tinction conferred on him being, as they thought, reflected on themselves. Thus it seemed tacitly understood among them that Alverton must be a gentleman, and no mention was ever made of a business, or even a profession being sought for him. Fortune seemed to favour the views of the family in behalf of Mr. Alverton Stokes. His godfather suggested that the youth should be employed, and offered to take him at a proper age into his own establishment to be taught the routine of banking business. This proposal was gladly acceded to; for, though the youth would receive no remuneration, the honour of such notice from the great man of the place was in itself very gratifying, beside that it might introduce the hope of the family to something permanently advanta geous. In due time, therefore, Mr. Alverton Stokes occupied a desk in the office of his godfather. Whether that gentleman was satisfied with his aptitude for business we shall not pretend to determine, but at the expiration of three years, he informed Mr. Stokes that he could place the young gentleman in a London house, where there was a prospect of rapid advancement. Here was another favourable turn in the wheel. It was the very thing coveted for the beloved Alverton, though to part with him was a very disqualifying circumstance. The distance, however, to London was not great; they might see their darling sometimes on a Sunday, or possibly they might remove to town should he settle there. The object of so much anxiety felt rather awkward on leaving his father's roof, and he was sorry to part from a mo ther and sisters who had ever evinced so much affection; but his self-love was so great as to supersede that which he cherished for any other creature, and he parted from his family with great dignity. It is very easy for persons of little feeling to enact the philosopher. Mr. Alverton Stokes was one of those persons who are fortunate or unfortunate enough to obtain the patronage of their superiors without merit or effort of their own. His father had been in trade, and inherited a considerable property from an uncle, whose last injunctions to his nephew were that he should stick "close to business," and not be in haste to marry. To the first of these he adhered so closely that his health became the sacrifice, and change of residence with different pursuits were considered expedient to save his life. Prudently considering that without his superintendence his affairs might not prosper, and that a few of those thousands so hardly earned might possibly be lost, he wisely resolved to give up the shop at once, and, purchasing a few acres of land in the immediate vicinity of a country town, he had built a plain but commodious residence. He now took to gardening for amusement, and performed all the other out-door offices of the domicile for the double purpose of employing his time and saving the expense of a man servant. In these healthy occupations he seemed to acquire a new existence, and became a respectable and well-looking man, estimated as a person of consideration by his male, and an object of attraction to his female neighbours. But the independent bachelor was for some years as observant of his relation's last request as he had been of the first, until Cupid threw temptation in his way in the form of a very comely lass, whom he had engaged as a domestic. For some months he struggled manfully with the "archer boy," but opposition was vain, while the object of contention was daily and hourly in sight; We shall now give a short sketch of the person so it ended in the astounding intelligence to the and character of Mr. Alverton Stokes. His figure ladies of the district, that Mr. Stokes had trans- was ill-proportioned and ungraceful; his face referred Phillis from the kitchen to the parlour.markable for nothing but a fine set of teeth, and a The fruits of this union were two daughters, and after them the subject of our tale, who being the youngest became the pet of the family, and though not spoiled in temper by indulgence, fancied himself, as he grew up, to be a person of great consequence, from being treated as such in his father's house. There was another reason too for this feeling of superiority. Mr. Alverton, the banker, having a great respect for the half-yearly deposits of Mr. Stokes, and his vote at an election, volunteered to stand sponsor for the young gentleman, which offer being considered an honour was of Course accepted. This circumstance, indeed elevated the whole of the family into persons of greater importance than they were before. The moral height of Phillis, who had borne her advancement modestly and mildly, was greatly increased as the mother of Master Alverton Stokes; and Mr. Stokes, who had always possessed a tolerable