The Democrat. (Montrose, Pa.) 1876-1878, June 20, 1877, Image 2

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    MONTROSE, PA., JUNE 20, 1877.
THE WI rti4;riForiELLE.
The sheep are . sheltered in the fold
The mists are marshaling as the hill, •
Thb squirrel watches from his
And every loving thing is still;
The fields are gray with immortelles.
The river, like a sluggish snake, •
Cpeeps o'er the brown and , bristly, plain;
I hear the live inging of the pines
Betwiitt the pauses of the rah.
J.
Dowi dripping on the i inortelles.
,
And think of faces still an cold,
That flinch not unde f ng tears;
Meek-mouthed and heavy-lidded, and
With sleek hair put behind the ears,
And crowned with scented immortelles.
The Partridge bath fbrgot his rest
Among the stubble by the rill;
In vain the lances of the frost
Beek for some tender things to kill,—
They cannot hurt the inrmortelles I
Sad empress of the stony fell,
Gray stoic of the blasted heath,
Dullest of flowers that ever bloomed,
And yet triumphant over death,
O weired and winged immortal.
.
The wind cries m the reedy mar*
And wanders sobbing - through the deli.
Poor,broken hearted lover ! he
'or violets finds the immortelle,—
.; The immortelle ! the immortelle !
BERTHA'S PROPENSITY.
BY INEZ 'IRVING.
"PU need give yourself no uneasiness
Yon that score, Harry 1" I do not love
him.
"And yet Ido I I know the danger of
a daily intimacy with a man' who, I be
lieve, loves you, and whom you by no
means despise."
"But I love you I My heart isn't large
enough to hold two at once."
It won't be two at once! I shall be
'out of sight' and also 'out of mind.' You
Kaye .told me that he once had a .good
deal of influence over you. lam afraid
be will retain it."
"Haw faithless you are, Harry !" said
Bertha Dunbar, twining her arms around
his neck, and !poking into his eyes fond
ly, .
"I am jealous of every one who Wins a
smile' from you. How can I help it.?
. You, have been called a flirt, you know.
How do you expect me to feel easy in
your absence, especially under the press
ent circumstances?"
"You seem to be sadly lacking in con
ceit for a 'lord of creation' " said Bertha,
mischievously. "I have heard, time and
again, that you were a lady-killer, but
this state of mind argues 'a lack of those
qualities that win and hold a woman's
heart. According to your own showing,
vour own personal magnetism can , not be
ery powerful you cannot keep kheart
. from,playing truant during a few weeks
absence from you." '
"It is hard to hold such a girl as you,
even if present. 'One moment I think
you love me, and the next you are driv
ing me to distraction by some unaccount
able action that I don't believe yon could
explain yourself. This absence will make
the matter worse. It won't make the
'heart grow fonder' on your side, partic
ularly when there' is a counter influence
drawing you from me." •
"I suppose you have proved it in some
of your numerous flirtations," said Ber
tha, saucily. "As to unaccountable ac
tions, if you think you can ever thorough
ly understand a woman's actions, you will
• find your mistake sometime before you".
'shuffle off this mortal coil."
"I've fotind that out already—don't
need to wait for the event you mentioned.
But the idea of your talking of my.
'numerous flirtations r Can the fourth •
part of: yours be numbered ? Whatever
my past experience has been I can flirt
no more since I met you. I'm caught
now—effectually, too! I wish I Telt sure
. that you are as safely in the net as lam
—as safely as I bold you new r' And he
caught her close in his arms and kissed
her again and again.
"Well, I can not make you any surer
now," said Bertha, with Mock resignation.
I don't think I shall change. goWever,
one can not always , trust orie7a self; and,
if I do, don't worry about me—l . shall
not be worth i having."
"Don't speak so lightly, Bertha. . You
know I cannot drop you so easily. Why
can not Carrie Leverett come up to see
yon this summer, instead of you going
up there to be company for her bachelor
brother ?"
