Year: 1864

AT seventeen Miss Somerset had all the young
men in our village at her feet that is to say, she
was surrounded and besieged by them wherever
she went. Do you wonder that the matrons and
maidens of the village did not ike this? Miss
Somerset was monopolizing all the eligible young
i1nen-lteray, all of them. Imagine how pain
ful it must have been to Jane and Emily and
Edith


Miss Somerset would neither marry herself nor
let others marry This was the great offence -
No one grudged her husband: not at all-'sonfy
let der make her choice, aud set the rest of the
young men free to choose elsewhere. This, how
ever, Miss Somerset was in no hurry to do. She
most impartial In the distribution of her smiles
and looks OF encouragement, and the consequence
was that ali the young men held on, each one fat
tering himself that he would come in winner in
the end. This state of things continued for two
years during which period not a single marriage
of ans consequence took place in the village, much
20 the displeasure aud disgust, not only of the
matrons and naidens, but also of the vicar; the
Festry clerk and ,lobbns the pas try-cook.
AT length, however. the good news came that
Miss Somerset was engaged. l. was doubted at
first, being something much tco good TO be true;
bat .JObDls set the matter at rest by announcing
that he hf.d received orders for the wedding cake


lt was no the turn OF the young men to be ln-
iured Miss Somerset had given her hand to none
Of the set that had SO long hocked around her and
paid her homage, but to q new conner in the neigh
borhood, one Mr. Honiton, the son of Man
chester manufacturer, who, on the death of his
father, had inherited considerable andedproperty
and set up squire


Mr. Honiton was married to Miss Somerset and
the bells rang. merry peal, and the little boys ran
after the carriages and shouted, and there was
great JOY everywhere, except in the breasts of GER
tain young men, who felt that they had played the
moth and fiuttered about the candle, only to have
their wings singed at last


The marriage of Miss Somerset cleared the air.
I frV l. 4 Il
men who at first thought their disease incurable
recovered wonderfully, and very shortly Emily
gave her hand and heart to Theodore, and Edith
consented to link her destiny with Adophus. The
matrimonial market had been thrown open and
business became brisk Miss Somerset, however,
had spoiled the matrimonial prospects OF a few
mast all redemption. w hen the haXen idol first
drew votarins to her feet, Miss Jane Morley and
Miss Margaret Thompson were of the ripe age of
twentv-six when Miss Somerset left the field and
slipped the lash in which she had so long held all
the eligible lads of the village tied and bound
those two ladies were twenty and 1t IS won
derfnl how the female flower begins TO languish
and lose the freshness of its bloom on the approach
of the thirties Miss Somerset did Jane and Mar
garet an irreparable injury. Those two years OF
distraction tided them into old maldhood.


In other respects, however, the village recover
ed itself, and have 10 doubt that we should all
have lived happily ever afterwards had it not been
for an event which occurred about year and
half after Miss Somersets marriage That event
was the death of Mr. Honiton. In the short
snace of eighteen months the Aaxen idol had be-
come widow The village received the news
with astonishment, anlazement, and perhaps some
slight satisfaction Mrs. Honiton must expect
grief and sorrow like other folks; she had her
snare of gaiety and pleasure, goodness knows, and
perIaps it would do her good This IS what the
a3d maids and the sourest of the matrons whisper
ed to one another coming home from church after
sermon on charity. But the village was not
nrerare,l for one startling consequence OF Mr.
Heaiton9 S death few weeks after that melan-
cbeIy event his widow-the Idol came back to 1--we
a1ponp MS. and took up her abede at the house OF
her mana. who, it should be stated, had been IN
the lneantine gathered to his piebelan fathers,
leaving his house and his property to his daugh-
ter Mrs. honiton did not show herself Tor some
DAYS sitter her arrival, and during this period OF
suspense the village specuated upon the Tayaees
which arief had made upon her beauty, upon the
tears xhieh had dimmed the lustre OF her eye
and tie nights of watching winch had bianch-
al hey{ check and clouded her fair brow. The
y;IlTep-.ar least the female portion Of twas
r,fpnared for a walking monument Of the pro-
forttlest sorrow widowed presentment OF the
true conventianal type with weeds hanging loose


y a}Ent her figure, seorning all grace and showing
neitbssr share nor make hiss Jane Alorely and
Misc Margaret Thompson, who had taken refuge
fro,,. the sights Of the world in stern tea meetings
in eoai,ection With clubs and high persuasion,
nictt,rea her iit pair of at-soled Shoes wearing
4 scaiFtv black stuff gown, short, and without
erinolsne. and carrying on her head cOal-seuttle
~whthed in crane II was terrible shock to all
these expectanp when the widow made her hFst