portion of self-esteem, felt his respectability heightened by such a public testimonial of regard from a banker and an M. P. Nor were the Misses Stokes deficient in their sense of the favour as their juvenile perceptions became matured. Their brother, therefore, was an object of pride; the dis deficiency of expression, rather increased than diminished by the lips being kept apart to display the beauty of their inhabitants. His temper was naturally good, and his disposition pliant, perhaps too much so; yet there was a meanness and narrow-mindedness that ill-assorted with the great opinion he entertained of his own merits. By his family he was accounted genteel and handsome, and possibly he might have approached to both if he would have been natural, but there was a continual straining to appear pre-eminent, which to an impartial observer rendered him either ridiculous or despicable. With his family there might not be this artificial manner, or their affection might render them blind to its absurdity, and for his mental defects they had no perception, since at home he had little occasion to display failings of either heart or head. The Stokes's were not erudite people, and the higher order of faculties were seldom brought into action in their house. The father's knowledge was that of pounds, shillings, and pence; the mother's to manage the house with comfort and economy; and the daughters had been taught at a plain country school what was merely useful, Mr. Stokes thinking it more prudent to save a little fortune for them, than to expend it on their education. The gentility of the family was to find its representative in Mr. Alverton Stokes. Our young gentleman had been five years a clerk in the banking-house of Mr. Mansell. He was occasionally invited to the dinner table of his employer with the other gentlemen of his establishment, and frequently by Mrs. Mansell to her drawing-room of an evening. This mark of favouritism from a lady, who was the daughter of a Baronet, and a woman of great beauty and accomplishments, was almost too much for the weak mind of Mr. Alverton Stokes: we must admit that he was rather deficient in force of intellect. His ideas of self-importance were confirmed beyond the possibility of a doubt-on his own part; and there were others who thought he must be possessed of more talent than he displayed; Mrs. Mansell would surely not evince a preference for a young man of such moderate abilities as Mr. Alverton Stokes generally appeared to be. And the lady's partiality increased, for, not content with inviting him to some of her own parties, she procured him invitations to the houses of two or three friends, and exerted her influence to promote his interest in the banking-house, where he was not so very particularly valued. Mr. Alverton Stokes was certainly not an efficient man of business. His success in London, and the manner in which he was distinguished, was a continued theme of gratulatory conversation at home, especially with the females. The old gentleman was not altogether so well satisfied with Alverton; he considered him very extravagant, his salary not sufficing for his expenses in town, though his clothes were furnished him from the country. Mr. Stokes would shake his head and remark that a quarter of what the boy spent would have paid his expenses when he was a young man; but the girls with great sisterly affection and disinterestedness defended their brother, and endeavoured to rouse the father's pride to aid in excusing his son. Mrs. Stokes, whose predominant feeling was maternal love, said little, but looked more lovingly on her girls as they advocated the cause of her darling boy. A large party of young people were assembled at the house of a lady of some fashion. The first dance had concluded, and the ladies were most of them seated; the gentlemen variously disposed. Mr. Alverton Stokes, who could not find a seat, threw himself into a theatrical attitude, and tried to look interesting. But it was worse than useless; the effort resolved his vacant features into an expression of idiotism, while the attitude drew the attention of those who did notice him to the total want of symmetry in his figure, and the very bad cut of his clothes. "he "What an Adonis," said one young lady. "Rather say Narcissus," added another; will certainly die away presently with admiration of his own figure, reflected to such advantage in that elegant mirror." "Well, my dear, we must allow him to admire himself since every other creature in the room must be perfectly innocent of such an error in judgment. "At the conceit I am not quite surprised," observed his friend," since I am told (for I have heard of Mr. Alverton Stokes) that the animal is really patronised by the beautiful Mrs.