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THE

PHILADELPHIA VISITER:

AND

PARLOUR COMPANION.

DEVOTED TO

POPULAR AND MISCELLANEOUS LITERATURE,
FASHIONS AND MUSIC.

VOL. III.

PUBLISHED BY W. B. ROGERS, 49 CHESNUT STREET,

PHILADELPHIA,

1837.

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THE GROOMSMAN,

'A TALE FOUNDED UPON INCIDENTS IN REAL LIFE.

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Mrs. Graham's funeral was to take Ar the period of her mother's death,, Julia Graham was in her eighteenth year; place the third day after her decease. On handsome she was-beautiful. There was that mournful day they were sitting a charm and a breathing of beauty around round the corpse, Julia habited in the weeds. her, that we rarely meet with in the ordi- of sorrow, and relatives endeavouring to nary walks of life. Sie hat not, been dininister the balm of consolation to her much in the world-she had not mingled sorrowing spirit. Low whisperings paswith the dissipations of fashionable socie sed from one to another, and cautiousty; and was consequently, alive to those ly silent. was the tread of those that crossofter emotions of the heart, which the sed the room as they advanced to the votaries of pleasure so carly sacrifice at corpse, looking their last upon the earththe shrine of. their follies. Her life had ly remains of her who but a short time been passed in retirement, but not in se- before was among them in life. The hour clusion. She possessed the requisites of arrived--the undertaker. Julia imprinted a polished education, had drank of the another kiss upon the cold lips of her parent waters that flow from the pure fountain and overcome by the intensity of her of poetry, and classic literature had found feelings, she sunk back into Theodore's an admirer in her. arms, who was at her side. The white Theodore West was her accepted suit- shroud was closed over and around the er-her affianced bridegroom. He had corpse, the lid screwed down, whilst Julia, wooed with the smiles of the mother, and weeping, sobbing, was borne to the carthe heart of Julia was his. By strict in- riage. Long was the train that followed tegrity in his dealings and a close appli- to the place of interment, and sincere were cation to business, he had gained an ex- the tears shed over that grave. The tensive credit, and stood high in the es. deceased was deposited by the side of her timation of the mercantile community. husband, in the churchyard of St. Peters' He was at his business during the hours in Pine street; and the sermon delivered required; but the time not occupied there, on the occasion enumerated the virtues was mostly passed by the side of Julia, of the buried, which were audibly resand the evening he always devoted to her. ponded to by frequent bursts of sorrow Those of my readers that have them-from the breasts of those assembled. A selves experienc'd the delights of courtship plain marble tomb, with a simple inscripcan appreciate the happiness enjoyed by tion thereon, marks the spot where she rests-and there would the feet of Julia

them.

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and Theodore often wander; arm in arm the enraptured auditors were startled at they would gaze upon the marble, as the sudden conclusion of the tune. they thought of the past and drop the "Beautiful!" the wife exclaimed, as tribute of a tear to the memory of its oc- turning out of the grove in which they cupant. stood to listen, they advanced into the Summer, autumn and winter passed view of their mansion, upon which the away. Spring returned; and in little moonlight shone, and saw the figure of a more than a year after her mother's death, man, who immediately darted into the Julia Graham was led to the altar by clustering foliage of some shrubbery at his one every way capable of rendering a side, and disappeared. On account of the woman happy. She became the bride of distance that intervened, it was impossiTheodore-the wife of his affections; she ble to distinguish the person. It was sinloved him, and was loved in return. gular-who was he?-what did he want Edward Byard, a cousin of hers, offi- there?

ciated at the wedding as groomsman; but "Who can it be?" said Julia, leaning for reasons that shall hereafter be made on the arm of her husband as they ap known, he was opposed to the union. He proached the house.

however smothered his feelings at the "Indeed, love, I cannot conjecture," time, and acquitted himself satisfactorily was his affectionate reply, assisting her up of the duties that devolved upon him in the steps as he spoke, for they were now the character he had taken. Shortly af- at the door. They entered the house, ter the nuptials-two weeks or so he and shortly afterwards retired for the announced his determination of visiting night. Before asleep though, they heard Europe, and in less than a month started; the strings of a guitar touched, and imwhere we will leave him for the present, mediately beneath their window a manly and introduce the reader to a scene on voice, deep-toned, and apparently sorrowthe banks of the river Schuylkill, in the ful, sung the words of a popular sentimenmonth of July, 1826-a year and more tal.song. This of course served to inhaving passed since the wedding and the crease the wonder of Julia and her husdeparture of Byard. The spot that I have hand. It was strange-it was mysterious. reference to is in the neighbourhood of On the following morning, Mr. West inGray's Ferry. The day had been warm, qured of the domestics if any of them but was succeeded by a delightful even- knew the person. Each answered in the ing. The moon was up, the innumera-negative; none knew him; they had heard ble stars shone out, and the breeze from the music, and seen his person but nothing the river was redolent with fruit and flow-more.

