The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1864-01-08
The Old Mans Darling;
on nEpESTASr AND SAVED.
BY MRS. MARY C. VAUGHAN.

BY Mrs, MARY c. VAUGHAN.
In splendid boudoir. "the old mans
darling" sat alone She asfvery
young, aud her beauty, though yet
immature, would have challenged adj
miration from the most practised eye.
All around her were evidences of q
taste the most refined aud sumptuous,
to which wealth, the most profuse,
had ministered The circular apart
ment was draped with blue silk, like
a tent, its azure roof spangled with
silver stars. At intervals around the
room stood ebony pedcstals, upon
which were statuettes of the rarcst
skill of the sculptor, and between
them were low divans heaped with
cushions of azure silk The carpet Of
blue and white almost buried the foot
in its flcecy substance. One or two
rare pictures hung upon the walls,
books in'eXqusite miniature bindings
lay upon the tables, with prints and
water colors in the highest style of
art. On writing-table of buhl, an
ivory cupid stood with bent bow,
guarding the golden ink ,tand and its
furniture beneath, and all the pretty,
costly trities that surround it. From
bronze burner arose the fragrant in
cense of n pastlle, that tempered the
atmosphere of this bower OF beauty,
to languid softness.
On one Of the divans, halfrecliping,
the mistress of all this mlgniicaace
was seated. It was n gildei cagc in
which tho old man had placed his
bird, but now she was vainly beating
her wings against its elittering but
memorable bars. A slight frown cen.
tractcl her fair brow, her eyes, wide
opened, but dreamy and listless in
expression, saw nothing of all that
beauty around her, and impatiently
rs she tapped the carpet with her lit.
tie, slippercd foot, its yielding surface
gave back no sound.
The childish delight which she had
felt in the luxury and splcnlor Of her
new home had yielded, at length, TO
inevitable WEAKNESS. She had begun
to realize, while scarcely more than q
year WIFE that she had been sold for
n price, her young, bright heauty pur-
chased by the dross that made the
homo she now looked upon us pris-
on, marvel OF nagniicence. and her.
self the envy of all wao heard her
name.
She arose presently, and lifting n
silkcn curtain passed through the
door il revealed, into Il conservatory
Glisi 18th the choicooe plunto and fiuw-
crs. Rare odors fiilcd the ,,I,,or, urru
from the gilled cages that hung in
the sunny windows, came the mnsic
of imprisoned songsters Warmth,
perfume, sunlight, music, brilliant,
hued blooms, brii.iant-plumaged birds
were here to greet pleasantly the SEN.
ses. BIT not in these did the young
wife find pleasure. She strollel idly
about for little time, pluclled flow
cr or two, fel sugar to her pet canary
from her own red lips, but still with
the same half frown upon her brow,
the same weary, unsatstied manner.
ucu IiI mug dNN.N, sue t4lbctNNt' w
another door, the music room Be-
yond, through a long vista OF open
doors, she saw the splendid suite OF
drawing-rooms with their frescoed
walls, their priceless pictures and stat,
uary, their miracles of the upholster.
er's art But she did not enter tlem
She turned wcarily from the sight
and etruck the cords of the exquisite.
ly toned pianoforte, played half an all
from Norma, then musel little, turn
ing over the piles of new music on
the ebony stand, then rose and Leaned
over the harp, letting her fingers stray
idly across the strings.
AS she stood there, listlesslv strill.
ing the chords, her air, her very atti-
tudc expressing how wearied and I'M
satisfied she was, another actor mp
peared upon the scene, drawn hither
it would seem, by the music.
His footsteps made no sonud upol
the yielding carpets, as, through ia,
long suite of drawing-rooms, he softly
Epaced-this old man, with his white
hair, but still erect and stately form
She did not hear his approach, ant
started violently when ut length h'
stood by her side.
She placed her small hand in hi;
that he held toward her, She yield
ed herself to the pressure of the arm
that encircled her waist; she raiseC
her brow to meet his kiss, but the dis
contented frown only grew deeper
and the caress was unanswered.
The old man was blind. Low,
makes old men and young men blind
often enough, and their vanity aid
the process, aud he saw paught OF al
that was expressed in her ar and at
titude, and in the weary lines of tina
fair, young face, He thought her de
jected, perhaps suffering, and it wa
pitful, tie tender tone of his atleC
tionate questions. Pitiful, too, wer
the curt; hard replies she gave, il
, which there was no sympathy with hi
+ distress.
The old man sighed.
'If you will only tell me, darling,
he said, "any wish that l can CRAFTY
you shall be made happy. Let N
have the pleasure of saying or doin
something to bring back the smile t
: your lips, and the light to your eye
: Van l-nnu \ 1oUo won rouo 10 10