The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1868-12-17
SELECT Story.
A Story Of Everyday Life.

IL am tired OF mopinS IN luis ouil
town. It is four weeks since, left the
Seminary, and I honestly wish vacation
were over" remarked Blanche Merton,
slipping her coffee. after the family had
left the breakfast table.
"You certainly cannot wish to 60
child, until you have seen Clarence
Gray" replied her aunt Rachel, a veal
thy and aristocratic woman of sixty.
cit is of no moment to me to meet
Mr.. Gray, or any other Mr.. -, at
present I am only nineteen; besides
have too much spirit in me to be bought
and sold by anybody. am neither
Circassian nor Ethiopian"
/ "You talk very silly. Blanche-your
girlish fo.lies pain me beyond every
thing. You have heard me say, repeat
| edly, that should settle my estate upon
Gray's wife, let her be who she would.
He is a very superior young man, and
most girls would have good sense enough
to appreciate such an ofer."
"But it has all been arranged If l
had seen the fellow and liked him my
self, without any help from other poo
ple. the affair would be entirely differ
ent; but the idea Of marrying man
because somebody says | must, is intol-
erable. You can settle your estate,
Aunt Rachel, upon whom you like"
and throwing on her bonnet and shawl,
Blanche took her botany and sauntered
towards the woods in quest of flowers.
Hour after hour she wandered on, re-
gardless of the route, or the distance
she was straying Blanche was close
student, in spite of gayety, and many
rare specimens were analyzed, aud the
Natural Oder, Genera, and Species,
carefully noted on slip of paper, as
she now and then rested on the trunk
of some fallen tree. By and by she
grew uneasy, as she was unable to decide
in which direction her aunt's residence
lay. Then there was rustling noise
in the underbrush, not great distance
from her; this rustling was succeeded
by two or three harsh growls.
This so much terrified Blan she that
she rushed towards an opening in the
forest, regardless of the direction.
Leaping over logs or whatever chanced
to lie in her path, on, on she went, al
most fying-sometimes sinking in mar
shy spots almost to the tops of her
CATERS; but onward and rapidly, fur
nishing herself with new slit in her
dress at almost every bound With
garments ruined, she at last found her
self in an opening anda little farther
on, through clump of naples, loomed
the stately walls OF mansion. The
building was both high and deep, with
gray stone front and gray shutters.
It was located in the rear of a park,
constructed with various drives, an ar
tifcial lake and fountain.
Everything was @prepossesslng to the
eye, and it was no small relief to
Blanche to feel that she was out of dan
ger; but her soiled garments looked
shockingly-entircly uniting her to
appear among well bred people She
at last concluded to venture to the back
door and inquire of the servants respect
ing her route home. Surmounting a
stone wall, she walked up grassy lawn,
and passing through small gate, soon
found herself in the garden.
s.Will you walk in ?" said gentle
manly looking man, emerging from a
groupHot firs on the right.
ado come in and rest you" urged a
young lady, apparently his sister
Blanchsl glanced upon herself and
then blushed with modification. The
gentleman was apparently only three or
four years older than herself, with a
cast of countenance decidedly intellec-
tual. His forehead was broad and high,
surmouuted with glossy, black hair, q
handsome moustache curled gracefully
upon the upper lip, with heavy whisk-
ers completing the finish.
The arst impulse which came over
Blanche was to fly the neSt was TO pull
one little curl Of the fellows Whiskers
in revenge for a smile which rippled
over his face in spite Of bis d efforts it to