The Maiden CHAPTER 13.
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The reader will remember that mention has once or twice been made of a young man named Hartley.
A few years previous to the opening of our story, James Hartley came to Philadelphia as a poor boy, and obtained, through the recommendation of a friend who knew his family, a situation in a wholesale mercantile house. His honesty, industry and intelligence, soon made him valuable to his employers, who, as he advanced in years, elevated him in their confidence step by step, until, long before he had reached the age of twenty-one, he occupied the position of their chief and confidential clerk. Never, in the slightest degree, did he betray their confidence, or trespass with undue familiarity upon their frankness, and the open, generous manner in which they always treated him. When he became of age, so highly was he esteemed and valued, that he was offered a share in the business, and became one of the firm of R. S. & Co., and entitled to a moderate dividend on the profits.
During his minority, the young man had devoted himself so closely to business, and given to it so much of his thoughts, that he had neglected to adorn his mind by tasteful reading, and to furnish himself with stores of general information. On entering into company, at a pretty early age, he became aware of his deficiencies in this respect, and to make up for them as rapidly as possible, he spent most of his evenings in reading and study. Naturally modest and disposed to think more of his deficiencies than of his attainments, he was retiring in company, and, therefore, attracted but little attention. He was not much of a favorite with young ladies, because he did not pay them very marked or flattering attentions. This was not the result of intention, but arose from lack of that confidence in himself, which would have pushed him forward and made him an agreeable companion to all. As he gradually became better and better acquainted with the different ladies in whose society he was thrown, some liked him, and, indeed, highly esteemed him, while others thought him a dull companion. He had never learned to dance, and this tended to keep him back, and to prevent his circle of acquaintance from enlarging; for while most of the young girls were on the floor, threading the mazes of the graceful cotillion, he was in some corner, in grave conversation with their mothers, or entertaining some neglected maiden, whom no one thought it worth while to take as a partner.
From these causes, as just said, he was not a general favorite with young ladies. Their opinions in regard to him were various. Some thought him dull and stupid; while others, with whom he had conversed more freely, considered him sensible enough, but too puritanical in his views and feelings; others again said that they thought they could like him very well, but that they never could get near him.
Upon the whole, although no one could allege any moral defect against Hartley, there were very few of the younger members of the social circle who cared to be very gracious towards him, or who did not feel under constraint when by his side.
Anna Lee first met him, after he had been going into company for a year or two. He was then a member of the business in which he had served his time. From the moment he saw her, Hartley liked Anna; but she was so general a favorite, that it was a rare thing, indeed, that he could get by her side; and when he did, she always showed a reserve that, acting upon his feelings, already biased in her favor, closed up his mental perceptions, and caused him to appear to very poor advantage. Of this, he was clearly conscious.
From the first he had found no difficulty in making the acquaintance of Florence Armitage. She fluttered through the whole circle of young men, and had a word with all. Her policy, as well as her feelings, caused her, to use her own words on a certain occasion, to make herself agreeable to the young men. Her frank, easy manner pleased Hartley at first. She was kinder and more affable towards him than any young lady he had met, and often came to his aid in company, when, from backwardness, he was losing all of its true enjoyment. For a time, Hartley liked Florence very well. But a close observation of her character, revealed in it very glaring defects. Her efforts to induce him to ask her to go to the theater when Fanny Ellsler danced, efforts that could not be misunderstood, first took the scales from his eyes. When he heard that she had been seen there in company withArcher, whose principles and conduct he utterly detested, he shrunk from her instinctively. When he met her, he treated her with politeness, but took no pleasure in her company.
Gradually, as he met Anna Lee again and again in company, Hartley saw more and more of the beautiful order and purity of her character. From pleasure experienced in the observation of these, admiration soon arose in his mind; and this, imperceptibly, as one moral beauty after another unfolded itself to his eyes, deepened into a feeling of earnest regard. At this time, he was concerned to observe that Herbert Gardiner, whom he well knew, was beginning to be very marked in his attentions towards Anna; and he was still more concerned to see that his attentions were not apparently disagreeable.
Coolly, and with more philosophy than is ordinarily to be found in young men, Hartley held himself aloof, and looked on to see the result.
"What a fool!" he heard a young friend say, as he came up and joined a group of acquaintances who were standing at the entrance of a neighbor's store, one day not long after he had marked the advances of Gardiner.
"Who's a fool?" he asked.
"Why, that pretty daughter of Lee's."
"What Lee?"
"President of Insurance Company."
"Please, what has she been doing?"
"A silly thing that she will repent of before she dies," was the reply of one. "She has given our friend Gardiner, across the street, the mitten to hold."
"What!"
"It is said she has declined an offer, made her by Herbert Gardiner. What do you think of that? Isn't she particular? No doubt she will take an apprentice boy, and be glad to get him."
"Why did she decline him?"
"Some girlish whim, I suppose. Or, perhaps, some apprentice boy has already stolen away her heart."
"She didn't like his character, it is said," remarked one.
"What does she know about that, I wonder?" returned another.
"No, it wasn't that," was added by a third. "I am told that she pretended to have a perception of his moral quality when he came near her, which she pronounced impure."
"Not far out of the way," smilingly replied Hartley.
"It's coming to a pretty pass, I think," said the other, "when young girls set themselves up to pronounce upon the quality of young men's morals, merely by the impression their sphere, as I believe it is called, makes upon her. A man might as well have a window in his chest."
"Bah!" ejaculated one of the party, turning on his heel, and going off.
The little group separated at this, and Hartley went to his own store. The fact he had heard thrilled him with pleasure, and gave to Anna Lee, in his mind, a far more elevatedposition than she had before held.
About a month afterwards, during which time he had not once met Anna, he heard of her refusal to receive a call from Archer. Various reasons were assigned for this, but he was very sure that he understood the true one.
"Noble girl!" he said to himself. "Oh, that every honest woman would stamp, as you have done — the seal of displeasure upon vice!"
Firm and consistent in his own conduct, and ever acting from principles of right, settled as truths in his own rational mind, James Hartley was an admirer in all of firmness and consistency; but how much more an admirer of them in one whom his heart had already begun to love! Gardiner out of the way — and Archer's visit declined, he began to think of approaching, with serious intent, the lovely maiden himself. But, no sooner did be begin thus to think, than doubts arose in his mind. His own person was plain, and Anna had declined an offer from one who was generally admitted to be one of the most fascinating and noble-looking young men in the city. He had not, as some others, who would seek her favor, those graces of mind which are so beautiful and attractive. He possessed not riches, although he was well connected in business. His family was obscure; in fact, unknown in the city. He was, himself, modest and retiring, and could not go forward and extort attention, as many had the power of doing.
These thoughts made him sad with feelings of doubt and discouragement.
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