The Grant County herald. (Big Stone City, Grant County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1883, 1879-11-22
\ Strange Record.

Ii new some latter "Virginian," some
contemporary Warrington, leading his
tranquil country life at Castlewood,
should find in an old box or brass bound
trunk OF Queens Annes day mass a
yellow letters Of the time Thackeray
describes, he would ingcr long over the
treasure with musing delight, lost in
dreams Of Lady CastlcRood and her later
husband and the beautiful Bcatriy If,
at length, be opened some one of the
half mouldering manuscripts. and saw
that it was letter Of the Lady Beatrix,
and read these words, would they not be
the very words that he might expect 70
read II he knew that lady Alright i
hope . hear nothing about affections
/ being engaged, because that is 4 poor
| excuse. We all know thar mems or
womens affections may BE got over, and
! that only fools marry fer anything but
connections or great wealth | have
no other idea of comfort in ;av other
mode of life than IN courts, and IN .ivlne
with people OF rank, and gong into com
pany every day. hate retirement and
domestic life, and have sacrificed through
life everything TO ambition Nj, War
! rington would smile, perhaps, at the folly
Of recording such sentiments, and more
soberly reflect that the words revealed
the beautiful Beatris more perfectly even
than a portrait by kneller.
AS he turned over the fading manu-
scripts, and persued the record If -
mean a worldlincss, he might we'll Won
der that woman could be So beautiful
in her face and SO ieiolmed in her soul
, Tie ghostly letters would gradually
seem TO him repuisiyc from their want OF
brilliancy or humor, and from the lack of
any glimpse Of the life or society OF the
time, except that Of her own spiritual
barrenness He certainly would find
them withou, charm Of STYLE. or any
charm whatever, and they would be norl-
bic only as study Of character, and
character hard and selfish pnd wholly
without attraction. Doubtless his mind
would constantly recur to the tamously
beautiful woman, and hc would perhaps
doubt rs he read whether, after all she
did not go OFT with prince, to be disown-
ed possibly by his family. yet
still PRIDE herself upon the connec-
ton, and to shine in cou:t circles with an
indirect lustre shed by royal name. If
il were but the imperial family Of Bara-
tara 70 which she could claim some tie.
If she could only be recognized IS Prin-
cess Panza, it would be glory enough,
and the Lady Beatrix would envy no wo-
man.
But how much more would MIR. War
rinston be amazed if he discovered as he
read the yeilowlng manuscripts that his
beautiful relation had been tor time
the rightfui wife Of a king, and by mar
rage a member Of the most conspicuous
/ family IN Europe Of her time, and az .
most interesting period Of history. Tow
would his amazement grow as he per-
ceived that the writer OF the letters that
he held lived for many years in the high
est circles trequented BY famous figures
Of every KIND, her 4olt by her name and
her beauty striking part of that brilliant
I society, and that, with her unequallcd
opportunities, her letters might well be
fascinating chapters in delightful kind
Of literture. He would scan the leaves
with fresh eagerness to seize the very
form and pressure Of q proligious epoch,
and # some happy thought suggested 70
| him that woman whom tradition said
that beauties envied her beauty and wits
dreaded her Wit. that kings sought her
acquaintance and princes claimed her
| friendship, nigh: write letters which