The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1860-04-25

s'don't let let US argue, mamma. I'll attend
to- what you say; ri think about it, &C. .
% t'If you don't accept Lord Courtnaye this
week we must return to-- Your aunt has
already dropped broad hints about our long
visit sn 23ee4 -! - a.A4. ss-i-.
{ Gay, perceive. Flora Beresford and her
mother have outstaid their welcome but Lady
Gourtnaye Chat is to- beg and the pereless
mamma will take new lease of their excel
lent relatives hospitality" go
g Exactly" said Mrs Bereaford, giorying in
the sneer which curled her child's rosy lips !;
'learn from that, my dear, the value Of po-
sition, of wealth, of rank. They are good
things, are they not! They are worth some
thing, don't you think? 1t is worth while
giving up ones childish fancies to obtain these
things, isn't it 7'' sat "a t'lt einisi..sI
g DAY, mother" said the young girl with a
low, mocking, laugh 'fwhat is love? what is a
heart even? L begin to doubt if we have
such things. Perhaps it is only childish. fancy.
We can exist very well without them" 81 i
100 And that evening saw Flora Beresford be-
throthed to Lord Courtnaye. tsoa
A week had elapsed. Flora lounged on the
sofa in her usual lazy, but graceful manner,
her. head resting on an embroidered cushion,
her slippered feet tapping the ground. And
by her side sat her lordly lover, engaged in
the pleasant task of clasping bracelet, gilt
tering with diamonds, ON her fair, round arm
He toyed lovingly with the slender wrist be-
fore he finally fixed the ornament, and when
at last it was adjusted, he kissed the arm and
hand before he released it from his hold
Flora sprang back involuntarily; she looked at
her wrist as if she would fain have erased from
it the nnwelcome kiss. But the brilliants
sparkled brightly where the unloved lips had
been pressed, and the young finance smiled
eomplaeently as she loked at them. al ase
n Lord Courtnaye's face frightened as5he saw
the smile. His eyes were fixed on her as ie
they knew no other resting place. He was
not remarkable for talent or intellect, this
young nobleman !; but he was sincere, manly
honest, and loved her well. She was all the
world to him. 0pop her he lavished bound.
less wealth of love and an overwhelming food
of tenderness, all iunheeded, uncared for
The incense vas thrown on the shrine of
false idol; it was deaf to his tenderness, blind
to his worship. Alas that true and earnest
love should ever be wasted thus; even as the sun
shines on barren deserts and senseless rocks
hat are unwarmed by its glow, that; reflect
back not particle caf its brightness. The
lover was happy when he heard the murmured
words of thanks that fell from the lips of his
beloved. He took her hand again, and SEEM
ed to find q strange pleasure in pressing it
within both of his, in drawing the rings from
the round white fingers, and trying to place
them on his own. What children makes of.
these strong, stern men / a. Less wise, but bet
ter; less strong, but purer; less akin to earth,
but nearer to heaven; they need not BLUSH to;
be so. Are not children the Inks between
men and angelsl ~. Il faei-s}le IS fasgl .ei.
Lord Courtnaye still kept the little hand
prisoner when a servant entered, followed all
most Immediately by q young girl, ,swho ran in-
q Il, =
Flora started from the sofa, snatched her
hand from her lover s clasp as she did so.--i
Then she stood transfxed; her face alternately
changing from dark red to the pallor of death.
She feared to- embrace Evelyn; she shuddered
as she looked at her. The purity, the gull
essness of the familiar face showed her how
fallen, how degraded she herself was, False
hood ashamed when it looks on truth; guilt
shivers when it comes in contact with inno-
cence, There are certain noxious things which
dare not look into the bright face of day. sol
The first impulse of Evelyn was to spring
forward to her friend, but,a glance to other &C.
cupant of the room deferred her, and she, too,
stood still and silent, looking on the changing
face of Flora. Lord Courtnaye, with we'll
bred thoughtfulness, seeing his presence was
upon the two girls, whispered a few
words to his betrothed, and, with bow to
Evelyn, left the ROOM! And then Flora crept
forward, shaking off her emotion by strong
effort, and with an attempt at her old play
fulness, as she embraced the young girl: Cd
81 VOW was turned to stone with surprise.
should as soon have expected to see the
ghost of Oliver Cromwell, or Joan of Arc, or
my body else impossible and out of the way,
Is my little fairy, Evelyn Lester b s1sf5d b |
Evelyn permitted her caresses, but did not |
attempt to return them. A cloud oyerspread |
ler brow there was one in her soul, and this
vas her shadow: She felt the sense of the
change steel upon her-that dark change
which had taken place in few short months
A horrible doubt of her friends truth and
aithfullness oppressed her, and she sickened /
IS she thought, that ON that very trust and |
depended the happiness of Eustaee
fame. She gaxed, then, into Flera's face
She looked intently into her eyes, striving to
,ather there something that should inspire her |
With new confidence But the betrothed was
owed by that earnest inquiring gaze; her eyes
lropped beneath ID; her cheek blanched; all
Ter forced indifference greatly forsook her,
nd she sank trembling AMI abashed on chair,
nth her heart full of that last, worst pang of1
selfcontempt. Z Il
A sigh burst inyoluntarily from Evelyn's bo-
ON. It was over her own disappointed friend
hip, the first and last selfish pang that smote
Cf HSdlt1 tnat udy. one na0i GOING 10 see
'lora, so trustingly, so joyfully; she had been
boxing forward for SO long to this meeting;
he anticipated with such girlish deligh. en-
racing her friend, clasping her close to her
eart, and renewing with her in London the
ear, old earnest talks; and now, 20 feel creep
ng over her the consciousness that this friend
Tas lost to her-that she could not take her
D her heart again-that there was . dark
hadow becoming between them. All was
hanged. There stood before her, not the
ear, often thought of Flora of old times, but
n alien, a stranger, one of those fallen angels
f earth-false hearted woman. -
Evelyn understood it all, even as she stood,
lent and motionless, gazing on Flora's face.
he scarcely needed to ask the question with
hich she broke the silence: ~.
"Who was that gentleman who left the room
1t now ?" e.efs{3
eLord Courtnaye," faltered the betrothed;
he is-" - sa, as,5 Se 81
81 know. He is your iovery your accepted