-.” "Hush," said Lesly, "do not you see that he is precisely the person for a catspaw. The lady you would have named, does actually patronize him to a very great extent; she is at this time endeavouring to negociate a match between him and one of the prettiest girls in this room." "Can it be possible," almost exclaimed the other, " can a woman contemplate such a sacrifice; which is the lady ?” "Anything is possible," replied Lesly, "to some people, and a woman is not likely to value the happiness of another who, if report speak true, takes such strange methods to secure her own. But come, I will introduce you," and taking the arm of his friend, Lesly led him to a couch, at no great distance from Mr. Alverton Stokes, where among others, sat a young lady of very prepossessing appearance. "Allow me, Miss Eaton, to introduce my friend, Mr. Nugent, said Lesly, "you know I do not dance, or I should solicit the honour of your hand for myself." "I am obliged to you," replied the lady," but I hope your friend will excuse me, I do not dance this evening, I have already refused." "Yes, Miss Eaton won't dance to night, I could not persuade her," said Mr. Alverton Stokes, approaching with an air of importance. "Indeed, Mr. Stokes, (Lesly left out the Alverton) but if you could not persuade her, possibly I may be able to do so Mr. Stokes, and a lady should be permitted to change her mind sometimes in such a trifling matter as a dance, you know, Mr. Stokes." The gentleman addressed, looked unutterable things. "Come Caroline," continued Lesly, "you must oblige me for auld lang syne;' you and I are very old acquaintance," and taking her hand he raised her gently from her seat, and motioning Nugent to offer his arm on the other side, they led the lady unresistingly away. Mr. Alverton Stokes felt very indignant and very fidgetty, but the determined manner of Lesly prevented him from expressing his sentiments, and he was obliged to gulp down the affront, and solace himself by acting the amiable to a young lady whom he found disengaged. "How displeased would Mrs. Mansell be, if she were here," observed Miss Eaton. "Would that be of any consequence?" asked Lesly. "Perhaps it might," returned the lady. "And wherefore?" said Lesly. "Mr. Mansell being my guardian, I must""Psha! nonsense," interrupted he," Caroline you are wrong to pay so much deference to that woman; believe me, you should not care for Mrs. Mansell, unless indeed you wish to become Mrs. Alverton Stokes." "Can you for an instant suppose such a thing possible?" said Caroline. "Certainly I should have some difficulty in supposing it, but why will you allow yourself to be annoyed by such an incorrigible ignoramus?" "I will tell you some other time," said the young lady, as she quitted the arm of Lesly to join the dancers with his friend. Could the Stokes' have believed all this? pretences, he had been induced to undertake, were The tide of fortune which had been so favourable to Mr. Alverton Stokes, was about to turn. His father, approaching to elderly when married, was now advanced in years. Every application from his son for money, and they were frequent, rendered him still more dissatisfied. He would not believe that Alverton paid but a few shillings a week for a lodging, and generally dined at a cook shop, as he said he did, nor was the plea of paying his addresses to a lady of fortune sufficient excuse for an expenditure exceeding his income. There was a contradiction in the two statements which rendered it difficult to give them credence, and though the old gentleman's wrath was appeased by the tears of his wife, and the arguments of his daughters, yet he brooded over his anger, and ultimately gave a convincing proof of it. At his decease it was found that he had bequeathed the whole of his funded property to his daughters, an annuity for life to be paid by them to their mother. His house and land he had likewise given to his wife, to revert, at her death, to his son: no other mention was made of Alverton. This event threw the first shade over the prospects of Mr. Alverton Stokes; he was vexed and disappointed, and so was Mrs. Mansell, still she urged him to persevere with Miss Eaton, and his hopes in that quarter seemed to brighten, for the young lady tried to console him for his loss, and was more kind to him than she had ever been before. But the young lady was almost out of her minority, and the very day after she had entered her twenty-second year, gave proof that she had a will of her own by unit-bited by another family. The fond parent could not endure that the son on whom she had prided ing herself to Mr. Lesly without consulting any her friends. Here was another blow-Mrs. Man- herself so much, should remain in a place where sell was