Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1873-03-06
PANSY,S LOVER.

no special mer1t In tnat, anu, VI ltSeii,
it was no reason why she should be the
pet of the family. But she was also the
prettiest. Nobody ever denied that
there was beauty in the Tremaines and
the Gordons. Mamma had been q very
rose among girls in her day, and at
fifty Judge Tremaine was stately,
handsome gentleman, whom all women
admired and fell in love with much
ofteuer than would have been conyen-
lent under other circumstances.
Why all this hereditary beauty per-
versely concentrated itself in Pansy, ]
don't know. I suppose it was only O
part of the total depravity of things in
general. At any rate, Pansy paS love-
", and we all adored her.
The pretty creature knew it before
she could speak plain, and graciously
allowed herself to be set up on a throne,
and worshiped by q troop of loving sub
jects.
When she grew to womanhood, and
all the young gentlemen We knew fell
into an orderly procession, and follow
ed her up and down to do her homage,
it was quite q matter of course; but
when ono of them actually had the
audacity to propose, our indignation
and amaZement were equal.
"The wretch I" cried Della.
Glow dare he % sobbed Sue, in o
rage.
"He-he isn't wretch And why
shouldn't he dare" cried Pansy.
"What?"
"Good heavens !"
"The child is angry, as true as you
live !" said Sue, in maze of slow in
credulitT.
Angry? Pansy's cheeks were rs scar
let as pomeSranates, her lovely eyes
swan in tears, and when she could
brush them wildly away, an outraged
soul looked forth upon the amazed
group.
"Why shouldn't man want to mar
ry girl, andwhy shouldn't he ask her?
Do you suppose I'm never going to be
married?" and with this the sheet
ightnings of her eyes were drowned
out by passionate rain of tears.
We were all of us on our knees in an
instant-the rest metaphorically, 1 lit
orally.
"Don't, dear, don't! 1t was only
that We grudged you to anybody, darl-
ing. That's all"
GAS if grandma should long for the
brightest of the Pleads to do her knit
ting BY Such presumption" cried
Della, who was the poet of the family.
Mamma leaned back in her rocking
chair, and wiped her eyes disconsolate-
ly.
"Do you mean, Pansy, that you
would 60 away from us all with this
young Vandermeyer ?" she said, in a
pathetic voice.
But Pansy was notin pathetic mood
just then. The queen had come to her
own, and the little heart was full of q
sweet triumph.
ooh, no, mamma, not with him. I
don't like HIM, but there's somebody
else," and the delicious bushes chased
each other across the fair flower of q
face.
"She says there's somebody else, u
echoed Della, appealing to me.
Pansy," said Sue, severely, do
you mean to say that somebody else
has been proposing to you?
Pansy kindled again.
"Oh, Sue, be quiet As if she was
to blame. Who is it, dear? Won't
you tell your own Kittykins ?"
Pansy resisted. Not even the absurd
name which she had dubbed me in her
babyhood unsealed her confidence.
Mamma wept softly. 1 implorsd,
Della was tragic, Sue assumed the role
of outraged friendship. Pansy held out
ten minutes. Then she surrendered at
discretion.
"If you must know-but you needn't
blame hint Tom Gordon. There
and she fled from the room.
"Tom Gordon!'
We looked Mt each other blankly.
"Ef tu, Brutc!" said Della, raising
her eyes to the ceiling.
There was where it hurt. Tom Cor
don was our pet cousin, who had come
and gone among us all these years in
the sweetest fashion of brotherly
intimacy. And now he could do us this
wrong.
CATER all" sighed mamma, 81 sup
pose the child must se married some
time"
We pondered over the sorrowiul fact
in silence-we girls. But mamma was
apt to think aloud.
81 SUPPOSE it might as we'll be Tom
rs any one, she added. Then, after a
pause, 81 always thought he might
marry one of you, but I never thought
twould be Pansy."
"Of course it would be Pansy," spoke
up Sue, sharply, and then she turned,
and went swiftly out of the room.
Dear Sue She was..twenty-fve, and
the prince had not yet come to wake
ler out OF the dream of maidenhood.
1t was rather hard. Papa was not rich ;
&c led not been b-ousIt T'p to any pro-
fession it was weary = vfk, this ignclle
waiting, and Sue had a A,gh sp:v.tt.
Does anybody know aDy laore srcl
households of girls, who wa!ss a-l wait.
and see the swift years go by-tne G. -:
years which steal away bloom, and
eauty, and youth, and leave them only
the ashes of disappointment?
But that lknot the point. 1 am tell
ing P"n'y1y'