"Nonsense, Harry 1" said Berths, im-
Fatiently. "Because she visited me last.
m going; and shall try to hive the , very
best time I can—l'M ,not in love with
Gordon Leveiett, as I :said - at first. --If I
marry= any one Indoul love, he must be
able to give me jewels d and gold to atone
for the ,sacritice. . . ,
- A shadeof pain passed over' Harry's
". -
7.2 0 r0f not wealthy, you .know, Bertha."
said if I muted any one I didn't
lope. You dear, foolish, jetklonabov, it
don't apply to you at all, because.nove
you. 'WOn't you trust Me?' I,don't want
to. go= AWAY and leave you. unhappy, but I
must: iaie you a little soMetimes, just
`.for fin. dear., You knoyr you'll have a
04000 , 0 pay me, baCkaemetime." 'And
she beg up her face for _,a kiss,. With a
100,k,
in- her eyes which „caisca. , ,lliirry
Ofiestees heart to. ,iebound";to 'o6 i other
of
,CeitaiiAy ::p* she
ivied kit=
The . - tiOvinx*.li
:4 06 0,14 the aifTkum**liiii4:
to him - as he:stood on the platform, and
the train glided out.
She had a ',pleasant side of two hours.
Then-the cars stoped at the station - in-the
town of Weitfield, and - . she -was.greeted
warnilj , by-lete friend Carrie,- :while: her
brother stood ready fOr his turn of recog-
Lotion.
am glad to welcome you to -West ;
field, Miss Dunbar," he said, accompany
ing the words with
,a look thnt caused
'l'd to drop her eyes for a moment—for it
told her that the intimacy of a year ago
had taken a stronger hold upon him than
she belieied it would. • „1 •
She had' associated with him as the
brother of her friend, and a genial com
panion,but had never felt her pulse quick
en under his touch. She had • believed
that he only' bad a passing fancy for her.
She was a-thorough believer in the fick
leness of man. Since her entrance into
soctety,rshe had made what, others called
conquests—though she made them un
consciously—of at least half a score of
masculine hearts. As each and all fail
ed to find her heart, she refused them.—
She bad seen them disconsolate over
their refusal, arid b . in . a few weeks after,
apparently happy husbands of other wo
men.
Two months before the opening dia
logue, she had met Harry Chester, and
after a few weeks' acquaintance she was
forced' to admit to herself that she had
found her king. He Joved her truly, de
votedly, as a man, or woman, loves but
once, But she carried her "tenderness far
beneath the surface, and her usual man
ner never betrayed the depth and inten
sity of the love that was springing pp in
her heart. It was not coquetry, as might
appear to spine, but a natural pha'se of
her nature..
,Harry was a noble fellow, and worthy
of a true woman's love ; but he was not
without some of the unreasonable exact
ions of his sex which asks fur an idola
trous devotion, and _then when it is ov
en, repays it by cold indifference, .thus
learning that what is won easily is never
prized, be it love or money.
He wrote to her' twice .a week. His
letters she answered i punctually and af
fectionately, so that he had no need to
complain of neglect or estrangement.--.--
But, after a fey( weeks of smooth sailing,
he ceased to hear from her. His last let
ter remained unanswered,, and he; became
almost desperate' with uneasy doubts.—
He would have written again asking an
explanation of her silence, but pride, of
which he hatla full share, somehow held
him bark.
While in this state of mind,- he one
morning took up the daily paper, and
read this item :
"Mr. Gordon Leveret bas quite uttex
pectedly come into possession, o a hand
some fortune which has descended to
him through his English relatives."
Cold drops started on his forehead.—
Could this be the reison of; her silence
Her- jesting words came to him. "If I.
marry any one I don't love, he must be
able to give me jewels and gold
,to atone
for the sacrifice."
Was Ms temptation within, her reach,
and, if so,_ was she strong enough to re
sist it ? He could not endure the . sus
pease longer. He - dashed off . a.. letter,
telling her he had: not heard from her
for what seemed an eternity. ,He added
this paragraph :
"I have just read
. an announcement
of the fortune of your host. Had
that circumstance anything -to do with
your neglect of nie
Meanwhile Gordon had been apprised
of his unexpected good fortune by a law
yer's letter. He read it over two or three
times before he-could make himself be
lieve that he was not dreaming, , or that
it was not for some other person of the
same name. Then he carried ft into the
room where his sister and Bertha spent
their evenings, and gave it to the former.
She read it t o herself, with quickly chang
ing color.
Let Bertha hear it," said her brother;
and she read it aloud.
