The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1874-11-12

| much OF. L was heir to Wyvllle castle
and fifteen thousand year-to say
nothing Of the baronetcy and could
have married-as my uncle and mother
was always telling me--almost anybody
chose but did not choose.
"Strange as it may appear, never
met girl could care for-never met
anyone who could make me forget for
one moment my childish love. l grew
tired of everything sooner than most
men, and at twenty, having obtained
several months leave of absence, /
started for tour in the east with my
old friend Baynsford. who was then
Captain Fellowes. When we were at
Smyrna | received letter from my
mother, telling me that my uncle was
going to be married. As | had been
taught from childhood to consider
myself his heir, you may fancy, George,
with what feelings of disgust received
the intelligence. My mother wrote
very illegible hand, and, moreover, al
ways crossed pages, consequently de-
ciphering her letters was no easy task.
| could not make the name of my nm
cle's fiance, although Fellowes and sat
mp half the night trying to discover it.
My mother said Sir Rupert had met
her in Paris, and thought tho word we
could not deciphor looked like French
name.
" London was no place for me now,
decided, and determined to leave the
Guards and exchange into some reGi-
ment going to Canada a country | vas
particularly anxious to see. We linger-
ed good deal on our way home, and
were great part of the time in out-of-
the way places, where we saw no news
papers. Thus missed reading the an.
nouncement of my uncle's marriage.
When | arrived in town | heard OF moth
ing but the extraordinary beauty OF
Lady Wyville; and many were the
warnings | received--half in Jest, half
in earuest-not to fall in love with my
aunt. 1t was very odd, but | paid no
attention thereto, until, at a ball which
| rove after attended, the duchess said
to me, She is perfectly beautiful.
4" made some commonplace reply,
snch as that it was only very pretty wo-
men who ever admitted beauty III 9th.
ors, and then, with the little duchess
on my arm, | went TO greet my uncle
and his bride.
"She was dressed all in white not
the faintest trace of color about her
and her lovely face turned as white as
her bridal wreath, MS she came face to
face with me. 1t was Nora-NOra
whom had last seen in rags, barefoot
ed asking aims from the passengers,
and now met again thus--at an embas-
sailors ball and talking to foreign
prince
"My uncle introduced me to his
bride, and | made profound bow, and
with face as white as her own congrat-
ulated her on her marriage, and express
ed the qualification felt at making her
acquaintance.
"She gave me such look, poor girl !
knew then that she had never forgot
ten me. passed on with the duchess
into the ballroom, and | felt rather
than saw that Nora turned to look after
us.
"'ls she not beautiful 2 my COM
panion asked with levity. 'Ah, | was
right. | could see you were desperately
eprs with her. What is it you English
call it? Love at first sight? q? Take my
advice, mon ami, and do not see too
much of your lovely aunt.
"'I shall follow your advice, ] said
q mean to see rs little of her as posi-
BILE.
Something in my voice made my
companion glance up; and then, with
true tact and good breeding, she has
tened to change the subject. She was
kind-hearted little woman, in spite of
her triiling language. / know that never
again to me or any living being did she
recur to what she had noticed that even
ing and that she had noticed more
than she chose to say felt certain.
81 never saw Nora again so as to
speak to her during my unclo's lifetime
| exchanged at once into n regiment
under orders for Canada There | re-
NAMED three years, until the death Ol
Sir Rupert recalled me to England.
Nora had no children, so was now Sir
George Wyville. She might as well
have waited for me, thought bitterly.
| met her once Mt our solicitors, on
business, Just after my return home,
and that was the last time | ever saw
her in the world. She lived entirely in
London, doing an immense deal of
good, | believe, among the Irish poor.
"But her career of usefelness was n
short one. She only survived Sir Ru-
pert four years. To me she died the
hour when she became his wife. She
wrote to me once after she was widow,
telling NE all the circumstances of her
marriage-how that Sir Rupert had
rescued hnr from life OF boggary in
the streets, and sent her to school for
four years, and that she had felt herself
bouud in honor and gratitude to marry
him.
"She concluded her letter by OK
pressing hope that we might still be
friends. Friends / had no more
friendship to offer her than / had love
to offer any other woman and my I'M
cle's widow was sacred in my eyes.
81 never saw Nora again.
81 believe the world talked a good
deal about my strange conduct toward
my aunt, and pronounced it to be very
bad taste, now that l had come into
the title and estates. Only the Ouch.
esse de, / fancy, gave me credit for
having some good reason for thus avoid
ing Lady Wyyille.
"There, George, you know the story
of my lifo--why | have remained
bachelor all my days. / am not aware
that there is any particular moral to
be deduced from my tale, unless it is
only to fall in love in your own rank
of life, piece Of advice that was very
frequently given to me when | was
young. l hope you will profit by it
better than / have done"
GogTHE's ideal of married life, and
one TO which he strictly adhered, is do
scribed by himself as the union OF two
,,eroops of cultivated faculties, identical