AN UNEXPECTED CHANGE.
AS time passed on, and Mose made several successive voyages, he was at
length promoted to the rank of first mate, and then it was whispered
among the village gossips, with some truth, that he had found favor
in the eyes of Alice Smiley, the doctor’s youngest daughter. He was
not indeed her equal in point of social position or education, but his
frankness and manliness of character, his general intelligence and
unaffected goodness of heart, had so far won upon her, that she could
easily overlook all minor differences. He was also a great favorite
with her father, and therefore he would meet with no difficulty in that
quarter. Hesper was very much pleased with this arrangement, but the
village gossips were greatly surprised, as they had already selected
Juliana Grimsby for Mose. Aunt Betsey, in particular, made herself
very busy about the matter, and came down one evening for the express
purpose of talking it over with Hesper.
“Look here,” said she, “I think Mose is setting himself up most too
high, and if I ain’t much mistaken, he’ll find it out before long.
These people that are always trying to get themselves in among the
aristocracy, seldom escape without punishment. They are petted and
patronized for a time, and then pitched out all of a sudden, for some
new favorite. I know how it is, for I’ve tried it myself afore now. If
he had contented himself among common folks, and taken up with Juliana
Grimsby, I should have approved of his choice, and made the bride a
handsome present; but now I shan’t do the least thing in the world
for him. Juliana is a smart, likely girl, and would have made him an
excellent wife.”
“I have no doubt of it,” said Hesper, “but then every one has their own
choice you know.”
“Of course,” replied aunt Betsey, “but it may be a mighty foolish
choice though, if ‘tis one’s own. There are some people who don’t know
what is for their good half so well as others can tell them, and so
they often make grievous mistakes, which, with a little advice, they
might have avoided. Now if Mose had only asked me, I should have said
Juliana, by all means. Just think, Hesper, how handsome she is! why,
there isn’t a girl in the village that will compare with her!”
“It is true,” replied Hesper, “that Juliana is very handsome--much more
so than Alice; but then Mose don’t think much of beauty.”
“I think he does though,” returned aunt Betsey, “but it’s of a peculiar
kind. The beauty of the doctor’s purse is far more attractive than his
daughter’s countenance.”
Hesper bit her lips quickly to keep from answering, for she was greatly
vexed.
“Now, as far as you and Harry are concerned,” continued aunt Betsey, “I
have not a word to say. You are well matched, and I suppose, by what I
hear, that he has quite a snug little fortune laid up, by this time.
Let’s see; you are expecting him home before long, ain’t you?”
“I should not be surprised to hear of his arrival at any time,” replied
Hesper, quietly.
“Dear me!” resumed aunt Betsey, “what a time his mother will make! She
thinks so much of her Harry. Don’t you think! the other day she really
undertook to pity me, because I had no children! Why, it was perfectly
ridiculous! for the Searcher of Hearts knows, that I never desired
them.”
Just then, in rushed Bose like a mad creature--he jumped--he howled, he
barked, and then laid down on the floor and rolled with all his might.
“Mercy me!” exclaimed aunt Betsey, as she sprang upon the dining table
and drew her dress close about her--“The creature is certainly mad!
Hesper, put your head out of the window, and scream for help as loud as
you can!”
Hesper, however, who was not so much alarmed, was regarding the dog
with some curiosity, for this was rather an unusual demonstration on
his part. So earnestly was her attention fixed upon him, that she did
not perceive the entrance of any one, till a strong arm was thrown
around her, and a warm kiss imprinted upon her cheek. She glanced up
quickly, at the pleasant, manly countenance that bent over her, and
exclaimed “Harry!” for the long expected one, had really returned.
“O law!” said aunt Betsey, as she descended from the table, and shook
hands with the young man, “that accounts for the dog’s actions. Why,
what a knowing creature he is!” She didn’t stop long, however, for she
and Bose never were friends, and never could be.
“Hesper,” said Harry, “I couldn’t wait to see mother, but sent my
baggage along and came directly here. I suppose, however, the good old
lady will be almost crazy till I come, so I pray you put on your bonnet
and shawl and go with me.”
Hesper made herself ready as soon as possible, and while she was doing
so, Harry lit his cigar.
“I hope,” said he, as they passed along, “that this smoke isn’t
disagreeable to you. Some women have a great objection to cigar smoke,
but if you’ll just go over to the windward it won’t come so directly
in your face. It’s a bad habit I know, but then if I don’t smoke I
chew, and one is about as bad as the other. I’m sorry, but I can’t help
it.”
Hesper could not help feeling a little sorry too, but then, like many
other women, she thought that if it was any pleasure or satisfaction
to one who was so dear to her, she would try to overlook it. When they
arrived at the house, they found Juliana, who had been passing the
afternoon there. As aunt Nyna was not expecting Harry before she heard
of the ship’s arrival, of course she was greatly surprised. But her
surprise could not equal Harry’s, when he found that the handsome and
intelligent young lady he met there, was the same Juliana who formerly
lived in the house with Hesper. He had known her then, as a slovenly,
disagreeable girl, against whom he had felt the greatest dislike.
“I declare!” he said, in a straight-forward manner, as he stood and
gazed at her--“I never saw any one so altered in my life! and if you
won’t think me impudent, I will also add, or so handsome either.”