outrageous, but her anger cooled, and with the estimation in which he was once held had, with it her regard for Mr. Alverton Stokes. She blamed the friendship of his godfather, entirely passed him for being so tame a wooer, and would have away. She removed with Alverton to a part of the annihilated him if she could for allowing another country far distant from all the scenes of their earlier to snatch away so fair a prize. Her endeavours to promote his union with Miss Eaton were really of sincere, for her own interest was concerned in facilitating the increase of his resources. Now he had no resource but his salary, and she had misgivings for the durability of that. Mrs. Mansell therefore did not find it so convenient as she had hitherto done to invite Mr. Alverton Stokes to her social drawing room: but she did find it convenient to forget the divers sums of money which she had borrowed of him, and other acts of secret service, which from her blandishments, and plausible where years, a trifling situation was procured for the young man by the husband of his elder sister. Here, as plain Mr. Stokes, without patron or patroness to minister to his insensible vanity, and taught by experience to consider himself more properly, he lived with his mother humbly, but respected; looking back on the years he had spent in London with a feeling of mortified self-love, that served to correct the errors of his character, and sometimes in after years to smile at the follies of Mr. Alverton Stokes. BETA. ANACREONTIC. BY MRS. CORNWELL-BARON WILSON. Drink, Man! drink! thy cheek is pale Thy blood is cold and chill! Drink, Man! drink! 'tis vain to mourn; As the bright moments pass! Drink, Man! drink! the World for thee For youth is on thy brow; BALLAD. BY JOHN LUKE CLENNELL, ESQ. I love the girl whose sunny smile Illumes her laughing e'en, Though little clouds of care awhile Around them must be seen; I love, yes, how I love to see ; That storm and sunshine meet I love the girl whose ruby lip Can breathe as soft a strain, And oh! it makes me glad! I love the girl whose heart can beat I love the voice whose tones are sweet, I love the girl whose spirit knows Its dream of love for me; I love, but oh! each symptom shows, Dear Mary, I love thee! BALLAD. He placed his arms around me, As he kiss'd my hueless cheek, Though he cared not to reprove; And I felt like one rejected By a heart too proud to love! They will bid me not to falter, As they deck my brow with gold; But my heart will never alter Till its pulse is still and cold! GENEROSITY AND INJUSTICE. A TALE. 1 BY MISS ANNA MARIA SARGEANT. "How delighted am I to see you, my dear Maria, I was thinking of you, and wishing you might call," exclaimed Georgiana Derwin, as she hastily arose, and flew to embrace her friend with an expression of countenance which proved the words she uttered, to be the genuine feelings of her heart. "I hope you are come to spend the day with me?" she pursued "I have been receiving several unmeaning visits from persons for whom I care not a straw, and your society will relieve me from the ennui which was fast creeping over me." "I am sorry my dear," the young lady addressed made answer, as they together returned to the sofa; "I am sorry I cannot comply with your wishes at this time. Hold !" she added, playfully putting her finger on the lips of her companion, "stay your reproaches till I have made you acquainted with the object of my present visit; I am on an errand of charity, and have at least twenty persons to call upon this morning. I came to my dear Georgiana first, thinking her generosity would be a stimulus for others to follow her example." Georgiana immediately drew her purse from her reticule. "I have to plead," Maria continued, "for indigent merit. A poor votary of the Muses, who has lately suffered great hardships from the failure of the business by which he once supported himself and family, has resolved to attempt bettering his condition by the publication of a poem, and has requested me to advocate his cause among my friends. "What will be the price of each copy?" Miss Derwin eagerly inquired." "Half a guinea.' "Put my name down then for ten." "Ten?" inquired her companion in surprise. "Yes, I shall make presents of them among my friends, they will make very charming presents for my cousins. You know I always purchase them a birth-day gift, there will therefore be economy in my liberality; I shall serve this poor man, and spend no more than I otherwise should do before many months are over." Her companion smiled. "Well my dear," she made reply, "I am pleased with your generous subscription. It will be a noble example for others but I feared your finances might not be able to bear so heavy a call just now." "As to that