ardent solicitations OF h,
< countless admirers, and furnishing no key
). the mystery OF her s,eedfast determination
It And now that memory had been ruthless
|
j. revived-hei was coming back, and the'
/, gushing tears weSe for him, for the sad r
e gret which must follow the discovery of b
d lost youth. .-..-....- s-z,4-.--... ..-.-..
FL Ten years desperation How much h
. they carried with them OF wasted Low
% Of weary watching, Of idle hope, how muc
v hou much e.. .E-'..E....-.~ $50. ,us,...-
10 The long night wore on, the storm spe
0. itself, and once moro the brave soul Of A
20 mes Bertrand asserted its superiority oy
6. time and external circumstance, and s,o
or forth in its own atmosphere Of unfadi
he beauty. II she had lost much, what had 8
not gained in that long interval of years !?
What treasures Of thought and love, wi
le which she would not part to buy back ev
-. youth If she had once been worthy
"a. was she not worthier now? Her heart q
swered-that heart, which, 10 oil it's co
81 tact with the baleful Influences Of societ
was true heart still; and, lifting her CLAN
+ again to the mirror, the pale face there SIN
ed upon her such. encouragement and tr.
\. that che wisely resolved never agaio
!. mourn the youth which could notbe restore
e but make the ,sutumn of her coming YET
:. " rich IN the harvest which the spring-time b
:. - 90 abdhdantlS pfonised., Already had q
- - realized the fOndsSt ambition Of her, frieu,
= her nsmis had become y household vi
wherever she was known, and fame was II