Litchfield enquirer., 1861-07-25

look at the loveliest of all created things, wo men? By love as I looked up, behold my eyes met those of nay ideal woman-the realiza tion of my imaginings-my dreams incarnate. l had never seen her before, yet I knew her in a moment. seemed to be swept toward her. could hardly resist the impulse that told me to jump up, grasp her by the hand, and cry out:
 Friend-dear friend-thank Cop, you have come at last!"
 1 But second thought said that such demon straton might seam ridiculous in this matter-of fact life, so merely bowed my head reverenty as if to say: I have not the honor of your ac- quaintance, but nevertheless remain your oLedi- 1 ent servant
 | As she glided past me, saw that her form was noble, her features fine but that was not all, she looked as if she were honest. l had dreamt whole year about an honest woman-a girl honest to herself and therefore courageous honest to others, and therefore unaffected pas sionate yet pure seeking to obtain no admira- ton under false pretences without guile or craftiness; gentle as the dove, yet bold for the sake of the truth, ever doing her duty, quietly. calmly; and tn ught that if l could meet such woman, and recognize her. could fall down and worship at her feet, though I should chance to be in the middle of Broadway, with two rival omnibuses racing toward me. But fortunately l
  ty, for devotion. 1 met her at last in the silent old college library.
 had no difficulty in finding out her name it was Nelly Appleton-and in gaining the hon. or of formal introduction. She was just what l expected her noble face being but the vesti- bue of a nobler soul-temple. The sweet in fuences' of her companionship was as delicious to me as cold water to thirsty man. did not stop to consider whether was in love, any more than hungry boy would stop to consider the chemical composition of a peach. feasted asking no questions. Nelly's father (her mother was dead) had taken up his abode temporarily in the little village over which the college was superjacent. So l saw her very often. We soon became intimate, and had pleasant little plans, and even confidence of our own. We rode and drove together up and down the beau tiful valley of the Oriskany, did not read the Biographia' any more, for had a pleasanter life to study.
 One day Nelly and went with party of dozen friends on troutfshing and picnic eX cursion. The day was as long and bright & June sun could make it. We were all gay and happy and lucky. The trout bit as if they were bent on felo-tle-se. The birds over our heads sang as if they were wild. AS for the party, assuming the fact that they were all young and fee from care, you may imag inc the joty that buhLled up in our midst. About noon we reach eI q lit le cascade in the brook, which came tumbiing through great gorge in the hillside ; and in this noble dinning-room of nature our pie nic lunch was laid beneath a wide-sprcading beech, and near d cool spring. Nelly and were deputed to gather eyergreens and flowers to deck the feast We strolled off together to q solemn corner of the glen, where tine silence Was broken by the music of the cascade and the darkncss Was relieved by single broad ray of ; light which fell through the foliage above and Was slliEcrcd in a thousand eittering fragments on the ripple of a rapid. Why we wandered to- ward thls spot, Heaven knows; certainly no flowers could bloom in 50 dark Il nook, save one of hope for ne. Cnconsciousiy, i sat down on a l'rI.' -',''' al mQss-groWn granite., and Nelly Sit down by my side. Some forgot c,:r crrallu, to wit, the eXeryreeus and flowers We talked for some time Quietly of our six mouths a :qualnEuilccshlp; GAI gradually, ill d lower tone, came to tell her that same old story you know what it is--which suppose Jacob told to Rachel. and Romeo to Juliet and Step- hen to Chloe, and which will be whispered by youth in beauty's ear to the end of time. She turned her face and looked steadily in mine for che moment, as if she would read the last letter on my eurts tablet then bowed her head with d true wutlanly blusl and laid her right hand in mine. For further particulars of that picnic yOu HluSl iHiulIC Ol Iuc lCSC Ol lllC party.
 Days and days rolled on and naturally enough Neys father Was made d quainted with our loves. He Was a man l could not like--the dear girl must have inherited her goodness from her mother-and as soon as he heard the story, great quarrel blazed up. He thought 1 was poor, as indeed 1 had been, until the demise of an uncle l never saw, left me with snug little fortune. Of this windfall l had not told the daughter for, like a romantic young III n that was, l wished to win not buy her heart; and l quite too proud to tell the father of it, when he accused me of the crime of being penness. High words passed between us in Nelys pre- sence and in my madness and cruelty 1 accused her of sordid motives, because she hesitated be- tween love and tal duty. She answered me with indienaton--l liked her better tor that al- the old story again, as lovers, and one that will be reenacted half-yearly till doomsday. A stern parent a hesitatng girl--a foolish boy-these elements will make up little private theatricals, and enact tragedies thereat till the world melts.
 The next morning l woke up with horrible suspicion that 1 had been acting in d very silly manner. l rushed down to the village, in a very disheveled state, to see Nelly and pray forgive ness. The maid at the door told me, with az gravatng calmness, suggestive of a fee received at parting, that Miss Nelly and her father had left town that morning. Whither they had gone she had not the faintest idea, neither had the andlady. They had simply paid their bills and gone. What was it to Mrs. Jones or Bridget? They had got their money. returned to my room, and occupied halfan-hour proftably in cursing mpself for dull and muddy-metted rascal. Then I wrote long letter of penitence that would have moved Caligula to tears, and maile ed it to Nelly. directed to the town where she had lived before her mothers death. To this received no answer. In course of time fell into such melancholy that stirred the sympathy of all the old women iH the neighborhood smoked myself into a state of shocking leanness; read the whole of Wadsworths Excursion; studied some in selfdefence and made myself very disagreeable to all my acquaintance. But youth and health, in man at least, cannot be conquered by disappointed love. By the time that the next June began to deck the valley with green and gold, went so far as to make one at small teaparty.
 On the morning of the tenth day of this June, II marked the day with white stone,) our class, now Seniors, had assembled by fellow instinct of idleness, congenial in fine summer morning on the college green; and as it was the season of flowers; not fruit, we were ready for every thing except study. It was balmy air we breathed, fun-inspiring, adventurous. At last the flower of the class Charley Foster, (GoD help him, he is dead now) spoke up:
 'Boys-let's go to Trenton Falls!
 Capital! cried all.
 'How shall we go?' suggested prudent young man.
 Walk, of course,' said rash young man.
 So off we walked, some in dressing gowns, | some SlIDnorc ius hoh from