Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1862-09-15
Raj eigh, n. O., September IS, 1862.

preciate it Young men nowadays, par
, tcularly these literary characters are apt
to SO dreaifully unsteady. But certainly
lif any one deserves to do well, it Is Rosa
| lie; such sweet girl, aud so extremely
beautiful. On these themes we're the I
changes rung increasingly, and the delight /
ed auditor was never weary.
What an excellent thing, she often re-
marked to herself, good breeding 81
Every one of these people know. that IT IS
a splendid match for Rosalie, but nobody |
ever hints, ever SO delicately, what an ad- t
vantage it will be to her in the way of
money. They only talk of Edgars tai
ents and reputation, and all that, just as .
if she had been used to fortune from
her cradle, and is not worth Mentioning
Very solacing were these thoughts +; all
the days passed in a delicious futter Of
excitement and anticipation.
There had been, it is true, aslight de-
cadence Of bliss when the engagement-ring
was first shown her She had imagined
its splendors SO radiantly beforehand that
the pretty little gage d'amOur which Rosa
lie one day exhibited seemed to her almost
shalbv. No diamond solitaire this, blaz
ing like the Kohi-noor cut down trife.
1t contained three stones: theFcentral one
of fair size those on each side much
smaller. Mrs. Mayfeld's experienced glance
told her in moment that it could never
have cost over seventy-fve or hundred
dollars.
'Oaly think, mamma said Rosalie, who,
with all the pleasure Of pretty girl in a
pretty ornament, was turning the ring on
her finger and watching its sparkle, that
| should have diamond ring am sure
l never expected to-
But expected you wohld,' thought
the mother, and mucn handsomer one
than this She examined it more closely !;
the stones were good and clear, but she
could not conscientiously eyceed her first
estimate oftheir value. 1t islvcry strange
sho said to herself; quite qnaccountable.
1t would be very pretty ring for clerk
on salary to give; but Mf' Henry! and
the dreadful suspicion crossed her mind
If he should be mean y
: Such thought could not however, hold
r out against Edgar rtarsl< pi.el sssanlv hear,
ing. Mrs. Mayfeld settled it N efz own
mind that it was owing to his literary
tastes these author people never seemed
to be quite of sound mind on common
matters. In the first place, he probably
knew nothing about how costly ring ht
ought to give; in the second, he had, NJ
doubt, been terribly overreached in th
price. That was the worst of authorship
it was well Edgar was rich man. Will
these unpracticabe ways she should trem
BILE for Rosalie's future if he were not.
Meanwhile, the promess; sposi trouHet
themselves very little about matters o
worldly wisdom. They had, at present
no care even Of house or furniture hunting
, for it had been arranged that after th
wedding-jaun they should stay with nam
ma and look up such house as suite
T them at their leisure Mrs. Mayiel
, thought this an excellent plan, as sh
2 should feel so much more at liberty t
9 suggest and advise when they were actu
= ally married. Besides which, there va
v really SO much to do with Rosalie's ow
preparations that there was no time fo
any thing else. The lovers passed a
- their evenings together sometimes Ros
= allie showed the pretty things she ha
4 bought during the day all of which, ind's
i criminately, Edgar admired with enthusi
asm on hearing them commended by sue
,, lovely lips OR exhibited upon SO beautifr
form. Sometimes they sang together, c
a Edgar read aloud /; or, seated near eac
- other, talked IN confidential whispers
- matters vastly Interesting to themselve
! All this Mrs. Mayfeld could see from he
:, station on the back parlor sofa, where 81
10 often recined of an evening, and where,
- must be confessed, she occasionally nap
i ped little, overcome with weariness fro
~ the days exertious
Of Time passed, and it was within wee
- of the wedding. Fast and furious few tt
al needles of the dress makers, aud at hon
Rosalie was equally busy with many lit
= personal matters. The bridal presents bt
Al gan to come in not so plentlfuliy as
" the case of richer people. but still Wi
"a creditabe profusion. There were plen
,se Of silver pie-knives, pickle-forks, port
he monnaies, card-cases, napkln-rlngs, bu
nd ter knives, salt-eellars, and such sm
vas gear. Mr.. Henry's sister, married to
nj wealthy merchants in Boston, sent n
A. camels-hair shawl, aDd his brother,
tor the South, ordered splendid tea-serV
- from Ball and Black. Rosale's godfath
,.s sent her set of pearls and there We
,oI point-lace handkerchiefs and Mech
ted handkerchiels; there were collars a
a. sleeves; there werc rings and 5roech