The Lambertville press. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1858-1???, 1861-05-08
It had taken me, when penniless

berless difficulties to position OF in
1uence. That which was found in
my nature when young, was thus nour-
ished and rooted trough all the after
years of struggle ripening into tri-
umph.
The young man was of literary
turn of mind, and taught in an acad-
envy was writer, it was slid, for
one or two periodicals. There was an
air of sentiment about him in his looks
and manners, which came precisely
within the scope of my contempt
| had known it in others-in strong
business men-this utter contempt for
the least possible manifestations of SEN
ment ; for those unthrifty fellows who
have never an eye for business, but
hang upon the skirts of thought,
clasp imagery, and ride upon pymth
You may see it now every day in
commercial antagonism of fact and
fancy-of the figures which dot the
pages of the ledger ard those which
illumine the lines of the poet. " The
muses. frowned on me-" said a German
poet, for keeping account books. .
Undoubtedly. Nor is the knight of
the balance sheet less intolerant
towards those miserable fellows whose
entire stock in trade can be stored
within very little cavity just behinl
the frontal bone
Ny good wife had a time of it
cooling me down, and prevented the
adoption OF most violent measures
Even when I had formally surrender
ed to her superior discretion, chat
fed by times like q bear.in harness.
If wife had not been almost a Rarey
in tact, should certainly have broken
into plunging. even sooner than | did.
Minnie was taken one day into sol
emn con ference by her mother, with
only pussy in the door way as auditor.
But the child, though she blushed very
much, moved about from seat to seat,
and tore pieces Of paper into bits, de-
clared that she was heart whole yet,
why shouldn't she be for Jenny
Bun had never said word to her
which any man might not have said
to any maiden. So wife an got easy
again.
But what should see one evening
at twilight while sauntering out under
the shadows of my grove Of forest oaks
not far from the house, but two figures
hitler and thither among the distant
trees. Like y knave, as | was, l sat
on tie ground and watched them ner-
vously, glaringly till | saw Jenny
Brun give Minnie kiss on her lips,
and looked lovingly after her as she
slipped away.
was reclining upon the sward by
her path. Determinedto meet and cons
front them, | sat and watched her
coming.
Certainly Minnie's face never wore
that expression before. 1t was not
gleeful. but it was radiant, and her
eyes which were bent on the ground,
and hence only visible as she came
very near me, had light and depth
that / never saw before. She passed
me F.; so utterly was the child absor-
bed in her own emotions
Minnie |" I said in tone which
startled myself, scarcely less than my
child.
ooh p and she sprang from the
path as though the sound had been a
rattle snake among the grass.
I raised myself SLOWLY am very
slow when very angry, and standing
stiffly before her I glowered down into
her eyes-Minnie's beautiful, living
eyes-with a sternness which had
never failed to terrify. But, the child
i though she trembled like an aspen al
| first, brought her fathers spirit to the
rescue, and, in the strength of love anC
innocence, looked into her fatheri
angry face with great composure.
must not repeat the words tina
followed; it never shall be writ
ten; and would to God they ha(
never been spoken !
Minnie had given him her heart, ant
acculd give him her hand. How coslC
she help it? Even her fathers ange1
should not prevent her fulfilling he
word for was not Jenny Brun wor
thy ard was not her fathers ange
unjust +? All this she said to me witt
the deep calmness Of perfect heroine
while I stood there almost as mucl
astonished as angry.
Wife, it's all up with Minnie,
said striding into the siting-room
and breaking in upon o most delight
full afternoon reverie, only relieved b.
the solemn ticking of the clock ant
the busy click of knitting needles.
Lord what's the matter Z" AM
the ball of yarn rolled across the floor
while hower-pot on the window fell