The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-08-05
Miss Fortescue the Seamstress,
Or
FORTUNES CHANGES.
CONCLUDED.

towards this gentleman. Gratltuue, at
first, was the predominant feeling. She
felt that to him she was indebted for her
situation in the choir, and indirectly for her
success in obtaining pupils, inasmuch as
her singing in church had advertised to the
public her musical capacities.
Again, Mr. Stanley's personal appear
ance and address were very prepossessing.
His form and features bore the impress OF
true manly beauty. OF the man himself,
or all that constitutes the man, the mind,
we have already briefly spoken. Altogeth-
er, he was one eminently calculated to
make deep and abiding impression on a
young and susceptible heart.
Had Alice's heart been thus impressed ?
She would not, perhaps, have acknowledge
ed it; but certain it is, she would not have
anticipated with SO much pleasure those
musical reunions, or looked forward to the
evenings of rehearsal with such unabated
interest, had it been made known to her
that young Stanley would not be present
In regard to the young gentleman's SEN
timents towards Alice, there could be but
little mistake. He had been taken cap
tive by her voice, and the personal ac-
quaintance that followed only rendered his
captivity the more certain. 1t was not for
her personal beauty merely, preeminent as
it was, nor for her wonderful accomplish
ments, that he felt drawn towards her,
He had learned her history. Tenderly
reared and accustomed to all the refine
ments of high social position, he had
witnessed her brave endurance in adversi-
ty. He had observed, how, under circum-
stances calculated sorely to test her for
bearance, she had steadfastly retained her
equanimity, and preserved unruffied the
sweetness of her disposition. He had
moreover, in his intercourse with her, dis
covered that she possessed mind of more
than ordinary depth, rare judgment and
discrimination, and heart brimming with
gentle and affectionate impulses. In a
word, lie saw that she was endowed with
every noble and womanly attribute, and
that she was eminently fitted to adorn
whatever station in life she might be called
upon to fill. tr,f nal.c ,r itN
Viewing her in this light, he resolved to
secure, if possible, this rare prize. That
she had been sewing-girl, that she now
sang in choir and taught music for a
living, did not in the least shock his So
called aristocratic feelings That which
degraded her in the eyes of the Gates and
D,,oba, ~, of +ba world aonohIad Iar in bie
what they accounted disgrace, he esteem
ed an honor; and his great desire and
cherished design were, to place her in a
station where she would not be subjected
to the sneers of the i'll bred, but rather be-
come an object of envy to that vulgar fash
ionable set who affected superiority oyei
her. 4 v,- tsa I'D e.t1
AS matter of course, the partiality
evinced by Stanley for Alice did not escape
the lynx-eyes of those whose sole business
seems to be to pry into the affairs of theil
neighbors. M 3i bfat la go n
AS usual, the tongue Of gossip was busy
in arraigning them-Alice for her folly and
presumption in seeking to win the atten-
ton of one $50 much above her." as they
worded, it, and Stanley, for the something
worse than folly, in endeavoring to entrar
ayoung girls, affections. That he would
"stoop to marry her." they did not for an
instant suppose. saPi4 hF
Alice eand Stanley were happily ignorant
of these remarks, although, if they had re-
fected amoment, they must have known
they could not escape them. Yet Alice
in her happy innocence of any design OF
Stanley, did not dream of such animadver
sions, and the latter was too high-mindet
to bestow thought on the subject. By
some nmeans however, Mrs. Fortescu'
caught awhisper of these reports, and il
her motherly anxiety she brought the mat
ter to the notice of Alice. .5ai I4 4
"Who came home with you last night
my daughter ?'' she asked one morning In
an apparently careless manner.
'tMr. Stanley, mother,'' was the reply, {
slight blush rising TO the respondent'l
cheek. unf as tu .0p a1il
she generally accompanies you hom,
from the music parties and rehearsals
does he not?p paif s8n si T
Yes, mother" The blush peroeptibl.
deepening tr n9. siaq im D.
''Has it ever occurred to You, m!
daughter, that these attentions, not thu
least reprehensible, may give occasion Il
ill-natured remarks 2'' d be- a.ttst a.iH
SIT had not entered my mind until thi
moment, Alice frankly replied; "but
now am aware that they may 3b