Bradford reporter. [volume] (Towanda, Pa.) 1844-1884, 1862-02-06

with cup of sparkling water: weary watch
er through the night-suddeDly see the dawn
streaking the bright horizon. Those were very
pleasant times | remember now, one afternoon
in early Spring, open windows, sounds coming
in from the city, the drone of the atfferari
buzzing drowsily in the sultry streets. You
sat at your window in some lighr- dress,
laughing now and then, aud talking your ten
der little talk The colonel, from behind The
Times, Joined in now and again the pleasant
half-hour slid by. We were still basking
there, when Halbert was announced, and came
in, looking very tall and handsome. The bag
pipes droned on, flies sailed in and out on the
sunshine you still sat TRANQUILITY at the open
easement bat somehow the golden atmos-
phere of the hour was gone. Your smiles
were gone your words were silenced and
that happy little hour was gone forever
I When | got up to come away Halbert rose
too he came down stairs with me, and sud
denly looking me full in the face said, When
is it to be ?"
You know much more about it than l
do,' | answered.
" You don't mean to say that you are not
very much smitten with Miss Esther ?" said
/ he.
/" Certainly l am" said l. al should be
ready enough to marry her, if that is what
you mean. | dareSay | shan't get her. She
| is to me the most sympathetic woman I have
ever known. You are too young, Mr. Halbert
| to understand and feel her worth. Don't be
! offended added, seeing him flush up. "You
J young fellows can't be expected to see with
| the same eyes as we old ones. You will think
as | do in another ten years"
/ How 10 ron r,aaD ha askp1
Isn't it the way with all Of u.s. said /;
We begin by liking universally /; as we 60
on we pick aud choose, and weary of things
which had only the charms Of novelty to re-
commend them only as our life narrOws we
cling more and more to the good things which
remain, and feel their value ten times more
keenly And surely sweet, honest-hear ed
yoang woman like Esther Oliver is good
thing.
She is very nice" Halbert said She
has such good manners. | have had more ex
perience than You give me credit for, and | am
very much OF your way OF thinking. They say
that the old courtly colonel is dreadfuIly harsh
to her-wants to marry her, and get her off
his hands. assure you, you have very good
chance"
" mistrust the old Colonel" said I, dicta-
torialIy " as trust his daughter. Somehow
she and | chime in tune together > and, as l
spoke, began to understand why you once
said woefully, that you had not one friend in
the world and my thoughts wandered away
to the garden where had found you waiting
on the steps Of the terrace.
What do you say of the Eiisire d'Amore'
Lady Fanny aud have been performing late
ly :" Halbert was saying meanwhile, very
l. IL i
fancying that the Colonel wants to take a
part in the performance, and cract old tenor
part too. In that case | shall cry of, and
give up my engagements" And then, nod
ding go0d-by he left me.
| met him again at the Babuiuo a day or
two after. He came straight up to NE, saying
" Going to the divers, eh VIII yon take
q message for NE, aud tell the colonel mean
to look in there this evening That old fox
the colonel-you have heard that be Is actual.
y going to marry Lady Fanny. She told NE
so herself yesterday"
g / think her choice is q prudent one," l
answered, somewhat surprised. | suppose
Colonel Oliver Is three times as rich as your
self You must expect woman Of thirty
TO be prudent an not fond Of that virtue
iG very young people, bat it is not unbecOming
with years"
Halbert flushed up. L" I suppose from that
you mean she was very near marrying me-
| III not sorry she has taken up with the colo
mel after all You see my mother was always
writing aud my sisters at home and they
used to tell me . and | myself thought
She, you know what | mean. But, of
course, they have been reassured on that
point"
Do you mean to say" l asked, in great
panic, " that You would marry any woman
who happened to fall in love With you p
d" don't know what l might have done a
year ago. said be, laughing " bat just now,
yOu see, have had q warning, and besides, il
is my turn to make the advances"
l was immensely relieved at this, for l did
not know what was going to say.
Here as We turned a few street corner, we
cane upon q black robed monk, standing
vailed and motionleSs, with q skull in one hand
This cheerful object changed the current of
our talk, and we parted presently at Q foun-
tain. Women with black twists of hair we're
standing round about, waiting in grand, care.
less attitudes, while the linptd water flowed.
When | reached your door, found the
carriage waiting, and you snd your father un-
der the archwaT Come with US said be-
and | gladly accepted. And so We drove out
a, one Of the gates of the city, out into the
CamPagna, over which melting waves Of color
was rolling. Here and there We passed an
cient ruins cvumbling in the sun the road
side streamed with color and fragrance from
yio!ets and anem0nes and sweet-smeiiing flow
ers. After some time We came suddenly on
some green hills, and leaving tie carriage
c5inei IN the sides Then We f1uul ourselves
locking down into q green glowing valley,
with an intense heaven above all melting into
light You. with little transient gasp Of hap