tales for fifteen-第3章

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Julia；　in　a　manner　that　spoke　her　own　ideas　of　the
value　of　the　gift。

〃One　would　think　such　a　friendship　would　not
require　any　thing　to　remind　one　of　its　existence；〃
returned　the　aunt。

〃Why！　it　is　not　that　she　will　forget　me　without　it；
but　that　she　may　have　something　by　her　to　remind
her　of　me…〃　said　Julia　rapidly；　but　pausing　as　the
contradiction　struck　even　herself。

〃I　understand　you　perfectly；　my　child；〃　interrupted
the　aunt；　〃merely　as　an　unnecessary　security；　you
mean。〃

〃To　make　assurance　doubly　sure；〃　cried　Charles
Weston　with　a　laugh。

〃Oh！　you　laugh；　Mr。　Weston；〃　said　Julia　with　a　little
anger；　〃but　I　have　often　said；　you　were　incapable　of
friendship。〃

〃Try　me！〃　exclaimed　the　youth　fervently。　〃Do　not
condemn　me　without　a　trial。〃

〃How　can　I？〃　said　Julia；　laughing　in　her　turn。　〃You
are　not　a　girl。〃

〃Can　girls　then　only　feel　friendship？〃　inquired
Charles；　taking　the　seat　which　Miss　Emmerson　had
relinquished。

〃I　sometimes　think　so；〃　said　Julia；　with　her　own
good…humoured　smile。　〃You　are　too　grosstoo
enviousin　short；　you　never　see　such　friendships
between　men　as　exist　between　women。〃

〃Between　girls；　I　will　readily　admit；〃　returned　the
youth。　〃But　let　us　examine　this　question　after　the
manner　of　the　courts〃

〃Nay；　if　you　talk　law　I　shall　quit　you；〃　interrupted
the　young　lady　gaily。

〃Certainly　one　so　learned　in　the　subject　need　not
dread　a　cross…examination；〃　cried　the　youth；　in　her
own　manner。

〃Well；　proceed；〃　cried　the　lady。　〃I　have　driven　aunt
Margaret　from　the　field；　and　you　will　fare　no　better；
I　can　assure　you。〃

〃Men；　you　say；　are　too　gross　to　feel　a　pure
friendship；　in　the　first　place；　please　to　explain
yourself　on　this　point。〃

〃Why　I　mean；　that　your　friendships　are　generally
interested；　that　it　requires　services　and　good
offices　to　support　it。〃

｛interested　=　not　pure；　having　an　ulterior　motive｝

〃While　that　of　women　depends　on〃

〃Feeling　alone。〃

〃But　what　excites　this　feeling？〃　asked　Charles　with
a　smile。

〃What？　why　sympathyand　a　knowledge　of　each
other's　good　qualities。〃

〃Then　you　think　Miss　Miller　has　more　good　qualities
than　Katherine　Emmerson；〃　said　Weston。

〃When　did　I　ever　say　so？〃　cried　Julia　in　surprise。

〃I　infer　it　from　your　loving　her　better；　merely；〃
returned　the　young　man　with　a　little　of　Miss
Emmerson's　dryness。

〃It　would　be　difficult　to　compare　them；〃　said　Julia
after　a　moment's　pause。　〃Katherine　is　in　the　world；
and　has　had　an　opportunity　of　showing　her　merit；
that　Anna　has　never　enjoyed。　Katherine　is　certainly
a　most　excellent　girl；　and　I　like　her　very　much；　but
there　is　no　reason　to　think　that　Anna　will　not　prove
as　fine　a　young　woman　as　Katherine；　when　put　to
the　trial。〃

〃Pray；〃　said　the　young　lawyer　with　great　gravity；
〃how　many　of　these　bosom；　these　confidential
friends　can　a　young　woman　have　at　the　same
time？〃

〃One；　only　oneany　more　than　she　could　have　two
lovers；〃　cried　Julia　quickly。

〃Why　then　did　you　find　it　necessary　to　take　that
one　from　a　set；　that　was　untried　in　the　practice　of
well…doing；　when　so　excellent　a　subject　as　your
cousin　Katherine　offered？〃

〃But　Anna　I　know；　I　feel；　is　every　thing　that　is　good
and　sincere；　and　our　sympathies　drew　us　together。
Katherine　I　loved　naturally。〃

〃How　naturally？〃

〃Is　it　not　natural　to　love　your　relatives？〃　said　Julia
in　surprise。

〃No；〃　was　the　brief　answer。

〃Surely；　Charles　Weston；　you　think　me　a　simpleton。
Does　not　every　parent　love　its　child　by　natural
instinct？〃

〃No：　no　more　than　you　love　any　of　your
amusements　from　instinct。　If　the　parent　was
present　with　a　child　that　he　did　not　know　to　be　his
own；　would　instinct；　think　you；　discover　their
vicinity？〃

〃Certainly　not；　if　they　had　never　met　before；　but
then；　as　soon　as　he　knew　it　to　be　his；　he　would
love　it　from　nature。〃

〃It　is　a　complicated　question；　and　one　that　involves
a　thousand　connected　feelings；〃　said　Charles。　〃But
all　love；　at　least　all　love　of　the　heart；　springs　from
the　causes　you　mentioned　to　your　auntgood
offices；　a　dependence　on　each　other；　and　habit。〃