Georgiana," returned, at the same time throwing the contents of her silken purse carelessly into her lap, "this is all I have remaining of my present quarter's allowance. Let me see; six sovereigns-well that will leave me fifteen shillings, and I know not that I shall want to purchase anything till another is due, excepting it may be a few pair of gloves or some such trifle, and that I can get without paying for. Oh I shall be so glad when I am of age, that I may have all my money at my own disposal, that I may buy what I like, and give away what I like; but that will not be for nearly four years, for I am but just turned seventeen you know" and she sighed heav Perhaps it might," returned the lady. "And wherefore ?" said Lesly. "Mr. Mansell being my guardian, I must""Psha! nonsense," interrupted he, "Caroline you are wrong to pay so much deference to that woman; believe me, you should not care for Mrs. Mansell, unless indeed you wish to become Mrs. Alverton Stokes." "Can you for an instant suppose such a thing possible?" said Caroline. "Certainly I should have some difficulty in supposing it, but why will you allow yourself to be annoyed by such an incorrigible ignoramus?" "I will tell you some other time," said the young lady, as she quitted the arm of Lesly to join the dancers with his friend. Could the Stokes' have believed all this? pretences, he had been induced to undertake, were of The tide of fortune which had been so favourable to Mr. Alverton Stokes, was about to turn. His father, approaching to elderly when married, was now advanced in years. Every application from his son for money, and they were frequent, rendered him still more dissatisfied. He would not believe that Alverton paid but a few shillings a week for a lodging, and generally dined at a cook shop, as he said he did, nor was the plea of paying his addresses to a lady of fortune sufficient excuse for an expenditure exceeding his income. There was a contradiction in the two statements which rendered it difficult to give them credence, and though the old gentleman's wrath was appeased by the tears of his wife, and the arguments of his daughters, yet he brooded over his anger, and ultimately gave a convincing proof of it. At his decease it was found that he had bequeathed the whole of his funded property to his daughters, an annuity for life to be paid by them to their mother. His house and land he had likewise given to his wife, to revert, at her death, to his son: no other mention was made of Alverton. This event threw the first shade over the prospects of Mr. Alverton Stokes; he was vexed and disappointed, and so was Mrs. Mansell, still she urged him to persevere with Miss Eaton, and his hopes in that quarter seemed to brighten, for the young lady tried to console him for his loss, and was more kind to him than she had ever been before. But the young lady was almost out of her minority, and the very day after she had entered her twenty-second year, gave proof that she had a will of her own by unit-bited by another family. The fond parent could ing herself to Mr. Lesly without consulting any of her friends. Here was another blow-Mrs. Mansell was outrageous, but her anger cooled, and with it her regard for Mr. Alverton Stokes. She blamed him for being so tame a wooer, and would have annihilated him if she could for allowing another to snatch away so fair a prize. Her endeavours to promote his union with Miss Eaton were really sincere, for her own interest was concerned in faNow he cilitating the increase of his resources. had no resource but his salary, and she had misgivings for the durability of that. Mrs. Mansell therefore did not find it so convenient as she had hitherto done to invite Mr. Alverton Stokes to her social drawing room: but she did find it convenient to forget the divers sums of money which she had borrowed of him, and other acts of secret service, which from her blandishments, and plausible not endure that the son on whom she had prided herself so much, should remain in a place where the estimation in which he was once held had, with the friendship of his godfather, entirely passed away. She removed with Alverton to a part of the country far distant from all the scenes of their earlier years, where a trifling situation was procured for the young man by the husband of his elder sister. Here, as plain Mr. Stokes, without patron or patroness to minister to his insensible vanity, and taught by experience to consider himself more properly, he lived with his mother humbly, but respected; looking back on the years he had spent in London with a feeling of mortified self-love, that served to correct the errors of his character, and sometimes in after years to smile at the follies of Mr. Alverton Stokes. BETA. |