Smyrna times., 1868-07-01

L
could conlugate single French verb was ia
nlliar with every housekeeping detail. won
ger, she concluded, that all women do not
Ike 10 COOK. There Is something as artistic to
me IN the preparation of a beautiful appetiz-
ing DISH as IN the painting of fine picture
One certainly does not get daubcd any more
with the former than the latter
But a> was telling you th, morning | was
uneasy. Hattie had read every item % inter.
est in the Times. mad assisted me from thr
breakfast parlor to the library (an unusual fa
Vor), and now with her fair head bent over
the everlasting knitting seemed, even while She
wrought Stlll more ENHANCEMENT with her deli
cate manlpulatonS OF the wool and my suscep
tlblltles, to be so entirely engroSSed with some
foreign subject as to preclude all thought Of
me. me. lhe evening before Frank IIertford
Blanches brother, had run down from the
city and taken Hattie slei .h-ridng. | shall
never forget how sweetly she looked in the soft
tieecy wrapplngs, with Just enough Of crimson
blended with the immaculate white to give the
brown eyes still brOwner shade, and to form
tasteful frame work for the eXuuisitelv oval
face.
4" am so sorry, Robert, you cannot have
any fun this winter" she said, coming nm to
my arm chair and smoothing back the hair
from my temples. : But the first real fine day
| IL take you out riding myself" and She hur
RED on. L watched her spring into the sleigh,
aughingly throw good-by kiss. and then
more depressed than | had ever been in ali NV
life, | went to bed. Hattie noticed, the mo-
ment her eyes sought my face the next morn
ing, that was not looking as well as usual
and ctlced that on the forefnger of her lett
hand she wore ring, an expensive solitaire
diamond-that | had never seen there before
How easy of explanation the engagement
ring, OF course. Frank had taken the first
tram up IN the morning, and, so far as | was
able to Judge there had been no mention maJc
OF the affair to the family. "Who but fool
and an invalid would ever have been caught in
such scrape as this p | whispered to myself
For what purpose had mysterious Providence
thrown us INTO this slnguarly friendly compan-
lonshIp! was puzzled to find any Justice in
the arrangement and the man who had per
formed his duty pretty fairly on the battlefield
who had faced grape and canister with tolcr.
ably good grace, had now Succumed entirely to
a little arrow which had entered the soul with
out pam, but badc fair to produce more cxcru-
eating misery than | had ever in nv life en-
dured. So watched the precious stone scin-
tlate and Sparkle-watchcd the little hands
weave the intricate and torturing mrShes until
1t seemed that one more evolution of the glis-
tenlng ncede-Unc more flash Of that engage
ment diamond would drive me insane Fine
place for soldier! But Hattie worked away
lndustrously, and changed my position
DO not attempt to read, Robert, said She.
as her quick eye caught the sound Of page
turning. The doctor, you know, has espe-
cla-y forbidden that. Allow me, aud the
work was thrown aside, and the dear girl took
possession of the magazine, and insisted upon
knowing what article preferred.
But you are busy with your knitting"
replied. : dislike very much to interfere with
every ones pleasures, as | seem to be con
stantiy doing"
. Nonsense! What DO you think care for
tins foolish crochrting? Really, | have not
gwen the work moments thought; only you
see 1t Is 50 natural for me to be employcd and, |
after all, what does it amount to? Nv life I
seems to me; Robert, very tame and purpose /
less to-day"
To-day, Hattie? Why, that is almost in
credible, and | attempted to look very cheer
tul and almost amused. A fellow might as
w. put good face on such matters, and then /
a SORT OF bulldog determination possessed me
to make her confde ii me
Why not to-day, Robert p and her eyes
took on weary look, and the little a1S fold
ed themselves over the magazine in sort of
try-t9-bc resigned manner, which was new, to
say the least. . should like to he :. man,
Robert" she continued, without giving me
time to answer her last question. Men have
am opportunity for grand active life work :
Men can step outside OF given circle-can Ito .
noble, and become DISTINGUISHED
but the moment woman attempts any thing
OF the sort that moment that woman becomes
unwomanly; and she is only mentioned by the .
masses in terms Of denunciaton
just as it should be, Hattie" | replied. (
" oman kingdom is home; that is her own
special province, and there millions have be- /
come distinguished. What would life be to
me now without the loving protecting influence
OF woman Oh, Hattie, if you knew how
grateful and refreshing were your kind minis
tratlons, you would never sigh for broader
field"
The pink on her cheek deepencd little as
she caught my earnest expression, and she re-
piled
But you are i'll now, Robert, and overrate
our endeavors for your comfort but are we not
able to fill other positions with credit besides
those of nurses and housekeepers ?"
And wives and mothers, | added quietly.
- | think not with distinction"
Well, perhaps not, ;" she answered. "And
one mig as well be content with the sphere
assigned one; and ! will not spend another
morning so fooshly."
| had almost forgotten the sleigh-ride-and
new s0lItalre-SO earnest had our conversation
become; and when few moments after Blanche
came IN, and in her impulsive manner declared
a storm was coming, and opened the piano and
"Tbe day is cold and dark and
dreary," felt that my day was indeed cloudy
one. An invad-almost hclplcss-in love with
u woman who had plighted her troth to anoth
er. Had Illness and weakness so berclt me, of
all maDliDess2 Now, sir" said | to myself,
after retiring, "you and | must come to an
and We did. promised my
own soul that | would persistenty smother
every feeling of affection, and play my part as
well as | could until able once more to mingle
with the outside world. Day after day passed,
aud some way did not improve. Frank came
down once or twice week, but | never saw
him with llettie on account of being compelled
to retire early. Once my aunt said to me:
" Robert, [ think Frank is very fond of
Harriet, and | am glad to know i; ; for | can
thi of no one | could take to my heart as
daughter so easily" So she was not awaio o of
the engagement | wondered that Frank could
keep the pleasant news to himself, for he was
a very demOnstratrative young man, and ex-
tremely fond Of his mother.