A light blush quickly overspread Juliana’s countenance, as she glanced
smilingly up to him, which made her appear more beautiful than ever.
After this Harry paid her great attention, and when she became a little
more acquainted, she grew very social and entertaining.
That night they all walked home together, loitering along in the
moonlight, engaged in pleasant conversation, until they parted with
Juliana at her own door.
“I declare!” exclaimed Harry again, shortly after leaving her, “what a
beauty that girl is! and how charming in conversation!”
“Yes!” replied Hesper earnestly, “and what is best of all, she is good
as she is handsome.”
She spoke most sincerely, for she loved Juliana much, and the charity
which thinketh no evil, shut out all feelings of jealousy or suspicion
from her heart. Harry listened with much interest, as Hesper proceeded
at still greater length to set forth the merits of Juliana, and at the
conclusion, he simply remarked, that he was glad Hesper had so good a
friend.
For the first two or three weeks after his arrival, Harry was quite
a constant visitor at the residence of the Greysons, but when Hesper
was busy about the house, he usually took Juliana out to ride, or
sail, with him, and finally this became so frequent, that the village
gossips took the matter up, and aunt Betsey came down to see about it.
To her surprise, however, she found that Hesper did not feel anxious
or troubled in the least, and therefore she set herself to work
immediately, to make her so.
“I declare!” said she, after talking some time, “I don’t see how you
can be so quiet and calm about it! Why, if it was me, I’d tear that
girl’s eyes out.”
“That would not mend the matter,” said Hesper, carelessly. “If he likes
her better than me, let him take her--that’s all.”
“And do you mean to say, you wouldn’t care one straw about it?” asked
aunt Betsey.
“If I did, I shouldn’t tell any one,” said Hesper.
“But if you don’t look out for your rights in time, you will be an old
maid, certain.”
“Well, what if I am?” was the quiet reply; “that will not hinder my
usefulness.”
“Why Hesper Greyson!” exclaimed aunt Betsey. “It’s a horrible disgrace
to be an old maid! I tell you, if I was a young girl, I would marry an
Esquimaux or a Hottentot, rather than be one!”
“And as for me,” replied Hesper, “I would sooner lie down in my grave,
than marry a man whom I did not sincerely love, or who did not thus
love me.”
“Very well,” replied aunt Betsey, starting up, “I see that you have
some mighty fine ideas on this subject. But let me tell you that if
you won’t look out for your own interest in time, and turn out a
poor, miserable old maid at last, you needn’t look to my husband for
assistance--that’s all.”
After thus relieving herself, she departed, leaving Hesper in rather
an uncomfortable frame of mind. As matters continued, the poor girl
herself could not doubt much longer, and when, one night, Harry came in
and took his seat beside her, she knew the instant she looked in his
face, what was the intention of his call as well as if he had already
spoken it.
“Hesper,” he said, after a short introductory conversation, “I did
think, when I came home, that I loved you better than any one else in
the world, but now I know that I do not. I would help it if I could,
and if you say so, I will still fulfil my promise, but I feel that with
my heart so divided, I could never make you truly happy.”
The color faded slightly from Hesper’s cheek, and there was a scarcely
perceptible tremor in her voice, but she looked him calmly in the face
and said--
“Harry, if you love Juliana better than you do me, marry her. You could
not do yourself or me a greater wrong, than in fulfilling an engagement
which you made under a mistaken impression. I do not blame you in the
least. Go your way and be happy. You have my best wishes, and I shall
ever remain a friend to you and yours, so long as life and breath are
granted me.”
For a few moments Harry regarded her with silent admiration. “Hesper,”
he said, “you are a noble girl, and perhaps I shall live to repent the
step which I now take, in sackcloth and ashes. But O!” he added, as he
started up and clasped her hand earnestly, “I cannot! indeed I cannot
help it! Think kindly of me, Hesper, and forgive me.”
He pressed her hand to his lips, and turned quickly away, leaving her
alone with God and her disappointment. She listened to the sound of
his footsteps as he went down the pathway, and then falling upon her
knees beside her chair, she wept in agony of spirit. There was but one
refuge for her. The arms of Infinite Love were open to her, and like a
storm-beaten dove she cast herself into them, as into an ark of safety,
praying only that the void in her heart might be filled with something
higher and holier than aught that earth could give.
A few days after this, Juliana came, and with tears in her eyes,
opened her whole heart to Hesper. She received as kind and considerate
an answer as that which had been given to Harry, and she went away
comforted in the thought that by accepting his offer, she was not
trampling on the sacred rights of her friend.
In the course of a few weeks the new engagement was made known, and
everybody expressed their astonishment. Hesper bore up bravely beneath
it. There was only one thing which deeply disturbed the serenity of
her soul, and that was the idle curiosity and most contemptible pity of
the village gossips. Aunt Betsey raved, and advised Hesper to sue Harry
for breach of promise, directly.
There was one, however, to whom this unexpected change was a cause of
the deepest sorrow, and this one was aunt Nyna herself.
“Hesper, my dear girl!” she said, as she came one night, and putting
her arm around her, drew her close to her bosom--“I had hoped one day
to call thee my own child, but I feel it is ordered otherwise. Between
thee and me, I will say, that I fear my Harry is not what he should
be. God bless thee, dear one! I trust that He in whom there is neither
variableness nor shadow of turning, hath reserved for thee better
things.”