Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-03-28

MY ACCORDION sERENADER
A ROMANCE SPOILED.


' But he passes every day, aunt"
Well, what Of that ~ said the old lady
But he looks in at the window" said the
Joung lady.
"Ah, indeed" said her aunt.
And be wears sprig Of myrtle in his coat,
and you know that means true"
more p"
No aunt" was the reply
Then, my dear child, you are bit of q
goose, and ought to know BETTER said her
aunt "I am afraid yeu are too fond of read
ing idle tales when you might be better en-
ployed: Wei, well, suppose oauuot put
an old head on young shoulders, and yours are
very young yet"
And she might have added pretty ones, COW
cred as they were with locks Of the softest and
richest brown hair in the world. Pretty girls
are so common that need not describe pretty
Rose Arnold, as she and her aunt were sitting
before the fire in that magic hour when the
glare of day has passed and twilight is only
Just coming; when tenderness touches the
hardest heart; when life seems more ideal, less
dark, and cold, and dull
shall L tell you what happened to myself,
Rose 2''
Yes do, aunt
"Well, will You will see that there was
once time when your old aunt was as silly as
YOU are new"
Rose laid her beautiful face on her aunt's
lap, and her aunt began
Miss SllkstOne kept select establishment
at Brighton for limited number of young
lsdles' from whom the most unexceptionable
references were required. She frequently ad-
Vertlsed IN the Times, and had always a va
oancy Tor one or two. But you know as we'll
AS that there never yet was a school for a
limited number that had not vacancy for a
genteei and well-conducted pupil. Twas that,
and more. Why, then, was / sent to Miss
SIlkstone's salubriOus abode Well, the truth
Is, DI Bolus, our family physician, hinted that
little change of air and an occasional bath in
me sea would not be smiSs. The system re-
CURES oraclng, ma'am,'' said he to mamma
We are getting, added the dear fat old man
as hecontemplated my growing figure. "a little
rale and thin; our roses are not quite so red as
they might be" Girl as / was I had read
hcrd Byron Corsair and his lines in Childe
Harold bidding the deep and dark blue ocean
roll on, and had BY heart Barry Cornwsll's
songs and L loved, as girls Of seventeen do
love, pasSionately,
81 The sea the sea the open sea,
The ever fresh, the ever free,''
and made no objection to the arrangement
which for while transplanted me from the
PaternaI roof 1t was not reluctantly, then
that L Journeye1 to the Scene of my future res
!denGe was not bad-looking, and I knew
all the girls wild. 1 had not lived at Clapham
Tor nothing, you may be sure
Arrived at school, / did as the rest On Sun
days we went to church. Now the church SER
vice rs rather long, and, however pious and
proper one may be disposed to be, one cannot
be always looking at the minister or at ones
at the congregation found the eyes Of YOUNG DS
man inteDtly fixed on me. 1t was evident to
me and all the rest of tbs girls that his ardent
gaze was directed to no other than myself
The next Sunday the same phenomenon was
witnessed; the next, 1t was the same was
pleased, yet annoyed. Miss Silkstone gave
me many private lecture in her own apart
ments- MadelnOiselle, as we were taught to
call our French governesS, was deliQhted the
girls all laughed; and, to make assurance
doubly sure, had been informed that one of
the maids had been asked by gentleman the
name of the new girl, whom he declared to be
a"regular sumner"
Now it was clear to me and all the rest of US
that this inquiry could have come from no
other than from the gentleman whose optics
had been 30 regularly, and as it seemed so ir-
reslstbly exercised on myself. Presently an
other symptom of his admiration was mani
Tested Every evening at a certain hour, under
the wall Of our garden, were heard the dulcet
sounds Of an sccordeon; all said it was INV
church admirer thus renewing on weekdays
the hsmage he had offered me at church on
Sundays. thought what every one said must
be true, and listened with peculiar pleasure to
Annie Laurie, and My Beautiful STAR"
and "Jeannete and Jeannot," and Il Dreamt
that Dwelt in Marble Halls" and other
popular airs; all Of which / heard it is true
played before, but never, so it appeared to me.
with such pathos and power, as under the pre-
sent circumstances: what delicate way of
being courted. OF course / was not in love-
but, girl-like, 1 was glad to think some one
was in love with me.
just at this time / had to leave school for a
few days; at the same time, by a strange coin
cidence. the serena ding ceased and nv sd-
mirer was absent from his pew in church
Surely, then, was right in thinking was
the object Of all these delicate attentions The
more thought about il the more certain felt.
Suspicion was banished doubt now gave place
to certainty. The mystery was cleared up
the serenade was for Inc, and the serenader
was he whom had seen in church must
say, when had come to this conclusion, that
became impatient of this serenading and
wished either to change it into something of
more satisfactory character, or for it to cease
altogether. Mademoiselle and myself, with
out saying word to the other girls, resolved
to bring matters to q crisis
One dark night, when the usual serepadipp
Was going on, and Miss Silkstone happened to
be particularly engaged with the friends of a
new pupil who had come to tea we hastily
put on an old shawl and bonnet apiece; slipped
out OF the house forthwith, quite unperceived;
rushed down to the end of the garden. and
somehow or other found our way to the top of the
wall. The night, as have said, was dark; we
could see no one, and the unknown was yipor-
ously going through his accustomed musical
performance. / fanoied could see the grace
full outline Of my admirer, as be swept bis en-
gers over his beloved instrument, and told to
the cold dark night, and the sad and silent
stars, all the love and hope and purpose of his
heart. / listened with an interest that thrilled
my whole frame. There he was, languishinp
for me; dreaming that was smiling on his
love. There could be no doubt that was the
Annie Laurie for whom he would lay him down
and die. l was his Beautiful Star, up in the
heaven go high, no less certain What was I
to dO2 Did not such touching love deserve
some grateful recognition. Was he to realize
the fearful fate Of which he sang? Was I, so
young, to be a cruel murderer, and through
life to hare my heart bowed down with q sense
Of the fearful burden Of such a crime? Yet,
would 1t not be imprudent to address a gentle
man to whom had never been introduced I
wss In frightful state Of agitation; could
feel my cheeks getting red, and my heart
jumped right up to the top of my throat. What
fhould do2
Why, speak to him, Of course" said Made
nnoiselle, who was getting cold, "er he will be
laid up with influenza for a month"
"Oh, dear" said /, II wish he would not
MI wing hare -