St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1863-10-15
TIE EL0PEmENT:

'Tis twilight at the Morton Cottage ;
tie golden sunlight and purple mists of
evening are softly mingling, and melting
away in indistinct shadows, as Hattie sits
Wrapped in dfeath Of love! not the full,
developed, abiding love Of the matured
woman, but the inaamable, evanescent
passion Of the maid of sixteen.
"Hat?' cried little Johnny Morton,
peeping his curly head through the arbor
lattices, "there's that long, tall Mr.. Smith
coming up the walk I'll bet he's coined
a courting, for he's got on them checker
cd trowsers aud shiny boots val. min.
ute and you will hear them squeak like
sixty" :
"Hush johnny" said Hattie fepfeting.
ly; "tun into the house, that's s0od 10y;
...other wants you Immediately"
II know better than that, to-" said
young hopeful, silly watching Mr. Smith,
who came slowly up the walk and Joined
Hattie IN the a Dor. *'Tbere, | knew he
would ~ shouted Johnny, swinsin his
cap high in the air; and galloping off to
the house.
"Qood evening, Mr.. Smith," said Hat
tie rising TO greet him, while vivid blush
mantled her check :
"Qocd evening, Miss Hattie nice even
ing;" and Smith spread his ample coat
tails with flourish, and sat down: Then
eus1ed an embarrassing patse, While Smith
scratched bis cranium for stray thought ;
and Hattie sat blushing)y beautiful, her
eyes bent down, her little feet i'npat:cntly
tapping the floor.
Hattie Morton, the daughter Of Col.
Morton, had just attaiued her sixteenth
birthday she was pleasant, amiable and
pretty; excessively fond of admiration,
and Of an impetuous temperament, she
had unfortunately attracted the attention
OF Mr.. Smith, well-prescrved bachelor Of
forty-fvo, who fancying himself deeply
enamored Of this bevitching beauty, re-
solved to make her his bride at ali haz-
ards And Hattie, who had imbibed the
prevailing idea, so extensive at the pres
ent time among the female Young Amer
lea, that it is the very height Of bliss and
acme Of happiness to "have beau" that
she might be the envy and admiration OF
her young lady friends who were not So
fortunate as to possess this desirable arti-
Gle, and fancying that the bridal ring Was
the golden ring to paradise, imagined
herself deeply in love with this ano ent
gallant! But her parents were opposed to
her entering into matrimonial alliance
with any one at this incipient stage of her
girlhood, and had forbidden her to hold
any further intercourse with him. But
Hattie was willful and MI. Smith deter.
mined, and thus We find them meeting to
carry out their plans.
"Well, Hattie, your cruel parents still
refuse to give their consent to our mar
riage," said Smith, insinuatingly, "why
then we will marry without it j; what say
you to an elopcment, my dear :"
"Delig ghtful p replied Hattie, who had
that very day been reading q romantic
novel of Miss Sophron:a Angelina Twid.
die, whom her cruel father confined in a
tower, from whence she was rescued BY
her brave, invihcible lover, who, at the
imminent ueril of his own lite, descended
With her in his arms from lofty window,
and bore her safely to the priest, where
they entered the golden gates Of matrimo.
ny, to be extremely blest forever more
aud she thought, what remarkable coin
cidense ., j: :- =
At this moment q sharp, rust
ling was heard in the shrubbery near BY
and -"Wha-what's that ?" came trem
blingly from Smith 8 lips :.>.' ~
Hattie went to the arbor door, but
could discover nothing; ell was still and
quiet; 50 Smith developed and unfolded
his plans, to which Hattie freely assented