The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1868-09-25

She had no % especial dislike to Pop:
lsham-l Liked him, INDEED for eiiis
Kindness to Nan; but her symna-
j.thies, were with the, absen t lover
partly, no doubt, because of his
absence. But Popham, one day,
catching Nan alone, made a aas u . 5u I5sh Sd
confession OF his love. } And Nan felt
pleasantly towards Popham, even as
she { had done towards Cavendish,
and felt no inclination to tell him to
desist. . etr
"If you can love me-" said Pop
ham, al shall stay here, of course,
and be happy; but if you cannot, I
must leave the place. No; don't
answer me now, Nan; I shall know
tomorrow. If you mean me to stay,
you must wear a red poppy in your
dress"
The next day, Popham haunted
the fields, long before the hour that
Nan and Eve walked; but, at last, he
saw them-Nen in The background,
with her eye-lashes lowered, and her
cheeks as red as the poppy in her
dress. All, Cavendish, smoke at
your ease, or hirt, if you will, with
the black-eyed belle-there need
nothing now bind you to England.
And what possessed Nan? Remem-
Der the title of the sketch. The girl
was rudderless. Every impulse that
she felt, she gave way to.
But now, how was it that, with
two such lovers rs Popham and
Cavendish, poor Nan should present
ly have been no better off than many
girl who had not even had one? I
am afraid it was that she had the
fault of
tthe Dutch
Which is, giving too little and asking too
much"
Any way, Cavendish, on his return
at last, CHANGING to fall in with Pop
ham before he met Nan, heard-and,
fori the matter of that, gave-such q
dismal account of Mans conduct
throughout, that the result was, both
men gave up their pretensions to her
hand-though, rs Cavendish said
when again he met her, he had some
thing to do not to recommence WOO
ing as of old. For one especial point
in Nan, was the value that she set on
what was passing out Of reach. But
Cavendish was aware OF the almost
magnetic power Nan possessed, and
would not put himself in her way.
Popham, too, was perpleXed at the
whole revelation, and no longer
anxious to undertake Nan. So both
men absconded. Popham scorched,
yet, happily, open to consolation;
and Cavendish heavy at heart and
bitter in his words, yet still tender
over o locket thet hung from his
chain, and which contained q little
miniature-a face set round with O
long sunny curl, eyes as blue rs q
summers day, looking reproachfully
out at him, and lips that seemed
struggling to plead their own cause.
Underneath, were three golden let
ters' which, put together, spelt Nan.
Mamma, did you ever know any
other girl so bad?"
"hush, Man."
Mamma, no one else ever has
done as I've done-so foolish, so
vain, so weak!'
"You are always my darling, Nan )"
This was in the twilight, Nan lying
all down on the floor, her brown
head resting against her mother, the
fringes of her eyes turned towards
her.
Mamma, do you remember when
was q little girl, how you used to
give me texts? You never gave me
mine, mamma-the one that applies
to my life."
"What is it, darling?"
And then, in the darkness and
quiet, and even whilst Cavendish
held her locket close pressed to his
breast, Mans quivering lips pro-
nounced her own sentence-"Unsta
BILE as water, thou shalt not excel"
ooh! Nan, Nan, you will break my
heart"
eff I were to die, mamma, you
could write nothing else up against
me-"
"They shall never write it up,
Nan-never, never"
How dreary it all seemed to Eve.
1t was young Ashley's daughter, this
sad, little girl, who was thus speak
ing of her life as all past. So the
years rolled on, and, even as they
! possed there came peuo fo Annlodo