"Why, Gordon, can it be possible that
we are so wealthy ?" she exclaimed; get
ting up and taking hold of'his arm. I
cannot believe it.! And :yet it must be
so. Oh, Bertha, I wish you were my sis
ter, so you could. 'share it with us r
She spoke iinpulsively, but looking
from one. to the other, 'saw' that she had
caused some confusion.
"Let me see the letter," said Bertha,
reaching out her hand with , the confi
dence of a long tried friend.
She, was anxious to cover up the awk.,
ward pause that had been. Made by Car.:
ries exclamation. She glanced over it
rapidly. •
"It's here in black and white; no mis
take !" she said, gaily, as she ran her eyes
over the contents, "I'm really 'glad for
you both Such good luck down 't come
every day." •
And then, there ,was a gteat deal.of
laughter, and talking and
. planning gall
sorts of _practicable, and impracticable
;thine, and in all the- plaiis'Carrie seem
ea to tacitly include Bertha.'
Later in the" day, he had a chance to
'see. Bertha alone. She was sitting. under
a tall, rand old tree,. in the grounds of
the quiet,homelike, old fashioned place,
with a book in her band. He threw him-
=self" on the gratis timinde her. The slams
nier sunlight - visas- delicate • tracery on
the space around them, and threw many
shadows- on, her cheek and neck. He'
plunged' iiitO,the subject. '- -
"I do not wish to- be precipitate, buti
have loved , you so long that I must speak !
14 Pot Want to 1 1 -OY- , 1 0 Pr.; laTel+rbuk4
tian-v4 better pew,,ffiee- WeMlftei
hji4jess to - otter you.1)00 yon Ore
me A ` Mae, Berths? Yen 'biro 'W3l'l6
cold and disdainful, at time.3,that "hard
ly dare to hope that you care. ror me. Be
that, as it may, my
.heart is in your, kcep
ing--my fortune at your feet." -.
There was a temptation I A-gentleman
of irreproachable character, education,
handsome withal, offering. her More
wordly prospects than she had ever
dreamed would be hers! For a inoment
she was tempted. She bad a keen love
for the beautiful things that wealth pro
cures ; the man's eloquent eyes were turn
ed full upon her, and sbe had always
dreamed of luxury. Just for a =silent,
the brilliant prospect shut out the noble,
high bred face of Harry Chester from her
consciousness--but , . only for. a moment.
Then her heart went back to him, and
sent a full tide of love weeping through
her being, and ehe knew that her love
was stronger than her ambition.
I 'l am very sorry, Mr. Leverett, that
you - should have asked me this, when I
have no heart to give you. I never
thought our acquaintance would termi
nate in anything but friendship.. Since I
saw you last I have learned what it is to
love.",
The eager look went out of his face.
A. twilight shadow seemed to fall,upon it,
though the afternoon sun - Was shining
brilliantly. Then he brightened a little,
and said inquiringly:
"Your love is not a hopeless one? •it
is returned ?"
"You must know that' I never give my
love unsought," she said proudly. "When
I sav that I love, it presupposes that I am
loved,"
He smiled somewhat sadly. She saw
in a moment :the motive of the inquiry.
He had thought there was a possibility
that •she Might yet be ROD. She felt
ashamed .Or her momentary resentment
in the presence of the man who loved
her, but to whom she had no. heart to
give.
• "I can say no mo he said. "I can
.not urge you. nt your love freely—,
or not at • I hope you will be happy
as I should, try to make you."
He left her sitting where he had found
her, and walked away to - crush down his
disappointment manfully. In a few Mo
ments after, Harry's letter was handed to
her.
"Hasn't heard from me for so long ?
What can it mean ? Surely. Carl mailed
tne letters! Carrie said he was trusty.
Dear Harry ! And so .he is getting un
easy about me, and he has read , of Gor
don's fortune in the j paper. It he knew
what I have.just refused, because I love,
,him, he would cease doubting me."
Thus she, sohloghised over the letter.
But the propensity for teasing was strong_
within her. With feminine contradiction;
she could inflict wounds on • those, she
loved—when she knew with ',certainty
that it lay in her power to beal.them by
the magic of her presence, the magnetism
.
of her touch. .
