Red Wing sentinel. [volume] (Red Wing, M.T. [i.e. Minn.]) 1855-1861, 1861-04-24

Imore than my share of sins. I'm in.
nocent here. lie is one of your solemn,
chaps. I've always told Annie she
could have him. He doesn't take
kindly to. such butt critics as /; the
; strong-mindcd female is his ideal;'
and she made low bow at my feet.
"Settle it between yourselves, girls
and don't cemesto blows. He told me
he should call this afternoon;" and Joe
went out. Ieopenedthe door, put in
his hcad-"Don't be too much set up
young ladies, it vass orly because ]
urged him!'' and he made his final
exit, stream Of exclamations, ones.
)tions, and laughter following him tlro'
the hall.
! The afternoon brought with it Mr..
Henry Browning, and also discovery.
After the introductions were accom-.
plished, and we, comfortably arranged,
were launched upon the social sea-
missed Bessie. Where was she? She
had a peculiar charm of conversation,
|by which she could make herselt,if she
choose, equally agreeable to old and
young, ard was always to be relied on
in chance calls. Had she gone out OF
the room? No. She sat close by,
listening with perfect well bred at.
tcntion to our discourse. Whenever
Mr.. browning addressed himself to
her, she responded just as any nice,
pheasant young lady would do, but not
at all like my cousin Bessie. The
truth flashed upou me with such quick.
ness that I, meek, innocent, blushcd
like any rose while Mr.. Browning was
making some veery unimpressive re.
mark about elm trees and seemed .
little surprised at my susceptibility. u
rcgained myself W it'll as little delay
as possible, and answered him. Mean.
time, / thought OF what might aud
might not be, s7a-
1t was discovered by my father thai
Mr.. Browning had a great eye 70,
farming,and by my mother that he wa.
a Jealous politician; aud thus, bet wcer
them, he had general invitation a,
our house at all times and seasons, OF
which ho avaiIcd himself: Agreeable
at first, he continued to improve upon
acquaintance. He did sometime have
a very solemn air. Bessie used to say
he was then sitting in judgment upon
onr follies.
! Meanwhile the long August days,
filled each with sunshine and dying in
purple mist, melted into each othe,
and passed away. Many of-~thcir
hours were spent with Mr.. Browning.
He was college friend of Arthur FL.
morc's, and. as consequence
every vacation had brought him home
with Arthur for day or two; so they
were old acquain,anccs. knew many
of Bessie's admirers: they were still
her fast friends. We always spoke of
them by brief titles ('tWill," Lewis -
''Bucl," etc.,; but never, through all
my knowledge of her, had she spoken
of this acquaintance otherwise than
.Mr. Browning" Her manner to
him was pleasantly cordial-prccisely
what it would have been 70 any friend
and cotemporary of her fathers, except
that it lacked the reverence which
;; superior age would have received
from her. For if his opinions differed
from hers, or ever approached, as she
thought, toward the verge Of mean
ness of any sort, or displayed q false
taste, the crust of reserve was broken
through, and her indignation revealed
itselfin varied wit, ridiculc, and irony.
i But when he revealed q lofty man
Illness, keen intellect, or any deep
feeling, Bessie sat calmly listening,
her eyes industriously bent upon her
needle-work, with which she fortified
!, herself; and sometimes she slightly
averted her face, as if she disturbed
|, her self.control. In a word, while in
his presence she completely transform.
ed herself, and was, to all intents and
purposes, another person, and not my
ardent, grcat-heartcd Bessie. Twas
f thoroughly vexed at her. But remon.
strances would have been useless, if
possessed the daring to attempt it.
For, open as the day about everything
else, and peculiarly attractive to those
she loved and trusted in her unreserv-
ed and thrilling revelation of herself,
on this subject l could easier scale
; the Andes than have uttered word.
Indeed she so perfectly assumed that
there eoas no ''subject;" she talked ot
him, when absent, SO precisely as if he
! were a mi1dle-aged friend of her faith
er's, that l was often completely bat:
fled; but then the next interview con.
) firmcd me in my first opinion.
1passed many unhappy hours tina,
summer in thinking Of her. For, not
withstanding her gayly-carclcss all
whenever he was talked Of or present
,, there were times. and, they increased
in number and in anguish, when she
was very wretehed. She used often tx
: sit at the end Of the piano, while l il
the long summer twilight, would play
: at her decree, some Of those bits Q
Beethoven which have in their deer
chord and may wanderings sucl
= strong, passionate life and longing
and for the heart disqpietcd and achin.
: such arrows Of sympathy and despair
nnI hon, hoi ondnl hor f,oo sh,n,