Mineral Point weekly tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1859-1868, 1866-02-14

l almost jumped off my chair. ''IU
not hear a word of it-I declare will not
III keep the young man off my premises
with man-traps and spring guns. I'll 90
back to India if you tell me of another
engagement
No chance of that and Martha
shook her head more dreariIy than ever.
Poor child. | fear it is an unfortunats
attachment ~
frightened up-so much so. that nv
sister looked, nay, gently hinted, her con-
viction that / was brute She ez-
pected l would have been az sorrt as she
was
No. Martha lin rather glad. Glad.
alter my experience Of these fortunate
love affairs, to find that one of my sisters
has the womauly courage, unselfshness,
and simplicity to conceive an 'anfortunate
attachment
Perhaps this speech hurt Martha, and
yet It need not She and both knew and
respected one another youth and If we
differed in opinion concerning our middle
age, Why-l was as likely to be wrong a :
she
She did not at first reply; and then,
without comment, she explained to me her
uneasiness about Constantia The Girl
had long played confidante to Mr.. Archer
IN the matter of Ange'ine, and, as often
happens, the confidante had unwittinrlv
taken too great interest in one of her
principals, until she found herself envving
the lot of the other When MIR Archers
dismissal finally broke of all intercourse
with our family, there was one of my sis
ters who missed him YEARLY, cruelty, and
that was-nOt Augeliue.
| was touched. Nov, no doubt, Com
stantia had been very foolish. Little
doubt. likewise, that the feeling would
wear itself out, or fade slowly away in the
stern truths : but at present it was most
sincere passion, sad and sore.
Martha and | held counsel togethcr,
and acted on the result We took Con-
stantia under our especial charge: we
gave her books to read, visits to paw. work
to do; keeping her as much as possible
with one or other Of us, and out of the
way Of the childish Irritation of Cuthbert
and Charlotte, or the formal philandnring
Of Sir Rowland and the future Lady Grif-
fifth Jones And if sometimes. as Lizzie
told me-my little Lizzie, who laughed at
love and lovers with the lightness of six
tecn-Constantia grew impatient with
Lofty careless trifling. and curled her
lip scornfully when Anceiine paradcd the
splendors of her tr03tSSe0u. we tried to
lead the girls mind out Of herself and out
Of dreamland altogether, as much as pos
siblc.
" But suppose Lizzie sarely arguod-
" suppose when Angelina is married Mr.
Archer should come back? He always
liked Constantia extremely Who knows
but =
shook my head and desired the little
castle builder to hold her tongue
She was our sole sharer of the secret ;
and | may say, though she laughed at her
now and then, Lizzie was extremely low
ing and patient with Constantia After a
time we left the two girls wholly to one
another, more especially as my time was
not taken up with my new friend Laun-
cestOn.
Q, the comfort. the relief Of the society
Of a man "a real honest man - who had
some sterling aim and obicctin life-some
steady work to do-some earnest interest
in the adcance Of the world, the duties
and pursuits Of his brother men: who IS
neither handsome, witty nor accomplished.
who rarely shone in ladies society in
fact, rather cschewed it than otherwise
For, he said, nature had untitled him to
act the part Of a mere admrer. and adj
verse fortune forbade him to appear in
the character Of lover so he kept aloof
keeping his own company and that Of one
or two old friends like myself
/ was fond Of Launceston; | wished my
family to like him too but they were al
too busy about their own affairs Evening
after evening, could not get any Of my sis
ters to make tea for US, or give US little
music afterwards. except the pa'c, dull
looking COnstantia, or my bOnnv rose Of
June, little Lizzie. At last we four settled
into a small daily company. and went out
together, road together. talked together
continually kept these two younger ones
as much as possible in our unromantic
practical society. that not only my mind
but Launcestou' IN its thorough cheerful
ness and healthiness of tone, might uucon
/ sciouS!y have gooi influence upon Con
stantia
The girls spirit slowly began to heat
She set aside her Gaming, and took with
/ all the energy Of her nature to active work
-women's work-charity, school teach
( ing village-visitinr. and the like. She
+ put little too much romance into ell
she dit still; but there was life in II, truth
sincerity
/ Miss Constance will make an admir-
able ladv-oCal work" said Launccs ton,
/ in his quaint way, watching her with his
/ kindly and observant ewes " The world
wants such She VIII find enough to do -
/ And so she did enough to steal her toe
+ from nv side almost as much as the three
7fqncces The circle in nv study dwind-
led gradually down to Lizzie, Launcest0r
and me,
! We were excellent company sti ]. We
three. had rarely had 50 much of nv
pet sister society | had never found =
50 pleasant True she vas shver thar
usual probably from being with us two
older and wiser pcople-men likewise
but she listened TO our wisdom 50 swcctl7
she bore with our dry, lonr-worded
learning so patientlv-that nv study never
seemed itself unless ! had the little cir
seated at nv feet, or sewing QuiteIv in tht
window corner And then she waz com
pletely little girl had no forward
ways-no love notions or. tca times worse
marriage notions crossing her innoccu
brain. felt sure could take her int.
uv-clcso.: heart, form her mind and nrin
ciples ~ ny viii and one Law make no
lie woman % her after the pattern Of
ber never mention that sacred name.
! loved Lizz:c-loved her 70 the core O
nv heart Sometimes with fatherIv. nor
than even brotherly pride, | used to tai
TO Launcestou Of the childs sweetnesse'
but be always gave me short answers. ]
was his way. His laconism in most thing
was really astonishing for man unde
thirtv.
One dav. when Anrelines grand wed