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Article THE BEAUTIFUL HAND. ← Page 5 of 8 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Beautiful Hand.
bable , she stopped in that room before going to her apartments , to make my first impression myself , in spite of the little Avidow . The Avidow had left the room ! and in the chair she lately occupied , sat a tall sun-burnt gentleman , AVIIO had just returned home . He Avas a southern planter , AVIIO instantl y began talking to me of tobacco , cotton , sugar , negroes , mules , corn , congress , and a long list of the greatest men in the United States , most of Avhom , it seemed , belonged to the southern of these States .
At length , Julia and her father arrived , walked into the room very calmly , aud she seated herself at the other side of the room , Avhile her father came on to shake hands with the planter , Avhom he had " not seen the Avhole day . " At this moment Mrs . Parker came smiling in , and instantly engaged Julia in conversation . Fortunately for me there Avas nobody ' s attention left free to detect my excitement ; for so excessive AA'as it , that I felt ashamed of myself , ancl resolved to master it , ancl I did so in a feAv moments to a very great extent . When my senses Avere
once more under my control , I directed my eyes in search of a peep at Julia ' s beautiful face , and my ears to catch the tones of her sweet voice . Lo ! she pulls off a glove , ancl there lays her hand ! Ancl such a hand —yes , such a hand;—larger than my OAVII , and boney too—positively ugly and coarse . Never did the flapping sails of a becalmed vessel exhibit a greater contrast Avith the puffed sheets and Avhistling cordage of a ship in a bustling breeze , than did the state of my mind at this moment , compared Avith the passion before which it had been driven the whole day long . I Avent to my room and then to bed , but not to sleep . Who had the
beautiful hand ? The servant Avas sure that there had been no visitor in the room at the AvindoAV of Avhich I beheld the hand . It Avas the pale little widow—it could be no other , beyond the least doubt , -who had that captivating hand . Her conduct to me Avas noAV accounted for ; she was either too artless to play off so strange a communication as mine Avas to her , if she thought me really serious ; or , if she thought I Avas trifling with her , she Avas far too high ancl pure a being to take the
slig htest notice of it . In the one case , it Avas very plain , she loved ; in the other , she felt contempt for my apparent rudeness . Which Avas it 1 I argued the question over and over ; but could not for the life of me satisfy myself . But , after all , of Avhat avail Avas its solution ? She Avas a AvidoAV . And , therefore , as to my thinking seriously of her , although in herself she might be an angel , that Avas utterl y impossible . The past is | as much apart of our existence as the present ; indeed it is the
purified part of it , —the dross is forgotten , and that Avhich is bri ght or precious is only remembered . How then can the after realities of a living husband compare Avith the recollections of him AVIIO Avas first loved and is no more ? No ; I determined to proceed on my journey
the next morning . Still I could not sleep , but turned and shifted my positiou how long I knoAV not ; some time very late in the ni ght , IIOAV - ever , " tired nature ' s sweet restorer" sealed up my senses . At a very late hour the next morning I aAvoke feverish , and with an extreme sense of ill-being . It Avas IIOAV too late for the morning steamer . I drank a cup of chocolate , took a book , ancl as it Avas a beautiful morning , Avent into the garden to set myself doAvn and , if possible , read . Perhaps there lurked under all this some indistinct idea that I might meet the W ' KIOAV , and have my curiosity fully satisfied as to her appearance ; for , to tell the truth , 1 was not sure that 1 did not have a glimpse
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Beautiful Hand.
bable , she stopped in that room before going to her apartments , to make my first impression myself , in spite of the little Avidow . The Avidow had left the room ! and in the chair she lately occupied , sat a tall sun-burnt gentleman , AVIIO had just returned home . He Avas a southern planter , AVIIO instantl y began talking to me of tobacco , cotton , sugar , negroes , mules , corn , congress , and a long list of the greatest men in the United States , most of Avhom , it seemed , belonged to the southern of these States .
At length , Julia and her father arrived , walked into the room very calmly , aud she seated herself at the other side of the room , Avhile her father came on to shake hands with the planter , Avhom he had " not seen the Avhole day . " At this moment Mrs . Parker came smiling in , and instantly engaged Julia in conversation . Fortunately for me there Avas nobody ' s attention left free to detect my excitement ; for so excessive AA'as it , that I felt ashamed of myself , ancl resolved to master it , ancl I did so in a feAv moments to a very great extent . When my senses Avere
once more under my control , I directed my eyes in search of a peep at Julia ' s beautiful face , and my ears to catch the tones of her sweet voice . Lo ! she pulls off a glove , ancl there lays her hand ! Ancl such a hand —yes , such a hand;—larger than my OAVII , and boney too—positively ugly and coarse . Never did the flapping sails of a becalmed vessel exhibit a greater contrast Avith the puffed sheets and Avhistling cordage of a ship in a bustling breeze , than did the state of my mind at this moment , compared Avith the passion before which it had been driven the whole day long . I Avent to my room and then to bed , but not to sleep . Who had the
beautiful hand ? The servant Avas sure that there had been no visitor in the room at the AvindoAV of Avhich I beheld the hand . It Avas the pale little widow—it could be no other , beyond the least doubt , -who had that captivating hand . Her conduct to me Avas noAV accounted for ; she was either too artless to play off so strange a communication as mine Avas to her , if she thought me really serious ; or , if she thought I Avas trifling with her , she Avas far too high ancl pure a being to take the
slig htest notice of it . In the one case , it Avas very plain , she loved ; in the other , she felt contempt for my apparent rudeness . Which Avas it 1 I argued the question over and over ; but could not for the life of me satisfy myself . But , after all , of Avhat avail Avas its solution ? She Avas a AvidoAV . And , therefore , as to my thinking seriously of her , although in herself she might be an angel , that Avas utterl y impossible . The past is | as much apart of our existence as the present ; indeed it is the
purified part of it , —the dross is forgotten , and that Avhich is bri ght or precious is only remembered . How then can the after realities of a living husband compare Avith the recollections of him AVIIO Avas first loved and is no more ? No ; I determined to proceed on my journey
the next morning . Still I could not sleep , but turned and shifted my positiou how long I knoAV not ; some time very late in the ni ght , IIOAV - ever , " tired nature ' s sweet restorer" sealed up my senses . At a very late hour the next morning I aAvoke feverish , and with an extreme sense of ill-being . It Avas IIOAV too late for the morning steamer . I drank a cup of chocolate , took a book , ancl as it Avas a beautiful morning , Avent into the garden to set myself doAvn and , if possible , read . Perhaps there lurked under all this some indistinct idea that I might meet the W ' KIOAV , and have my curiosity fully satisfied as to her appearance ; for , to tell the truth , 1 was not sure that 1 did not have a glimpse