She wrote an answer at, once, but in
an uncertain_' manner, so, that he hardly
knew how to \ take it. She assured him
that had' really written, and could
not account for the non appearance of
the letters. One paragraph ran - thus :
"Yes, Mr. Leverett has had an immense
fortune left him. Not two hours ago, he
offered' to lay it all at my feet if I would
be his wife. What do you suppose my
answer was'?"
It was rather cruel to write this to a
man in his' peculiar mood,- but Bertha
did not realize it. • She intended to fol
low it up with her presence ) in a day or
two, at the outside, and make it all right
with hitt. She felt like "cutting phort
the visit, after the talk with Gordon ; but
Carrie would not listen to it - When she
knew the state of affairs, she said :
"I hoped to. have you for my sister,
through love. for Gordon ; but it your
heart has gone out to another,let the sub
jeet drop. l'ou know we adSocated mar
rying-for lo'e alone in our 'Schooldays ;
it seems we advocate it still. We, willgo
to the beach `=for a few days -and enjoy
ourselves together ; then if you must gb
home, we will-let you off."
Ckordon, whose plan it was,: _warmly
urged her. - .
"We have been friends 'tdo long, ,Ber
tha," he said, "to allow anything to come
between us. ..I want to feel as free as
you did before our interview."
So it was settled, and the next day
they Were booked in a commodious hotel,
and' etijoyina the cool breezes Of the old
ocean.
When Bertha's letter reab' hed Harry,
he tore it open with excited fingers. 'His.
: fancy saw in it an intimation that she
really bad concluded to marry the wealthy
one.. His old doubts of her love for him
returned with overwhelming force. His
first thought was to rush - ou4take a train,
confront her and her lover, and know
the truth. Second thoughts convinced
him that be had not better risk making
a foot of himself, and being laughed at
for his pains, He could not endure the
life where, everything , reminded him. of
her, so, for a change, took a trip to the
seaside, and, as fate decreed, to the self
same locality and hotel where our party.
bad put up -the same day. He was think.
ing the matter over more . calmly, and the
whole truth, when a shorter method of
cleating the ; mystery -,was thrust- upon
him, Returning from i . ,solitary ramble
.on the beach, the next , morning, with
eyea ,on the ground, the . _ sound -of ,a
strangely. familiar_ voice fell upon his ear.
looked up into the face of Bertha, -for.
,they ivereiright upon him, and, before he
had time :to more _than glance: at her
:oompanions„she had stopped in ber:
iwalkand reached , her 1140 out to Min
You here,-Zeiry 'thought .
;youwereini thiititpri 04*mi
'Yowt sever oViLoted--but inn for
getting, allow me to introduce my friends.
Carrie, this is my friend, Mr. Chester.
Miss Leverett, Harry. Mr. Leverett, Mr %
Chester." ---
In troductie nilf, acknowledged, - the four
were walking .along the beach together,
Harry wondering to himself if this girl
was playing with him, and ; feeling in
wardly a strong desire. to pitch Leverett
into the ocean.
"I was working too hard, and just ran
down for a few days', rest," he said ,
. in
answer to Bertha's expression of surprise
at seeing him,
feeling.tbatthe time and
place had notarrived to tell his Teal rea
son..
"My friends and I _thought we would
breathe a, little sea air before my return.
I intended to be at home now, but you
find me here on their invitation, which I
could not mid." -
Harry could hardly mike out the situ
ation ,• her manlier puzzled him. She
seemed to treat Leverett and himself
alike. She had too much womanly tact
and feeling for Leverett to do otherwise.
He inwardly resolved to have it cleared
up as soon as p ossible ; he was beginning
to feel angry with her. ,
"I should like to see you alone," he
Said, when they returned to the holm.
"I want to see you, teo," she answered,
with a smile. "Here is a private parlor
where we shall be secure from interrup
tion!'
He sat down beside her, and took both
her hands in his.
"Bertha, tell me what is Mrs Leverett's
relation to you, ?"
"That of 'a noble but rejected lover.—
Harry, didn't you: kriow thatl loved. you
too well to admit another into my affec
tions ?"
He caught her in his amp and held
her close. - She was his oboe more.
