The Portland daily press., 1868-04-25
selected story.
DELILAH,
NOW A MODERN SAMSON WAS sHoRN.

the 9ulnea-eeS OF the dlI ertors, are aiWay'
punc-uaiiy forthcoming. ow il IS shi9u-
lar Iact, that however well OIL a man 10y naS
be- a guinea always has an attraction ioI hIhi
and SIR. Thomas WintOn, when IN town. Is
very raonIar in his attendance at the board.
TTaa 5@1ha1s,,s of General conversation are
no- 1,nl,1o,vn 10 those social gatherings and
S,r Thomas and often discussed our favorte
tonics. lie IS a sporting character; my hob
bvi tbe drama Ii | open the converse
tioa. politely affect an interest in Derby
prospects; mention the Middle Park sale OF
yeariings, Or inquire tenderly after the Baro-
nets partridseS and pheasants. II OF tne
other hand it is Sir thomas who takes the
lead, he inquiles what think OF lne lasI ne"
French adaptation put upon I1e Lonuoh
STAGE. And so certain intimacy mas sprung
up between US =.
Si? Thomas asked me one day early in last
J4ly.
i am very much out of practice | replied :;
but / usel to be a fair average performer
with gun some years ago. When Sel
spare day now 1 am app 10 be too anz- Gus.
AT aDy rate, YOU are iond OF the sport
"W ry.'
"Ihen you must come down to my place
and try your hand-will your"
''You are very kind"
sAnd it you like day or two's hunting
for change will give you mount"
"1hank you; 1 shall be most happy"
"You wli hot mind coming rather late IN
the season? We generally have house Iull
OF young people in November AMI | keep
sone covers u beaten Tor the occasion. And
IT We have touch OF frost, there will be some
slipe."
/ thanked Sir Thomas Wrnton again, and
thou1hL no more OF the matter.
Invitations OF that kind are so very rife
after Iuucbeon-sherIy being a heart expand
ing hGid-and SO often for often, that ne :
expected to near again OF this one. was
qnl,e surprised, Therefore, when kind letter
trom sir Thomas came in November, remind
ing me oil nay promise to come and stay with
han, anu 1xln9 the daj.
30 L went down 10 inton, and found
that sir Thomas had very good notion OF
fitting up country house. Every bedroom
had dressins-ronm attached with bath in
it and hot aud cold watel laid on; ard a
warm BATH before dinner, after violent exer-
else, Is one OF the gle ltest luXlries in the
syOarte list Then The breakfast arrange
nanGs were capital; guests entered the room
any nout tney pleased, rang the bell, aid or
dered Wnalever tney liked, just as ii they
wete az noteL BaG all this which is COM
mol enough in large country houses, does
not give tue idea OF com ort ! wish to con-
vey, aud which consisted in the ease and
smoJtuness with which ali the wheels of the
hJuseAod tlrnet. There was no fuss or
boGAef, OF iorceI hospitality; but it you
wan-ed anytnn-, ou got t at once, without
trouD.e or ueldy.
But am anticipating. i have only just
reached bAe house a. present. Sir homas
WInCoA was a widower, and his present fam
lily consisted OF TWO daughters. somewhere be
tween eghteon and tnrty, ard son In the
LAneers, now at home on leave. There
wee several guests beside myself: Captain
Seymour, brother officer OF young Wnton S.
VA = 5t3l5 I'll Iasite OF forming another
traternai connection with him; Paddy
" brian oil the Foreign Office sort OF So
clal Gre 4ton; aud Others. OF the tairer Wis
ltors, need only mention one, Ada Dart, ior
what man OF sound mind could notice any
other girl wnen she was IN the room! Well
Captain Sc moar could do so; but then he
Was Infatuated and not OF sound mlnd-suff-
ering tom younger Miss Winton on The
BRAN, in ract. 1t surprised me very much to
see tue beautiful Ada sail into the drawing
room before dinner on the evening ofmy ar
riva. / had met her at a dinnef-party and
three balls 1 had attenued her with grateful
humility throughout the whole OF picnic,
and nei image rose before me rather mole
tLen than liked. 1t is very unpleasant to
be haun Ell hy face; to see it Whenever you
smohe quiec solitary pipe; whel you lean
back and smut your eyes IN a rail way carriage
when you are trying to get to sleep at night.
really DO not know which is wOr5t-to have
beautiful woman or tune running in your
head.
