Year: 1867

hours of evening in cnc OF the private


boxes OF restaurant, with his watchlul
nose snoring at his exhausted cup, he was
suddenly aroused by the loud laughter Of
female in the next box, which he in
stantiy recognized as the voice of the beau
tiful Mrs. -, who kept fashionable


boarding house in one of the most fash


onable streets of Brooklyn"


"That," said he, ''is the handsome
little widow, who will never let me alone,
but summons me perpctually to her side,
and teases me to pay her compliments,
and to inspire the heart of some fine.
looking gentleman with love for her


Her husband has been dead three years,
leaving her two lovely little children as
his only last Will and testament; and to
enable her TO provide for these children,
her friends made her the present Of fur
nlture enough to set up large and
elegant boarding house, from which she
has supported herself with dignity and
ease. But that was not enough She
must needs worry me to touch the heart
Of some fine looking gentleman for her.
And here, now, she has him at last. A
man she never saw, till she me, him at
hop at the Metropolitan Hotel last We'd
nesday night. She does not even know
who he is. But he is 'fine>looknr. >
All, ha, l have touched her heart, at any
rate !"


And Cupid sank down again, doing
and Modelling over his cup. And the
handsome little widow and the fine
looking gentleman" went back TO brooklyn.
But the glance of her eye, the tone of her
voice, the nervous trembling motion of
her hand, plainly showed him that she
was ''a'"ck," to use the phrase Of these
professional love makers; and lie lost no
time in following up the impression with
such an account ot himself us was sure
to win the heart and confidence of vain
and restless woman. lie was n widower.
and a planter from the South, who
owned beautiful Italian villa on the
flower covered banks of the lower NIissis.
sippi, where he had left two lovely chill
drcn, sweet miniatures Of their lost but
still beloved mother, and to which spot
he desired TO carry her when he should
return In autumn-some one who could
fill the place left vacant in that home Of
affection and truth.


The pi"ture was indeed seducing one.
and the handsome little widow was al
ready wild with admiration and love for
the fine looking gentleman" And lie,
too, being "a man of taste and refinement.
and fond of domestic life wirhal, had
become so "weary OF hotel life" that it
was soon agreed between the pair that he
should remove to her house during the
remainder of his stay ut the North The
very next day found him snrgly bestowed
IN his new quarters. The best room in
the house was given him, of course; the
best seat at the table was reserved for
him, and the servants, catching the inSpi.
ration OF their mistress, neglected every
body else 10 serve him. More than one
young lady in the house also caught the
same inspiration, and the handsome little
widow was slecpless for more than one
night with jealousy of those whom she
knew had the advantage of her in the
youth of their charms.


But the ''line elookng gcnllcm1n" knew
too well where his interest lay TO he
otherwise than blind TO every attraction
except the face of the fair hostess. 80
he grew daily in her favor, and she grew
daily more and more blind and delirious
with the Intoxicating draughls of love.
How that beautiful Italian villa hung
before her eyes And then those sweet
flowers, blooming every morning on the
banks of the Mississippi! How delight
tul! And those dear little children, how
she had already sworn in her heart to
love and protect them as her own This
was too much joy for her to keep all to
herself, and not only her kindred, but all
her friends, were made acquainted with
the Tact that she was TO be married, and
move to the "sunny South" in September.
So passed July and August, the heart of
the handsome little wi low swelling eveiy
day with fresh faith and affection, until
it was time TO make active preparations
Tor the marriage and the removal. The
handsome little widow had made many
expensive additions TO her wardrobe.
which she had paid for out of her own
purse, the fine looking gentleman having
been mortified at some awk kward mistakes
which had delayed his drafts, and now
nothing remained but to sell Off her cle-
giant furniture at auction, be married, and
depart for her new home on the banks of
the Mississippi. The trouble and respon.
siblIity of this sale the fine looking gen
tleman gallanlly took upon himself, and
the thirteen hundred and sirty dollars pro-
ceedS he kindly put into his pocket, and
walked off without SO much rs ciyily
bidding the handsome little widow good
bye. The next day the terrible fact
stared her ip the face that she had been
most cruelty duped by an unprincipled
vii ain, who was without means, without
character, and wlthout a single attribute
which her woman's Imagination had
invested him with. Then at last she
could see him AS he was, "a fop, pretend
er, II genleelly attired fool. With the
fall of her Italian villa ON the banks of the
fell also this idol Of her heart,
as far Je'Oc the estate Of ordinary men
as her binding love had raised him ADORE