Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-11-10
Srlttt Storics.
COUSIN MATTHEW.

When ] look back on my early life, ant
consider that ! was a motherless girl, ant
an only child Of a fond, indulgent father,
do not wonder-posseSsinga quick, impuls
i've disposition, unchecked by any authorit,
- that | was wilful and capricious. NJ,
father had toiled industriously for years tc
acquire sufficient means to enable him &c
marry; and when that happy period at las
arrived, he joyfully claimed the fulfilmen
OF my. mothers promise, which she hat
given him in the first blush of her girlhood
I've. years OF uninterrupted happiness float
ed by, when She died. leaving baby
daughter to console her almost broken
hearted husband. | was his pet--his dar
on me my mothers luxuriant curls anc
coniely features, rather than my father
homely but expressive countcnance | wa.
rendered dearer to him by the remem
brance
My father prospered in business; and
when approached womanhood | was an
heiress, as well as an acknowledged beauty
Then, no wonder, repeat, that | was self.
wlled; but the revulsion of feeling attendant
upon such a nature as mine caused in most
instances the acts of wilfulness and caprice
to give me as much unhappness as they did
Others, particularly in the case Of Cousin
Matthew. My father had always been as.
sociated in business with his cousin, Mat.
thew the elder, the father of my playmate
They had commenced life together pool
young men-they had worked togetllsr-
had communicating laid up money; and
when good Cousin Mathew the elder wa,
stretched on the bed Of death, they had sc
prospered in worldly affairs, that the firm o.
Bates and Lee was one of the weathicst
houses i'll the country. Like my father, he
was a widower, with one child-my Cousin
Mathew. | was little one when he died
but ] can remember well the scene at hi.
deathbed
BE father to him, John" said pool
Cousin Mathew, graspng my father hand
and pointing to his weeping son.
That | will be, replied my father,
while II huge tear rolled down his hard
check and I'the children fancy each other
he shall marry my little Ella, and be indeed
my son.
The dying man pressed his hand in silent
gratetuness; and | was lifted up to him, to
receive his parting caress; but as his lips
touched mine his spirit passed from him.
Many long day did the recollection of that
cold kiss hover around me; and--Heaven
forgive me when grew to be silly. ro-
mantle girl, L associated the unpleasant re
membrance with my poor Cousin Matthew;
and instead OF making me love him more, as
it should it made me shrink from him; but
! suffered most bitterly for my naughty
heart leSsness
Cousin Mathew displayed his devotion
for me from his earliest boyhood He bore
with my pettishness, my whims, and cap
rices like an angel; and loved him nonc
the better for it. His alteration, so meckly
and quietly expressed bored me.
When began to think myself almost
young lady, my poor little head became flleC
with a thousand nonsensical sentimental
ideas. was very rich, | knew; but | wa.
not mcrcenary-oh, no! that would moi
have been romantic. | should have been
delighted with a lover and cottage. l.
who knew not what sacrafce was, surround
ed by every luxury, fondly imagined II
could live in desert with the man Of my
heart. y Like Lydia Languish, | thought,
if | did not say it, ''how charming would
poverty be with him!" and absolutely pined
for pretty distress" 1t did not agree
with my sentimental ideas of love and mar
riage to accept dutifully the courtship of
good Cousin Matthew Bates-go dutifully
to church, and become good Mistress Mat
thew Bates, and settle down dutiful wife
all in such hum-drum way. Then his
name was so shochjng. it had only been
Clinton, or Courtland, or Clarence, or any
thing but Matthew-with Bates added to
that And, besides, he was so uncouth-
looking-not at all diStingue or elegant
That he had good features | could not deny;
and his figure was well-proportioned; but he
knew not how to show to advantage his per-
sonal gifts. His clear brown eye shone
frankly, and his chestnut hair curled care
lessly over his well-developed forehead; but
he paid little attention to dress or accomp-
lishments.
Young Dudley, and Morton, and Camp
bell, and two or three of my other boy low
ers, had, after leaving college, travelled
abroad, and returned home so erquisite! !
And then they had learned professions; but
plain Cousin Mathew went unwillingly to
college; and then, on his return, insisted
upon taking his place as partner with my
uncle, he said, when am older md |
saw his face color, and eyes brighten, as he
and my father looked at me, and then ex-
changed glanccs. Here was zone of the
prettest distrcsses Imaginable" and | gave
"oh W W 'hO iuii oHJoJ hiout VI MY
misery
Il will never marry Cousin Matthew I"
L exclaimed in pettish anger, when ! had
reached my room. "No, no, they can new
er make me And then | wept, as though
| anticipated being locked up, and kept on
bread and water. But no such luxury of
misery was in store for me. My good old
father would have startled at the bare pro-
pOSltiOn of urpInp me against INV will He
would have been delighted to have seen us
have forced me; but it pleased me to fancy
of my romantic imagination.
| looked around for lovcr-some one to
doat upon and be wretched about; but young
Dudley, with all his foreign airs and graces,
was a fool. Morton an impudent, presum-
ing fellow, who prated of his racers and
hounds, as though he We're an elder son Of a
peer, with jockey habits acquired at Epson
and Ascot; and Campbell piece of stupid
pomposity. Then | sought in humber ranks;
but my music master was a snuffy old Ger
man, and my other teachers quite the op-
posite of the refined beau ideal had Great
ed. Cousin Matthew might have been that
beau ,deat, if had not been SO blind. lie
was handsome. 1T he was uncOuth; clever in
mental abilities, and gentle aud loving. But
| shut my eyes, to true happiness. TO me
he was only plain Matthew Bates, whom |
would be forced to marry.
Time passed on. / entered society,
though only seventeen, My teachers were
retained, it is true but only as a ceremony
were the daily lessons, and the rich and beau
tltul Miss Lee was soon surrounded by ad-