Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1880-02-03

1.-THE riches concern them little PERSONAL.
AS for poor Mrs Dunlop, she could ha,
Jumped for, JOY, only she, was too cd II
such violent exercise.
Pray, miss, what are you laughin
to yourself asout Pr asked Alic, tt
eveBing before their wedding day.
Nothing. Alic. only when you wei
away / used to think sometimes tha
perhaps, you d marry q Chinese heirel
with pigtail. 5iSe tuoIsiw ngIofba
'"The sort of thing you would think,
he said, grandly ,'as it is, you see, O
am goiug,to marry a little girl iwitheu
q pig tail and T. am very happy, : N
lsdarIing--ate y0n? ?D Deaasi!iga5T sYl 10
lsl"Very, very,n she said And she was
| gal s.ia 1[rJe.y
b.. suAgl..fgIsa edFor the AYEcTAroR.
Robert Clinton,s Valentine. 81
oos f5fosi seqg ----e--9a sTariw eaV :
I =. BY ST. iELvAH LEE, efrJ 8 as
II believe I shall have little ful
with Mr.. Clinton. Inever sent a comi
valentine before, but this year am go
ing to send brother Charlie and Mr.
Clinton each one" - SA' i.e --5l-1 -'.s.o
.sBetter not ,trifle with Mr.. Clinton
my dear. Persons with as sensitive or
ganizations as he possesses are apt t(
feel and be wounded by such caricatures
Better let the one to your brother suf-
fee I" advised her aunt. S7evaeeib s9n
"Oh. no, auntie! intend to get some
hideOus. looking one. He will never
discover who has hOnored him so high
ly :" aud Virginia laughed softly. ol
II only hope you may not rue the
sending Of it afterwards, Virgie. You
are getting old enough 10 settle down
quietly now" -e --s.f =, -4fr;,
"Oply eighteen, auntie. ThenI know
Robert loves me too we'll to be angry al
such a proceeding. even If he should
find IT cut. 1t is nothing but fun"
: "Yes, Virgie, Robert loves you
know; but then he has pride. and there
has comes wonderful change over his
wealth. Look at his fathers possessions
since the war. Once he was quite 4
wealthy man but now, since his faith
er's death, his son is burdened with
acfes of land. which are tax on him,
instead of yielding any revenue, and
lately, have thought, he has probably
some additional cause of trouble, he
seemed so sad." -.f..
"Oh, do not magnify mole>hill into .
mountain, aunt Floy. am going over
to Midway to make my selections; =,
and in choosing them, she selected one,
it seemed to her more ridiculous than
any of the others, for Mr.. c.. and
frightfu1 looking farmer for her brotheyl
who managed his fathers farm.
"Now, Mr.. Robert, I would like to
see your physiognomy when you re-
ceiYe this beauty ! will get brother to
direct it for me, then he will never sus-
pect the author. The dear fellow, I
already feel some quslms Of conscience,
lest be trace 1t to me, though / can soon
make him believe nothing personal was
intended. I
Robert Clinton, of whom she was
thus soliloquiaing, was noble hearted
young sman, raised In aff1uence, In 1
happy home. surrounded by all that
makes life bright and happy.
But after the war, what change! It
seemed there would be no end to the trou-
bles. and now, within the last few DAYS,
he had found out that ''he would be
houseless, homeless, destitute, and friend
less" he was: about to add bitterly, but
the bright idea still burned in his breast,
lit by the fire Of hope. thatthe Mortons
still cared for him. especially Virgie. IT
this happily proved to be the oaae, he
was willing to try and carve out his
own fortune in the future. He had d
fine education, and he would soou know
Virginia Morton's feelings towards
himself Then he would 60 West for q
couple of years or so, and by that
tfrpe he expected to have the means to
repurchase some OF the old homestead,
with several ceres of the land.
As ha was expecting mail, he thought
he would go to the Office himself the
next day. While there. and waiting
for the mail to arrive, Capt. Morton's
boy rode up to mail some letters.
1 >''Ah'! here is one for you, Bobby
mouse. to put 10 it the box" passing II
from the colored boys hand to Robert
Clinton, who was surprised to receive q
letter from that source, living so near.
He. drew it. from its envelope. and was
stuhg to the heart by the horrible-look.
ing figure. m
.Qh, to think this of you, my darling
sVir&ie'. thought you would pity my
misfortnnes, and not fling them at me
through this horrid comic affair. The
sooner l take my departure now the
better for nay happiness; but oh how
mYsid0fhas been dethroned" s
He procured the balance OF his mail
and rode back slowly to his last posses
sions, not feeling the loss of them as
keenly iaa th<s last thrust from one who
he hoped would have soOthed the loss ol
his wealth; but now, the one he hoped
the Im04t from, had wounded him the
deepest. and the stab ranked in his
heart.
He found he would have 8 few hun
dreds left to start life anew somewhere
80 he decided hastily or, Colorado; made
sonie hasty yTpreparatiOns and final ar
rangements, and penned note to Miss
Virginia:
"Mrss MoRToN:-I received the val
entii1e intended for me, aud must say
never expected such q rude, stinging
harsh insult, from one / have always
had the highest regard for. 1t came at
time when word of comfort. a emile
or bright look. would have been hsp'
piness, but .now-well, will not write
my thoughts. forI know they are mat
ters of no importance to you aot0. Fare
well. CLINTON"
He would be miles away when she
received his note He was not guilty
of my yvioes-abhorred drink therefore
there was no danger of his sinking into
degradation, because he had been dis,
III lONO.
But now the thought arose. "What /
it was some of Charities fun? Would
not have made great goose of mysel
to write such curt note to Virgie tina
| thought cheers me some. but / hav,
started, and now 1 will not return. unit
| can stand in my old niche" Thus h.
thought as the cars sped on.
What various thoughts and emotion
these old engines draw across the coIn.
| trt = emotions. which burn as fiercel,
as the fire that impels the massive ma
4 chinery which draws the human being
who are possessed with the varied pas
sions.
He soon left the old Virginian hill
and gray rock-crnwned mountains ia
behind him and did not stop unti! h
found himself In the far West, sur
rounded by strangers.
He finally made choice of tempo
rary home in a town'in Colorado. Her
he soon secured a lucrative position, an
a few years afterward he had amasse
money enough to think of returning (
his childhOod's home. 8
The western winds had bronzed hi
face. His heard was long and flowing
Altogether he would not be recognize
by these knowing him eight y ears hack
But to retrace our steps to the MOrtO
/ e ,