The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1871-10-12

streets, a lady's foot was visible whenever
she walked, and the young people used
to say, when they wanted. to describe
tidiness, that ait was as neat as Greta's
ankle"
| 1t was certainly a pretty sight to see
Mr.. and Mrs. Cortlandt and Greta on
their way to the Westinghouse every
Sunday morning.
She walked on with some friends a
little in advance of her parents, and it
would have made you smile to hear the
praise they both bestowed upon their
daughter. The old lady would say
think, Hans, that have too much
good sense to be misled by my feelings
as a mother, but DO look at Greta. Did
You ever see any girl with half her
grace? and just notice her walk !"
Old Hans heartily echoed this disin-
terested sentiment, and would call his
wifes attention to some good quality of
| Greta, which he thought she had over
| looked. t.t F.
1t must be confessed that Greta was
not only the wealthiest, but also the
prettiest girl in those parts and as she
had pair of the brightest eyes, it is
not to be wondered at that she was
aware of the fact, more especially as she
had the very best and costliest mirrors
in her dressing-room in all the State.
1t was certainly very pretty sight to
see Greta at church. No sooner had she
taken her seat in the old family pew
than she placed her prayer-book open
on the slope before her, and then gave
quiet glance at the opposite side of the
church. The glance became a smile,
which lit up her pretty face, when she
saw in that direction young man some
two or three years older than herself,
ready to acknowledge the glance with
tender look, which really made the
geniafface of Herman Zabrieski positive
ly handsome. a
We have always thought that good
ness was the finest kind of beauty, and
it was perhaps this that made Greta's
betrothed's one of the handsomest faces
in Bergen county. Hob. .....
When the service was over, and the
minister had pronounced his blessing,
Greta was in the habit of bending her
head reverently down, and breathing
short prayer and it was most singular
that when she raised her bright beaming
face, she always found Herman Zabrieski
waiting at the pew-door to escort her
home.
Sometimes the Van Cortlandts would
pass the rest of the Sabbath with the
Zabrieskis, and sometimes the Zabrieskis
would return to the Van Cortlandt man.
sion. But at all events, Herman was
always Gretas escort and companion for
the rest of that sacred day.
There was one fact about their court
hin which xrhilo ~ would hox,a a.,
any other girl than Greta very happy,
rendered her perfectly miserable. The
little circumstance we allude to was,
that the proposed marriage of Greta and
Herman had the full approval Of the
parents of both. .-...
Greta would often say to her betrothed:
al am very much afraid, my dear Her.
man, that our marriage will not be
happy one"
"Why?" he would reply.
"How can you ask such an absurd
question I" said Greta. "There is no ro-
nance in it.
"How is that?" the simple-minded
young Knickerbocker would say.
because" said she, "our engagement
has the consent of our parents"
"you don't think" said he, "that 1
would marry you without the consent of
your father and mother p n.
"You wouldn't?" said Greta, with a
look of astonishment and indignation.
Certainly not" said he, "no more
than you would without my fathers
and mothers consent"
Herman, you do not know what love
is. You think you love me, because
your mother and father, and my father
and mother, ha We no objection to it. If
you knew anything of love, you would
know that The course of true love never
did run smooth How does woman
know man loves her if he will not do
something dreadful for her"
"Dreadful What do you mean by
dreadful?"
81 don't mean dreadful" said she,
"but daring-such as carrying me off
in the middle of the night, and when
pursued by my father and his servants,
swimming the river with me III your
arms Would you not do that, Hermann"
"What and make your name the talk
of the country? Besides, there is no
need for it. Did not your father tell
mine only yesterday that the day you
and l were married would be the hap
piest day of his life {" .f....... III.
"Then, you would not elope with me 7"
Certainly not" said he. It4- NI
Then you do not love me half as much
as Alcanzor did the Lady Almeida, for
he carried her off from her fathers castle,
and while he was carrying her off, cut
down of her fathers myrmidons seven
teen. who tried to impede their flight"
"Well, all know is, that if the con-
stables catch that fellow, and l am on
the Jury, l will do my best to hang him.
Was the fellow ever caughti"g rr --t
Without condescending to notice his
question. Greta said yerr ~
"There can be no truly happy marriage.
without the parents oppose it, and they
are compelled to elope to save the lady
from being forced to marry the man of
her fathers choice" q. ..y --as.. al
"Well, if was girl" said Herman,
seriously, II would not like to marry
without my parents consent, more
especially my mothers" "IUL.ELLu VH
"Answer me one questions" said Greta,
with mischievous twinkle of her eye.
t" Did my mother ask my consent =
mo" said he. "How could she r
"Well," said Greta, 81 mean to follow
my mothers example. You know how
happy Lord Porchester and the Princess
Pauline were, and they ran away.
never knew lord in my life" said
Herman. sies- 81 A-f st'-S o
"Well." said Greta, "you will know
all about them if you read the novel
have nm. stairs