〃Yes；　and　nature　too；〃　said　the　young　lady　rather
positively；　〃and　I　contend；　that　natural　lore；　and
love　from　sympathy；　are　two　distinct　things。〃

〃Very　different；　I　allow；〃　said　Charles；　〃only　I　very
much　doubt　the　durability　of　that　affection　which
has　no　better　foundation　than　fancy。〃

〃You　use　such　queer　terms；　Charles；　that　you　do
not　treat　the　subject　fairly。　Calling　innate　evidence
of　worth　by　the　name　of　fancy；　is　not　candid。〃

〃Now；　indeed；　your　own　terms　puzzle　me；〃　said
Charles；　smiling。　〃What　is　innate　evidence　of
worth？〃

〃Why；　a　conviction　that　another　possesses　all　that
you　esteem　yourself；　and　is　discovered　by　congenial
feelings　and　natural　sympathies。〃

〃Upon　my　word；　Julia；　you　are　quite　a　casuist　on
this　subject。　Does　love；　then；　between　the　sexes
depend　on　this　congenial　sympathy　and　innate
evidence？〃

〃Now　you　talk　on　a　subject　that　I　do　not
understand；〃　said　Julia；　blushing；　and；　catching　up
the　highly　prized　work；　she　ran　to　her　own　room；
leaving　the　young　man　in　a　state　of　mingled
admiration　and　pity。



CHAPTER　II。

AN　anxious　fortnight　was　passed　by　Julia　Warren；
after　this　conversation；　without　bringing　any　tidings
from　her　friend。　She　watched；　with　feverish
restlessness；　each　steam…boat　that　passed　the
door　on　its　busy　way　towards　the　metropolis；　and
met　the　servant　each　day　at　the　gate　of　the　lawn
on　his　return　from　the　city；　but　it　was　only　to
receive　added　disappointments。　At　length　Charles
Weston　good…naturedly　offered　his　own　services；
laughingly　declaring；　that　his　luck　was　never　known
to　fail。　Julia　herself　had　written　several　long
epistles　to　Anna；　and　it　was　now　the　proper　time
that　some　of　these　should　be　answered；
independently　of　the　thousand　promises　from　her
friend　of　writing　regularly　from　every　post…office
that　she　might　pass　on　her　route　to　the　Gennessee。
But　the　happy　moment　had　arrived　when
disappointments　were　to　cease。

As　usual；　Julia　was　waiting　with　eager　impatience
at　the　gate；　her　lovely　form　occasionally　gliding
from　the　shrubbery　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　the
passengers　on　the　highway；　when　Charles　appeared
riding　at　a　full　gallop　towards　the　house；　his　whole
manner　announced　success；　and　Julia　sprang　into
the　middle　of　the　road　to　take　the　letter　which　he
extended　towards　her。

〃I　knew　I　should　be　successful；　and　it　gives　me
almost　as　much　pleasure　as　yourself　that　I　have
been　so；〃　said　the　youth；　dismounting　from　his
horse　and　opening　the　gate　that　his　companion
might　pass。

〃Thank　youthank　you；　dear　Charles；〃　said　Julia
kindly。　〃I　never　can　forget　how　good　you　are　to　me…
…how　much　you　love　to　oblige　not　only　me；　but
every　one　around。　Excuse　me　now；　I　have　this　dear
letter　to　read　another　time；　I　will　thank　you　as　I
ought。〃

So　saying；　Julia　ran　into　the　summer…house；　and
fastening　its　door；　gave　herself　up　to　the　pleasure
of　reading　a　first　letter。　Notes　and　short　epistles
from　her　aunt；　with　divers　letters　from　Anna　written
slyly　in　the　school…room　and　slipped　into　her　lap；
she　was　already　well　acquainted　with；　but　of　real；
genuine　letters；　stamped　by　the　post…office；
rumpled　by　the　mail…bags；　consecrated　by　the
steam…boat；　this　was　certainly　the　first。　This；
indeed；　was　a　real　letter：　rivers　rolled；　and　vast
tracts　of　country　lay；　between　herself　and　its　writer；
and　that　writer　was　a　friend　selected　on　the
testimony　of　innate　evidence。　It　was　necessary　for
Julia　to　pause　and　breathe　before　she　could　open
her　letter；　and　by　the　time　this　was　done；　her　busy
fancy　had　clothed　both　epistle　and　writer　with　so
much　excellence；　that　she　was　prepared　to　peruse
the　contents　with　a　respect　bordering　on
enthusiasm：　every　word　must　be　trueevery　idea
purity　itself。　That　our　readers　may　know　how
accurately　sixteen　and　a　brilliant　fancy　had　qualified
her　to　judge；　we　shall　give　them　the　letter　entire。

〃My　dearest　love；

〃Oh；　Julia！　here　I　am；　and　such　a　place！no　town；
no　churches；　no　Broadway；　nothing　that　can　make
life　desirable；　and；　I　may　add；　no　friendnobody　to
see　and　talk　with；　but　papa　and　mamma；　and　a
house　full　of　brothers　and　sis