"You know, Bertha, ,that I didn't get
a letter for a whole week, and then, when
yon did write, it wasn't satisfactory, and
you were with him all the time. When
I saw you first to day, I was afraid'some.
thing was wrong."
She drew his face close to her own.
"I •never fully realized how I loved you
until dazling wealth • on. the pne hand
and you on the other trembled before me
in the balance. Then I knew that my
love foi you outweighed every considera
thin. kI want you to trust me now, no
matter how strange My actions may ap
pear. Can you not ?''
"Xesi, clarling, 1 . 9an. But do you
wonder tbit, loving you as I do, I was
uneasy ?"
"No, I don't. I• know too, that lam
very provoking. I ought not to have
written that last. ltAter as I did. I knew
you would not be reassured; by it, but I
did not dream that you would mind it an
much - . 'Won't you forgive me, Harry ?”
And her arms stole lovingly around his
neck. •
"Forgive you, dear ? I could forgive
anything now ! But your .won't do so
again, Bertha," he
,said, with a compell
ing tone in his voice new to 'her ear as
he raised her from her resting place, and
looked into her eyes, with a steady light
in his own.
Something in his manner caused her
to say alaiostr humbly : -
"No, I will not. And, Harry, dear,
won't you be I polite to lttr. Leverett ?
He and his sister are
,both good friends
of mine, pad' he has acted nobly since I
had to tell him . l loved another."
"Oh, yes," said Harry. "I can afford
to be polite to him, since he has not won
you from me."
A week after Harry' and Bertha were
again in the city. He found letters await
big him. ' The first he opened was the
missing one from Bertha
.; it was - soiled
and somewhat crushed, and bad evident
ly been carried in some one's pocket. On
opening the other he found that incon
sideration of important service rendered
he had been promoted to a higher posi
tion in his ' business, on a liberal salary,
that would enable him to offer her a home
of elegance and even luxury. He at once
carried the letters to her.
"There," she said, as she looked at the ,
one she had written. "Carl-forgot to
mail it, and.carried it around a forthight,
but when he did - remember he acted on
the receipt, 'better late than never'."
® "Now look at this,'‘ he said as he hand
ed her the: other, secretly rejoicing that
it was in his - poWer now to place her in
the. position she waa faked to fill.
She looked up froth its perusal, her
eyes full of happy team
"I have your love and money too, dear
Harry," she said. "I ought to be con
tent."
Through the dicipline of years of hap
py married life, Bertha bas well nigh lost
her old time propensity for teasing. Her
nature has been ennobled and refined,
until she has become
"A perfect woman,nobly planned,
ttarn, to comfort, and command,
And ket a bpirit atiltand bright;*
With eometbing of an angel light."
Gordon Leverett has found another, a
fair, gentle wife *horn he loves as well
as if he had never ktio - Wn Bertha, and
she rejoices in his happiness.
An ingenious Frenchman on Long Is
land claims to have discovered' a sure
means of destroying - the potato bugs).—
one,gClion of ;prussic acid with ' three
ounces of rend ,rock, stir well, and ad
minister a tablespiciaftil every hoar and
a half till the bug, uhows signs - of weak
ening. Then stamp - on him. •
A worinin western city recently
fell out of a second-stiory window and
struck on her head. She stdd she didn't
know when _anything bed, made her . so
'mad before. ,
Forest's Fint Appearance.
He was in - .the street playing _marbles
on the pavement with some other urchins,
when Porter, the manager, came along
and . said to him, "Can you perform the -
part of a girl in a play ?' ‘l'Why?" ask.
ed Edwin, looking up in surprise. "Be.
cause," replied the manager, "the girj
who was to perform the nharacter is sick."
