Year: 1867

to social gathering, she would SEND
me note asking if I were disengaged
and if not, would I act as her cavalier
if | was, she would promptly decline
the invitation and remain at home.


'Of course, this explicit conduct to
wards me greatly fattered me, for like
every thoughtless young fellow of my
time, and 1 presume of this, felt eatec
at the thought of one so very lovely as
Miss EIbridge was, should show for mt
such a marked preference. Hints wen
abroad about our being engaged but
they were untrue as you will readily
admit. ---.-t.'.


about this time a series of remark
able events transpired which puzzled
and greatly alarmed me but which OF
the day of my marriage were explained
in such manner as even at the time
when l recall them, shocks me more
than you can possibly imagine.


Being disengaged--that is, having
no affair of the heart on hand, and ex.
ceedinglp fond of female society," wa:
what was called a general admirer of the
young women of the neighborhood
and when paid attention to any lady
for length of time, Miss Elbridge
would cultivate that persons society
and profess the utmost friendship fol
her. That one Harriet would make
her daily companion. Soon the pool
girl would begin to fade away, and
without any particular cause for it, sinh
into decline, and in the course of ;
few months die. During the illness Of
the stricken one, it was invariably at
tributed to consumption. Harriet Ell
bridge would be her constant attendant
adm inistering to her the prescribed
medicines and, in fact, taking upon
herself, for her sick friends sake, the
duties of the nurse But the patien
would never recover. She would sinh
quietly away, blessing Harriet as hel
truest friend, with her latest breath.


This rapid decline happened in Sc
many instances, that [ began to lool
upon myself as accursed and | ever
would condemn myself as the direct
cause of the early death of so many
promising young women. For, l MOTTO
ed that only those whom I selected
among the girls as my friends and com
panions were the ones who Suffered as ]
have said. And yet, careless as I was
in my attentions to Miss Elbridge, she
invariably received me when | deiEned
to call on her with that sweet, inviting
kindness of women of which | have
spoken. l


FAbout this time, your grandmother
here, my children, came to our neighbor-
hood on visit. | need not describe
her appearance then. Yonder portrait,
and he pointed to that of beautiful
girl, of apparently eighteen summers,
which was so very unlike, so changed
was she by age, the dear, kind-hearted
soul that sat by my grandfather, lis a
better description of her than any words
Of mine can give She stopped at the
house of one of my cousins, and | was
soon on terms of intimacy with her.
Indeed, were I not afraid of bringing
back the old blush to her face, we were
in little while more than mere ac-
quaintances-notwithstanding her CO.
quettish ways. She somehow got pos
session of my heart, by incantation, l
suppose, and has held firm possession of
it ever since. Is not that SO, Nancy 7


And the old gentleman laughed
heartily, and then tenderly kissed the
withered lips Of his old and tried com
panion


Do stop your nonsense she said as
she looked lovingly upon him.


''Ha !! ha That is what she used to
say to me more than fifty years ago, and
she has kept repeating it ever since
said the delighted old man. But /
must get to my story.


s'At first, Harriet Elbridge paid lit
tie or no attention to the stranger,
Nancy Courland but, when she learn
ed thatI was, so to say, powerfully at
tracted that way, she fastened to join
the acquaintance and establish a warm
intimacy between Nancy and herself.
And Nancy-why she thought there
was no one like Miss Elbridge. The
two became all but inseparable; and,
as Harriet was an adept at making can
dies, you may rest assured Nancy was
never without her pocket full of the
sweets her friend gave her. e. s.


''At the expiration of three months
from the commencement of Miss Nancy's
visit, | and others noticed that the roses
were gradually fading from her face, and
that instead of being an active young
woman, she was daily becoming weaker
and more languid in her movements.
In fine, she began to exhibit the earlier
symptoms of that disease which had
carried to the grave SO many fair young
creatures, dear friends whose deaths l
sincerely mourned.


4 trembled as | looked upon Nan
cy. was in despair. Was l about to
lose the only being whom | had ever
truly loved ? | had now come to look
upon myself as one possessed of an evil
nature and to fear that all my best
and dearest hopes were to be destroyed
while yet in the bud, as a punishment
for some supposed want in me: / fled
society for a time | refused even to
90 near her for whom my heart was
constantly yearning: and she naturally
thought me cruel and hard hearted L
had won her young love; and had with
out any apparent reason cast her and it
aside. l felt myself on the verge of