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Arm in arm Mr. West and his wife Theodore was of necessity absent during were wandering-over the lawn, by the the day-in the city attending to his buisiriver, through the grove, and down by ness On his return home the next eventhe glen, whilst the sound of the boat-ing, his wife informed him that a gentleman's horn at intervals was heard, and man of handsome exterior had been notithe whippoorwill's note mingled upon the ced on the premises by the servants and ear with the dashing of waters. Thus herself, but was not near enough for her were they wandering so quietly, fondly to see his features with any accuracy. and such was the scene around them; Tea was announced, and they sat down when all at once the music of a flute was to the evening meal-afterwards to the wafted to their ears. Both stood still to piano-and in the mutual endearments of listen, nor ever had they listend to any domestic happiness, they entirely forgot thing equal, or in comparison, to the sounds the incident. To be sure, there was that now floated through the air. Its nothing alarming-nothing to be appresilvery tones would swell till the feelings hended; but it was singular that a man of the hearers were wrought up to an should be loitering about. Rising from almost painful extacy, and then, as if the piano, the happy couple left the parlour aware of its magical influence, would and retired to the privacy of their own gradually subside into those soft and chamber--- where, walking out upon the tremulous notes, fainter and fainter, till balcony in front, they seated themselves

The Groomsman.

to pass the social hour of love and con-cluster of trees, whose spreading branches templation. The moon, the stars, the intercepted the rays of the moon. The shining river, and the distant view, were curiosity, or rather the interest, exited in mingled on the sight, whilst the city's her breast, arose to an extraordinary hum and the noise of busy thousands as- height-so much so indeed that it began sailed the ear. The city itself was seen to surprise her husband. He could not by them, as the moonlight lay sleeping account for it. There seemed to be more upon its roofs, its domes, its steeples and in her manner than admiration only. Perits towers. The balcony extended from haps she knew who the singer was. It a level with their chamber, and around might be so. If she did, why not tell her the pillars that supported it, the flowery husband. What motives could she have creeper entwined its delicate foliage in concealing it?

the rose the jasmine, and the violet, too, The song ceased, and was in a minute commingling. A paradise-the very or two afterwards heard receding in the place for love! Theodore sat halt-reclin- distance.-Julia listened till the sound was ing, and Julia reposed with her head upon entirely lost, and, as it was by this time his bosom-his arms encircling her-and after midnight, expressed her wish to reoft the long, the lingering kiss-so pure tire. They did so, and as Theodore laid -which only those that really love can his head upon the pillow, with her's beappreciate. They were really happy! side him, it was not altogether with as Heaven had smiled upon their union; and happy a heart as usual. Suspicions was a new tie was upon the eve of being ad- awakened in his heart. He doubted. ded to their bliss. Julia was shortly lost in slumber-the But hark! music-soft music-the sweet sleep that nature requires-but he tones of the flute are again heard! At a was awake. Cautiously disengaging himdistance at first, but as it neared, more self from her arms, which were around distinct was the melody, and it was evi- his neck, he rose, and slipping on a loose dently the same heard the night previous. undress walked out upon the balcony again "How beautiful, how sweetly played"--there to gaze at the heavens and incried the wife, enraptured, while Theo- dulge in his thoughts. With eyes upturndore fondled her to his breast, where she ed, his cheek resting on his hand, over nestled like the dove to the caresses of the railing of the balcony was he leaning its matė. -sad-sorrowful. An hour passed, and "Tis beautiful," said the husband-still, he was there;-another-there he "like yourself," he complimentarily con- was still-his face buried in his hands tinued, smoothing back the ringlets from and his heart subdued with grief. A her brow, and gazing with admiration on light foot step was heard behind himthe countenance of her whose guiltless Julia was there. She had missed him bosom heaved for him, and him alone. from her side, risen from bed, and hurried The music continued-low, like the to the balcony in alarm, where she found whispering under-tone of the human voice, him-but in tears-weeping. like the quiet quivering of the aspen leaf, "Why is this, Theodore," she hurriedat first-then dying away till scarcely ly asked in a trembling tone. "Why audible-and now bursting upon the thus expose yourself to the cold night air?" startled ear-full-swelling-melodious! She hung around him-fondly-freelyAs it ceased, the voice was heard again, but he returned not her earress, and the but not accompanied with the guitar as coldness of his manner shot through her it was the evening previous. Clear heart a pang of inexpressible anguish.-and distinct its manly tones came upon "What does this mean?" she continued. the breeze, and Julia listened-intensely" Why leave your pillow? what has dis-almost breathless. She gradually rose composed your mind? You are weeping! from her husband's side and leaned for- alas! am I the cause?" ward over the balcony-anxiously—

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He answered not.

eagerly-straining her eyesight to catch "Your silence implics it-I am the a glimpse of the vocalist. The sound of cause-" she exclaimed. "But in what, his voice directed her 'cyes to the spot, let me ask? what have I done? Speakbut he was effectually concealed by allet me know—-”

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