Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1872-07-03
SELECTED STORY.
BIRTH OR WORTH?
BY A..

noC near me! vincent Du CheSne lmpa-
tiently grasped the small white hands that
were pulling away leaf after leaf of the
hazel beside them, and looked almost
fiercely into the deep, dreamy blue eyes
that were raised to his.
"You have been gazing at nothing for
the last half hour, while / have been tell
ing you-Heaven knows what 1 have
been saying, but it came far short ofwhat
want to say. Did you hear one word
said?"
81 have been listening, Vincent, but
you know what a habit 1 have of dream
ing-you must learn all my faults now,
before it is cverlastingly too late" laugh
ingly answered Vievie Laync, as she
coaxingly slipped her hands in his.
II could never dream while you we're
talking, Vicvic. Oh!I want you all my
own-I want to see you once with your
thoughts MI on me, your eyes seeing only
me, your ears only for my words, and
your voice for me alone. Then 1 would
grasp the happiness that now only trem-
blcs tauntingly just beyond my reach"
IL shall begin to think am insufficient
for your happiness, if you talk in that
way. l have promised all woman can
promise, and if that docs not make you
happy, it is beyond my power to make
you Sc"
"1ou know | should be utterly misera.
bic without you, and must be content if
you assure me you love nc, though you
arc SO dreamy and Indifferent at tines
That is right VINCENT. Try. and en-
durc my words and caprices patiently, for
they are numerous, warn YOU"
They turned and walked homcwartl
Vicvic fell to dreaming again, and Vim
cent silently and .gloom;ly watched her.
They were cngaged-thoss two. You
would scarce have thought it possible, to
look ut them: she WAS such noble,
beautiful woman, with such q pure, strong
soul b>amins from her eyes, and broad,
white brow so expressive OF intelligence,
he was 50 young, so boyish,so childish
iy impctuous and impatient, so extremely
tastidous in all the little details Of dress,
and with such n little, petty vanity show
ing through all his actions, that you
could not help but notice how utterly un-
suited they seemed to each other.
Vicvie though she loved him-pcrhaps
she did. But it was not the love you
would have expected from strong, ar.
dent nature like hers. She had known
Vincent from childhood, and liked him
better than any one she had ever known.
He was refined and educated and roman
tic, and his ianciful little air castles, and
his sweet, dreamy scntimcntalism charm
cd and amused her, while his gallant,
devoted lovc-making was done so pyettily
that she felt fattcrcd and fascinated
And then he was so wealthy, and he be-
longcd to one Of the best families and
was one of the matches Of the city, and
so Vicvie concluded she loved him and
became duly engaged.
But still she was conscious that there
was something lacking Somehow his
fattering, ardent love-talk did not make
her as happy as she supposed she would
be-indecd she was becoming little
tired of his ceasclcss alteration and longed
for something knew not what. She
concluded that real country vist-not
a journey to some fashionable rural re-
sort; but long visit to real old country
farmhouse, away from fashion and show
and dazzle, and among the hills and
streams and clover and meadows of real
country lifc-would refresh and eHliven
mind and body. So she bethought her
self of friend Of her mothers away out
among. the hills and vallcys-a good
mothcrly soul @ho would kindly care for
her during her sojourn. And so Vievic
had recommended to Vincent n little
more attention to his neglected law books,
and left him disconsolately among them.
Rut ono weok's separatiOn doomed the