Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-06-13
A ROMANCE OF A YEAR.
By BEKLAW.

''It is hard, indeed, Lottie, and /
cannot belive you serious.
cit may seem so to you now, George,
not only hard, but cold and heartless.
remembering the tender relations eX-
listing between lis; but my father utterly
disapproves OF our engagement
''And why ?"
EThe reason is obvious, Simply
and solely on account of your present
lack of means, though he viii not ad-
NIT it, and puts for the excuse that you
are dissipated, and that you are in no
way calculated to render woman a
happy wife. Had L fortune to bring
you, or were your prospects more
promising, it would be very different,
bat as it is, marriage wou.d bc abso-
| lutte folly, and under the present lin-
favorable aspect of affairs, not to be
thought o!; and SO considering, think
it best to cancel our engagement
| These were chilling words to greet
an accepted lover, and the fair lady
utterinS them looked as If she meant
what she said, and was determined to
carry them ont against The faint oiiec-
tions of her own Eeart.
Lot lie had met George a year ago,
liked him, and consented to marry
| HIM: but she drew back whea the final
step approached, and this was the first
! mtlmation os her change of mind
| George was greatly surprised, panied
| and shocked into a nomentary incrc-
| dullty of her seriousness, ard disbe-
lief of his OWE hearing.
! Noble simple-heartcd George pas
slonateiy loved her, and such words
coming from one for whom he would
| have made any sacrifice, almost struck
| him dumb. lie had not thought her
SO selfish, and his large, mild eyes
sought her face questioningly, as if
seeking III it Il refutation Of her words.
1t was kind, serene and u1moycd,
| while the broad-shuultlcrcd Youth that
stood before her visibly trelnI!c,l. and
! turned away to conceal the q liver of
| his lips, and the pain of his working
| features.
Lottit had refused and hut ono of
the best hearts God ever made,
wounded to the quick, a generous
| nature, ard quietly thrown iwty Il
good mans love, hecausc-ah, pitilcss
reason.-he WAS Thought too y, or to
marry.
Lottie's father was a highly re-
spcctcd citizen, and had a1nasscd quite
fortune by hard work and ,tlict at
telt:On 10 business, assisted by his
wife, one Of the best OF women, and Il
harlw0riing one, also; but mjsfor-
ture fell upon him, and he resurted to
hard dtinklng, which only carried him
deeper into the stream OF misfortune
which was then about to cn@u'f him.
Seeing his riches rapidly wasting
away, he resolved to commence life
anew. This time he embarked into
the newspaper business; being Il man
Of strong m:nl, combined with intel
hgence, he was nos long III ranking
among the first Journalists a. the day
Tie pap II lie pubi ,hed had the lead of
anyn the STATE. Everything,was working
smoothly until one false step made by
him, started him on his downward
course. Although right in his views.
they did rot exactly suit the pop
ulace
In a short time two othe. papers
were established in the same city which
suited The views of the people. and had
a great tendency to blight his tuttlre
prospects. He was at last compelled
to move out Of the city.
Mr. R po -sessed all the prudent
| ami IN 'ney-loving trait, Of character
| peculiar II certain kind OF man,
| rencc. his tliscountenance OF George,
who, he thought. seemed to evince
| changeal,le mind. and vas unable to
decide upon Il permanent and profita-
bic iinc of business.
George, at t!lis time, w&s in the en-
ploy OF Lottie's father, and Oh first en-
tering upon his duties was highly
thought of by all the family. But a
very Sudden ch .nSe came over the
spirit OF the Old mans dream, cngen-
| der2d by the repeated denlnci;,tions Of
| George by Lotti,'S mother, which
| awakened III the-oil n2n a disEka for
ie0rg@. who was 4 poor yolth with
limited means.
Repeated Y 4ad Iot;ie asked George
! to leave. thC employ Of her father. but
| Geofg :, knowing the embarrassed con-
| dition of i'sr father, VI. o was cOntinu
! ally h.rl assed by creditors by remain
| lg, thn' gilt per lups he might at some
| future day, b. the means of buildi tg up
! the for ne lost
Still. for ali that. the Old man was
! relent' SIS, and would not consent to
the ma riage of George with his dGu2h-
ter. \ Not da1lnted at all was George :;
he iDers vered, although making his
| 'iH1tS ii'.I wa q ~ = i ''Niits
| In le mea1ltl1s.t stranger settled
! in the Eeighborhood, and became ac-
| q lainted with the family, no one know
! ing fro II whence he came. His Ou'-
| ward show betokened wealth he dress
ed well, and drove a fine horse, and
was highly thought OF by tie family.
After visiting the hopse, for about
two weeks. he saw It TO address Lot
L, ,.1,.4
Whatever Then there WAS soI.e hope
fer ponr, broken-hcarted George. WHO,
be ore that, was feeling that love was
forever gone. and that he could never
give to another the place III his bosom
where Z woman had once stood perfect.
She had completely filled his heart.
though by her own lips she had proved
untrue.
George still worshippel :he old
ideal, aud saw nothing worth loving
beyond the fax, calm and beautiful
Lottie he could not witness his
whole lifc's happiness waste away
without an effort to save it, and E.i,,ad-
inclv demonstrated with he:.
"Think again, I.ott4e. we are young
and [ will stral.. every nerve to hulit
up wcaltl. for You. I'll work and plan
sliitt b''iSt'Nttt IOl tilc tilt titltCL. t'Ni
energy shall bend to the c.I1c dear puir
rose of being rich FOR yorIr sake
Never fear but ! viii earn fortune ant
princcly comforts, and all, all foy You
Only wait. Lottie: wait patiently anc
lovingly; it is AL / ask now [ vii
Danish sslIl other dreams, ana concen
tratc every thought upon you; MAJ
must have something u love, some
thing to stimulate him, end raise hin
= from the bon lage iii which the care
and anXietieS ot an every day hf
: plunge him. I"t al the worll forsak
9 and abandon yoa; let trials come upol
. you; yet you viii always find truth an'
| devotion in me.
AS George spose these words to he
2 it seemed as If her Heart was some
1 what melted, although She still main
4 tanned that obdurate stiffness, an
4 smiled in plying colseposare. No arSu
n ment, however, sondly or forcibl
e urged. seemedto dissua(ie her from he
l Il Il II