The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-07-29


should obtain view of Sethan Court,
and felt that if anything could reconcile
me to the idea of the healthy old widow,
it would be the spectacle of her castellated
| mansion seated in park which was a very
paradise of beauty. Every step advanced
reconciled me- more and moro to the old
lady, and when I saw the Indication of
trout in the stream through the trees,
was more than ever intent.
But just at that moment sound broke
upon my ears which conjured up recent
disagreeable associations; it was the cry of
child. My thoughts at once turned to
hale, hearty, long-living grandmother
hood. Visions of canes and snuff boxes
rose before NY eyes, everlasting coughs
ratified in my ears, and worse than all,
the glances of matrimonial love from the
eyes of grandmother froze my blood.
| How different was the scene that met my
eyes as I turned the corner of clump of
trees! This infant l had heard was lying
ON its back on grassy knoll, fighting up
with its little clenched fists and growing,
as the nursemaids call it, with all its might
while bending over it, with, eyes brimful
of love and laughter, poking its tiny ribs
with her fingers, snatching wild kisses
from its brow, and seizjng its neck with.
her lips as if she would throttle it, knelt O.
young woman!-a woman in the very
prime and glory of her years. I did not
think she could have been quite thirty.
Her bonnet was lying onthe grass, and her
dishevelled hair floating in dark masses
over her shoulders; but bright radiance
was on her queenly brow, just as a voice
of peremptory command was heard in her
Light joyous laugh. There was a fearless
self-possession in her manner, such as
years superadd to the feminine softness of
youth; and her features, originally moulded
in wax, were now as. firm, yet as exquisite
ly fine, as if they had been cut in the
semi-transparent marble of Paros. While
feasting on the beautiful picture formed by
the mother ana hcr child-surely that
must be the relationships little incident
occurred which disturbed them both.
The infant with shriller squeal of de-
light, and a more vigorous spasm of it's
limbs than it had hitherto INDUCED in,
suddenly rolled down the knoll, growing as
it went, and the lady, with a playful yet
nervous cry of surprise, stretched after it
in vain as she knelt till she measured her
whole length upon the sod. Before she
could get up l had sprung from my am
bush, caught up the truant as it lay half
smothered in daisies and buttercups, and
presented the prize to the flushed and
startled mother.
To describe the conversation of such a
fascinating woman is impossible. She was
not woman of society, yet she was per-
fectly we'll bred. She had spent the
greater part of her life in the country, in
vgorating both mind and body with the
pure air of heaven, visiting town occa-
sionally, and thus she was enabled, with
the assistance of books and the general
literature of the day, to keep pace with the
progress of the world.
do not know how it was, but our ac-
quaintanceship seemed to be ready made,
and, having mentioned my uncle's name,
she had no difficulty in remembering his
respectable friend, Mrs. Gorden.
"You know Mrs. Gorden?" said l.
eyes"
"What! Grandmother Gorden9".
t'Yes."
GLOW do you like the individual?"
IT sympathize with her, for l too"
And breaking off with sigh, she held up
the fairest hand in the world SO as to show
O widows ring.
I had not hitherto noticed her slight
mourning, but now saw that she was a
widow, young and charming widow, and
that the infant was pledge of loved ex-
tinguished by the grave. She was free
this lovely young woman, and was about
tobe chained for life to Grandmother Cor
den She saw my agitation, but of course
could not comprehend its cause.
"Come," she said with an angelic smile
IT see you do not like my venerable friend
but am determined to reconcile you K
her. She is grandmother, it is true, anc
therefore not SO young as she has been
but she wears well--she is indeed partieu
larly heslthy; and thus if you form
friendship with her, it is likely to las
for many years"
"That is the misery Of it," said I. 81
she were but like other old women-if .sh
were but subject to the common disease
of grandmothers-my fate might be en-
durable" a...... ..... ,.....
= 'Your fate! What has that do wit
Mrs. Gorden's longevity"
, II am only going to be married to her