Ofcourse 1 was not in that absurd state
which the ancients stl lie 'enamored,' and the
modeTns 'spoony; / am of age. and desplse
Romance The man who loves any one but
himself, Or val les anything more than hard
Cash, is an idiot, and nope that l am Tree
IRON such an extreme weakness. But to a
certain sort OF attraction, or ianey, or adml-
ration, L must pleal guilty. Marriage IS 9
state Whicl is considered by many hard
headed, practical men TO have its advantages
and it did occur TO me that if ever tested
them. it would he rather pleasant to do so
in partnership with Ada Dart.
| nad no idea thap she was acquainted with
the " intons, and her uneXpected presence
looked quite like fatality. Ii ever. when
expecting to find yourself in the midst oi
stfdn gers. you have discovered a tainlar face
amongst them, you may remember what a
pleasant revIlsion it can5et IN your feelings
and how mere acquantanceship bore toe
look OF intimate friendship by the contrast
- hatP said g. do you know the Win
tons?'
:. Yes," she replied, looking rather aston
ished at my tone; have known them since
! was quite titny thing; Sarah Winton il
my great ally"
Her reply showed an absurdity and an un
due a5sLm Jtion of intimacy in an exclama
ton. which would have been very numbine
to reflect upon in the presence OF most ladies
bul Ada Dart was like the sun; it was i'm
possible 10 fee cold or numb when she was
shining on you; and she always shone;l dc
not believe she ever snubbed poor fellow
in her lille. Sac would augh at him, indeed
on very Slight provocation, but those whit
would have resented ridIcule the soonest II
any one else, were never offended with Ada
no one ever trowned at her, or disliked her
OF oded her, or failed to Pet and spoil hel
since she was first placed in the cradle,
bel eve
And a ridiculous proverb asserts thai
beauty is only skin deepl For she was
beautiful; even other beauties acknowledged
that. All they could do was to compare he
with mcdels OF tOraliy instinct sly lie, or t
suggest hat certain natural charms nigh
be due to art. She was plump and white a.
a baby; each Of her large hazel eyes had ;
distincJso in it; where other mortal pos
sessed knuckles, she hal dimpes; her eal
was ii flower, her But dare not dwell OF
her charms, 50, pray, try to imagine them
1t is an impoSsibility; but never mind-lry
[ could not remain long by her side: tht
room was full OF strangers, with many o
whom had now to form acquaintance io
the first time, even the ladies OF the house be
ing unknown to me. was eventually palre'
oil y it'll Il companion who was much inter
ested in the Catholic revival, and evident
thought little of me after making the unfr
tunate discovery t6at 1 did not know wha
coorel sto.e should he worn IN ember weeks
My dinner was spoiled by a perpetual dreat
OF speaking with leVity of things she rever
enced; aad it | had net at last happily hi
upon fac safe conIse of violently aOHsing thu
low church party, | believe that l shoult
have had an Indigestion.
The place [ coveted at the side of Ad;
Dart was filed by Paddy 0 Brian, who had
wonderful aud enViabIe power Of showing po
liteneSs and apparent attention to the gener
al company, while really attaching himself t
one selected individual. | had met o Brian
at 5he same parties as Ada, but had never
noticed any particular attentions on bi;
prt. Now, however, he seemed to be estab
lshing a Irritation in torn which was serious
tcr d man may go very far in 4 public ball
room with comparative impunity, but trihino
in country house is very different mat
ter.
Before the evening was over, / felt certain
that had no chance of walking over" toI
Ii e prize and also that she was worth win.
ming; for Paddy was not the man TO court
undowered beauty; indeed he could not at
f)rl so romantic roceeding.
When the ladies retired most OF the mer
repaired to the billiard room, where cigar
and grog were provided; but the majority
were tired, and went to bed early, leaving
y Brian and ny sell to finish game.
Wei ;" said he as soon as we were alone
"l suppose that yon and [ have been asked
down here Ior the same thing"
piled.