New Orleans daily crescent., 1866-10-29

help seeing good deal Of it, and did not like
what L saw. Jane, silly child, seemed quite
happy with such attentions as Mr.. Forbes paid
her; but if she was satisfied | was not. Mr..
Forbes went through love-making most conscien-
tiousy; but l remembered my Irritation with
Grace Anley seven years before, and thought 1t
was something very different from this. l never
caught Mr.. Forbes giving Jane any of those LOOKS
which had made me SO dreadfully ridiculous IN
those days; never saw him raised to blss soi[ OF
sunk to despair by anything my little cousin SAID
or did; and what was very Significant, never
once saw him try to be alone with her. / dreW
the pitiless conclusion that Mr.. FORBES, ,tnough
one Of the cleVerest men knew, haa hotnlhs W
say to Jane. ,o
was alone with her on the evening before
the wedding. day. We sat in the parlor BY one OF
the open windows and we looked out at the gar
den. / could not help thinking that this garden |
would seem very dull and lonely when my little
cousin Jenny was gone. No more shall near
her gaily caroling in the morning, as she ran
down the alleys, light and bthe as bird on the
wing. No more would see her reading in one
Of the arbors as intent as young muse. No
more would the waving of her muslin dress or
the pattering of her little feet on the gravel give
me pleasant thoughts of youth and girlhood.
She was going off to Paris with thst colo Af;
Forbes, and after their honeymoon trip he would
take her to his house, and keep her there forever
These were dismal thoughts; SO, with groan, y
said
Is You are gong away tO'IuOfFOWJ 0dle!
"Yes' she answered, in low voice. "Do
you know | can scarcely believe it, cousin Will
Iiam?"
"Nonsense," said, a little Grossly. "You
| like it, | have no doubt you are desperately in
| love with Mr. Forbes by this time"
emo, | am not,' she replied, with one of her
| little solemn ways; it is very odd, but am not
in love with Mr. Forbes, in spite of all his deVo-
| ton to mel
| Mr.. Forbes's settlements had been very liberal
| indeed but other devotion had not seen.
| at very wrong,n continued poor Jenny, in
tone of keen remorse; but it is no fault of mine,
you know. Nevertheless, spoke to Mr.. Forbes
| about it the other day.
"Did you, though l exclaimed, rather startled
! at this unnecessary piece Of candor.
Eyes; and he said it did not matter; that we
should be very happy together, and that | Would
be, he knew good mother to his little boy"
Janes simplicity and Mr.. Forbes,s GOODNESS
both confounded me. 1t was plain he was no
more in love with Jane than Jane was with him.
Only why on earth did he want to marry, her!
How did he know she would make good mo-
ther to his little boy? Jane had no sort Of ex-
perience concerning children, and was not even
very fond Of them. She liked them, to be sure
but / had never seen her 60 baby mad, like
Grace Anley. Mischievous little firt, she knew i
became her, suppose. Well well have had
nv revenge saw Grace the other day-she is
now Mrs. Grant-and Grace, my nymph, my
sylph, has grown stout.
l don't exactly know what reply gave little
/
cessity Of ardent love on her part, for she said in
her serious way:
$50 think, cousin William besides, you know
feeling that deficiency, must, OF course, make II
up by being ever SO much better than | NIGH
have been if | had returned all Mr.sforbes'S
feelings"
But She sighed; perhaps the prospect of being
so very good seemed little austere to my, youn9
cousin. Aunt Mary came in and put an end to the
conversation. ! went out to smoke cigar, an(
did not see Jane till the next morning.
A pleasant blushing bride my cousin looked al
most pretty, and quite happy MIR. Forbes was
as usual. very handsome; little pale, perhaps
but am bound to say that he went through the
trying marriage ceremony with manly tortltude
When it was over, he seemed to have cast weigh
of care away, and accepted our cOngratulatiOn
and good wishes with something like happy
smile. The wedding breakfast was late, and | dit
not see much Of him before we all sat down; but
when we did So / thought Mr. Forbes looked
very excitable bridegroom, and that even quit
little Jane had very fitfu spirits for bride.
drew no conclusion until Jane entered the library
where stood alone, to bid me goodbye We ha
spent many pleasant hours in that library, and
b did not wonder that Jane showed some emotion O.
finding me there. But when she came up to me
and, instead of taking my hand, threw her arm
around my neck and laid her cold cheek to mine
and burst into sobs and tears, l felt wonde
vergng on alarm.
It ''Jaae, my dear girl, my darling, what all
you ?" / said, anXiously.
t am going away" she sobbed; " oh, cousi
| William, am gong away -
She would say no more. She was going away
but surely she had known that all along; an
o surely it was not to go and leave us hat could pl
, her in such state OF despair as this. could q
J, no explanation from her. There was no tnn
4 The carriage was waiting; they were looking IL
y y ~ am coming, lam coming! !" she cried, dartn
: from me, and speaking in a light-hearted voice.
n followed her out. Mr.. Forbes handed her I'M
d the carriage, stepped in after her, and my lit
a cousin Jane, now Mrs. Forbes, was gone forevt
7 from amongst US.
Il Jane had not been long married when my faith
p died. Aunt Mary was ordered to the south
i, France and Iremained alone with the housekeepe
a These were weary days. wished now had pr
IS posed to Jane, and married her; ! tanGied "
a should have made happier couple than Mr. al
n Mrs. Forbes. She wrote now and then; she new
complained, but she never once said, 81 am ha
# py'f She praised Mr. Forbes and his house, al
ID spoke of her position and her comforts-ot he
"a self, never. The theme that most frequently r
Is CURED in her letters was Arthur, Mr.. Forbes's Ii
q tie boy. She recorded his sayings and doins
tv with evident fondness, and | began to think tn
y young bride whose mind was so much engrosst
7 by her husbands could not be very happy on
n had received general invitation to Mr.. Forbes
- house. and though Jane did not once remind n
,e of it, resolved to visit Elms. 1t would be
- change; besides, | wanted to see why Jane vi
n not happy / am bound to say that, though II
~ visit was unexpected, Mr.. Forbes received u
er very cordially
ID ID 1Jane will be delighted to see you," he SAT-
N ''she is out with my little boy"
ID Jane came in presently with sickly, peeyis
an looking little fellow-the wonderful Arthur, abo
re- re- whom she had so much to write. She colored
n. seeing me, but delight in her face saw not If
a could have believed it of Jane, 1 should ha
d thought she was sorry 1 had come. She stal
r mered welcome, however, but, as | soon pc
Il, ceved, stunned every opportunity of remainil
v. alone with me. Once L caught her on the sta
en- case.
as as "Well, Jane, are you happyH' I whispered.
I'd ooh, quite happy" she replied, airily. rs n
er the Elms a charming placer" And she made h
ed escape.
IN Yes, the Elms was a charming place; broV
- old house, spacious and convenient, with a 6
he lower garden around it, and beyond this a regi
as of ancient elm-trees scattered on grassy slOI
be Truly the mistress of this pleasant abode and we
ordered household, the wife of that handson
agreeable gentleman, ought to have been hap
ia woman: but she was not. I saw it at once. ia
he had grown thin and pale and looked sad and cal
worn. Nor did Mr.. Forbes look happy man.
mt did not like the rigid lines which few mont
to to' had made in his handsome face. He was We
kind to his wife, and strictly politics. but of fol
of ness of love, of tenderness, | saw no sign.
rs kept these for his child, who was certainly one
II the most illtempered little three-year old wrett
oh es had ever seen. Yet Jane seemed to rival
ad husband in doting affection for that little monke