The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1867-10-15
SYMPATHETIC INK


seaside town Of II. saw tall.
dignifed, handsome elderly gentleman
pass slowly on the opposite side Of the
way.
Aunt Lottie looked dreamily up from
the book she was reading, and followed
my glance.
Nes a very nj ice-looking gentleman,
she observed quietly, and resumed her
reading.
She was an invalid this summer, and
il was principally on her account that
We had come TO Il; Helen, I'm
Gle Bob and /, with sometimes, as had
been arranged, Cousin Frank 10 run
down on Saturday evening and stay till
Monday. As ne had arranged, should
say.-i0r Helen declared that she hadn /
sad word upon the subject not she,
indeed
| stood AZ the window idly watching
the old gentleman tall he was out OF
sight What finely cut profile F! What
beautiful long silvery HAIR! Then his
dress was 50 sorupulously neat, with
black Kid gloves. the glistening linen,
and polished boots.
'He is an old bachelor" | thought.
mo married man, or even widower,
would be SO scrupulously particular in
his address, or lift his hat with such re-
spectful courtesy to that half grown
school miss. And then / lost myself
in dreamy speculations as to why man
so handsome and eloquent, as | felt sure
this old gentleman in his youth must
have been, should have lived to this age
without marrying. He looked about
sixty thought.
This was our first day at H, and
every day after we saw The Chevalier,
as Helen and | called him, pass our
window ON his accustomed walk. Once
or twice we met him, and then the re-
spectful courtesy with which he would
lift his hat and stand aside from the
awkward narrow pavement to allow us
to pass, quite won all our hearts; and
| Helen even observed in Cousin Frank S
presence) that she really thought ii
possible for a young girl to fall in love
with such nice, handsome old gentle
man as this.
One evening we were all asked to a
quiet tea at the house of neighbor,
and the first person ] saw upon enter
ing the room was the nice old gentle
man. Twas unconscious of little glow
of qualification; though, as l was only
eighteen, and there were several young
gentlemun present, soon forgot 'Tht
Chevalier." Only once / noticed that
no was seated by Aunt Lotties side,
and conyersing apparently in a very
pleasant and animated strain, while hen
eyes were brighter than common, and
the smile on her usually pensive face
made her almost as pretty for widow
of fifty-five as her companion was hand.
some In her youth she had been Uer5
pretty-so l heard; but early trials, a
harsh step mother, negligent if not
unkind husband, whom she had mar
ried to please her father, had blighted
her health and her beauty alike. HAD
somehow always felt sorry for Aunt
Lottie; but we all loved her, and even
within my recollection more than one
"unexceptional offer" had been quietly
rejected by her And now she was, as
we all agreed, much too old to think o.
marrying.
"The Chevalier" walked home with us
this evening, offering his still fine arm
to Aunt Lottie, and remarked upon the
beauty of the moonlight and the soft
dreamy sound of the ripple upon the
beach-just as a young man might have
done
Aunt Lottie has made conquest o
Doctor Donne, or / am mistaken" OBJ
served Cousin Frank, as we entered
our little sitting-room after The Chev
alier" had taken leave at the door.
Auntie turned round at the words
and fixed her eyes with sudden
strange inquiring look upon the speak
er. Then she sank down quietly upor
the sofa, and covered her face with heI
hands, as she rested her head on tht
cushions.
Are you i'll, auntie dear ?" I iuquir
cd anxiously.
mo, child. The--the heat the wall
it is late, and we all had best retire a
once.
| And so she arose, and taking can
die, walked steadily out Of the room
aud up stairs; but saw that her fact
was quite pale
I Doctor Donne called on us the mex
| day; aud then be came frequently il
that informal social way III which peo
pie visit each other at quiet little water
ing places like II. Sometime
1 lie would have a rubber with Uncl,
l Bob, or a game Of chess with Helen, {,
whom he appeared TO have taken
grandfatherly sort Of fancy. Sometime
he would sit by Aunt Lot,ies sofa, an,
they wonld talk quietly together, Will,
played with uncle and Helen teasee
frank III her half-coquetting half dis
dainiul way / felt provoked at her, ,fol
knew that in her heart she liked him
and | was quite glad when he had a
length driven into paying attention {.
other girls instead Of constantly hang
ing about her, a slave to other capricee
4 One evening be had been sitting fol
more than at hour in q retired corner
q our little parlor conversing with /
pretty and lively girl, until she, witt
lac rest OF the eallerR-in took leave -