, 1869-03-12
MOURNING OVER.
MY SECOND ESSAY WITH MS. PAssABLE
" TR0TT.

brink OF matrimony when q young man
could only be appreciated by a fstuitous
credulity. The number Of very fat mothers
of very plain families who can point me out
to their respectable offspring as their once
imminent papa, is ludicronsly improbable.
The truth was, that / had powerful imagi.
nation IN my early youth and 90 realizing
sense. A coral necklace, warm from the
wearer-R shoe with little round stain 10
the sole-anything fannel-a bitten rosebud
with the mark of tooth on it, rose, a
glove, thimble-either of these was agony,
ecstasy Toapything with curles and skirts
aud especially if encircled with sky blue
sash, my heart was as prodigsl as a Croton
hydrant. All me.
But Of all my short eternal attachments,
Hdelia Balch (since Mrs P Trott) was the
kindest and fairest. Paithless of course she
was, since my name does not begin with 7,
but if she did not continue to love me-P.
Trott or no P Trott-she was shockingly
forsworn, as can be proved by several stars,
usually considered very attentive listeners.
l rather pitied poor TrOtt, for know
Her heart-it was suothers,
and he was rich and fortylodd. But they
seemed to live harmonously, and if availed
myself of such little consultations as fell 10
my way, it was the result of philosophy. l
never forgot the faithless Fidelia
This is to be a disemboweled narrative,
dear reader-skipping from the maidenhOOd
of my heroine to her widoWhood, fifteen
years-yet l would have you supply here
and there a betweeuity. My own sufferings
at seeing my adored Fidelia go daily iuto
another mans house and shut the door after
her, you can easily conceive. Though not
in the habit of rebellng against human TO-
stitutions. it did seem to me that the mar
riage ceremony had no business to give old
TrOtt quit SO much for his money. But the
aggravatiDg part of 1t was to come. Mrs.
z. Trott grew prettier every day, and of
course three hundred and sixty>fve notice
able degrees prettier every year She seem.
ed incapable of, or not liable to, wear and
tear and probably old TrOtt was man, in
doors, Of very even behavior. Aud it should
be said too, in explanation, that, as Miss
Balch, Fidelia was shade too fat for her
model She embellshed as her dmples
grew shallower. Trihe by triAe, like the
progress of statute, the superAuity fell
away from natures original Miss Balcb (as
designed in heaven and when old Passable
died (and no one knew what that F. stood
for till it was betrayed by the indscreet plate
on his cofiu,) Mrs. Trott, thirty-three years
old, was at the maximum of her beauty.
Plump, taper, trausparently fair, with an
arm like a high conditioned Venus and a
neck set 90 like the swell Of French horn,
she was consumedly good looking. When |
saw in the paper, Died, Mr.. 2. Trott,' |
went out and walked past the house with
overpowering emotions. Thanks to a great
many refusals, 1 had been faithful l could
bring her the same heart, unused and un-
damaged, which l had offered he. before.
could generously overlook Mr.. TrOtt's TEN
porSry occupation [since he had left us his
money! and when her mourning should be
over-the very day-the very hour-her
first love should be ready for her, good as
new.
l have said nothing of any evidence of
continued attachment on the part of Mrs
Trott. She was a discreet person and not
likely to compromise Mr.. P. Trott till she
knew the strength of his constitution. But
there was one evidence of lingering prefer
ence which built upon like rock. had
not visited her these fifteen years Trott
liked me not-you can gdess why. But l
had a nephew, five years old when Miss
Balch was my privately engaged, and as
like me, that boy, as could be copied by na-
tures He was our unsuspecting messenger
of love, going to play in old Balch's garden
when was forbidden the house, unconscious
of the billetdoux in the pocket of his pima,
fore; and to this boy, after our separation,
Fidelia seemed to cling. He grew youth
of mind and manners and still she cherished
him He all but lived at old Trott's, petted
and made much of-her constant companion,
reading, walking, riding = indeed, when
home from college, her sole society. Are
you surprised that in all this there was a
tenderness of "reminiscences that touched and
assured me. Ah we always return to our
first love.
thought it delicate and best to let sill.
eDce do its work during that year of mourn>
ing. did not whisper even to my nephew
bob the secret oil my happiness. L lett one
card of coincidence after old Trott's funeral,
and lived private, counted the hours. The
slowest kind of eternity it appeared.
The morning never seemed to me to break
with so much difficulty and reluctance as on
the anniversary of the demise Of Mr.. Pass
able Trott-lune 2, 1850. Time is CON-
parative thing. well know, but the minutes
seemed to stick on that interminable morn.
ing. began to dress for breakfast at four
but details are tiresome. Let me assure
you that twelve o'clock A. M. did arrive.
The clocks struck it and the shadows vari-
fed it. d9sls4 zoe q -a5oA
could not have borne an accidental mot
at heme, and / resolved to run the risk Of
it. Lovers, besides, are not tied 70 knocks
ers and ceremony. bribed the gardener
Fidelis's bOudoir, l knew, opened upon the
laWn-and it seemed more ike love to walk.
10. She kneW-I knew--fate and circum.
stances knew and had ordained d--that morn
ing was to be showed up, joined on and
doVetailed 10 our last separation. The time
betWeen was To Be 4 blank. OF oourUe she