"Do you. want ine td, take the part?:
"Yes. Will you ?" When is it 'to be
played ?" "To-morrow night." "1
do it," answered \ the considerate youth,
triumphantly. 'Porter 'gave him a Play .
book, 'Minted out the part he we to
study, and left him. ,
Edwin began forthwith, andmas soon
quite tip.inr.the part. But how 'to pre,
!vide himself with a. suitable costume for
the night!. This was _a great difficulty,-
At length, bethinking himself' of a fe.
male acquaintance of.whose name was
Eliza Berryman, he went to her and
borrowed what was needful in genera),
but not in particular. 4
Night came on, and the boy, as a sub
stitute fors girl, was .to take4ho part of
Rosalia de Borgia, in` the romantic melt,.
drama of "Rudolph; or the Robbers of
'Calabria." He went to, the theatre:and
donned the dress. Finding himself in
want of a bosom, he tore off some por
tions of scenery and stuffed them about
his breast under the gown, and was ready
' for the curtain to rise. He had been
provided by the kind Eliza , sort
of turbin for the head, and for ringlets
he had placed horsehair done into a bunch
'of curls. The first scene pisplayed
Rosalia de Borgia at the back of the
stage, behind a barred and zrated door,
peering,out of a prison. As she stood
there, she was seen by the audience, and
applauded. They could not then well
discern her rugged and somewhat funk'
gruous appearance. Pretty soon Rosalrai
came in front, before the foot-lights.
Then at once rose a ,universal . 'guffaw
from the asseoibly., She looked about, a
little disconcerted, for the cause of this
merriment. To her intense sorrow and
disguat, she found that her' gown.aud
petticoat were quite too short, and re.
vealed to the auitience a most remarkably
unfeminine pair of feet, ankles and legs.
He stood it for a time, until a boy
in the pit, one of his mates, whom he had
told that he was going to play, and who
was there to see lim yell out. "The heels
and the big shoesq Hi yi ! hill I Look
here, chap, you wait till the play is done
and lick you ' like hell !" Tben the
boys in the pit bawled out, Oh, she
swears ! she swears !" The audience
were convulsed with laughter, the curtain
came down and poor Rosalia -de Borgia,
all perspiration, was hustled oft the doge
in disgrace.
.Ife kept his word with the bOy in the
pit, - i-whose pointed remarks and loud
laughter had so much annoyed and pr 6.
Yoked hini.• He inflicted the promised
thraihing, though—as he said, in relating.
the incident more than fifty years later—
it was one of the todgbest. jobs he eyer;
underto* As soon as te combatants
were satisfied, the victor and victim made
up,
,shook hands, and remained ever after.
wards firm friends.
.A year later - the late Alderman John
Swift, who had casually met the lad and
conceived a high opinion of him, obtain
ed for him -the great favor of .a regular
appearance at the Walnut street Theatre.
That was on November 27, 1820, as Nor
val in. the play of "Douglas." He *ant•
ed some months of fifteen, but be sac
seeded. Between that date and January,
6,.1821, 116 appeared twice as Norval,
once as Frederick in "Lavers Vows," and
once as Octavian in "The llountineere
His ambition was excited, and he actual
ly ventured, a little; later, on hiring the
Pruge-street Theatre for his own benefit,
and, drawing a good house, came off with
-plenty of applause and some pecuniary
gain. •
A boy
,caMe down LinwoOd avenue o,p
the rush,' a few nights since, and in In
exciting-mariner said there were a lot of
lights in. the Jewish burial ground. _Half
a dozen scientific men, four loafers and a
dog started off to, see them. The grave•
yard was as dark' as such places usually
are. - "Where are the lights ?" asked a
big man of .the boy. The youngster
backed off to a safe distance and yelled
out, "Underground; they are Israelites!"
He then ran for his life.
Ho was praising her beautiful hair, and
begging for one tiny curl, when her little
brother said : "0 my, t'tain't nothin'
now. You just ought to see how long it
hangs down when she. hangs it on the
table to comb it." Then they laughed,
and she called her brother a cute little
angel, and when the young man *as go•
ing away and beard that boy yelling, he
thought the lad . was taken suddenly and
dangerously ill. ,
"It's all very well," remarked a red•
nosed man in a bad hat and an ulster of
the vintage .of '73 "it's all very well to
say let business revive, but what we want
air, is confidence, public confidence, eir.
Each of us must be willing to brill out
our hoarded dollars= and, put them ouol
more in circulation. Then the skies la
brighten, then--by the way, I changed
my vest this morning—lend me Oft!
cents ; will you . ?" .,
The odor of the Afrifan has never
been account.ed for, although many elf(
pod itiobibave started for the ocenteiot
Africa.
tr,rkees 13 f drs Pr i. : ' a *,' Wu tlfsnea ne s !t ill
totinao woe;