2 
SEED-TIME AND HARVEST 
favors. Long did his heart waver bttween 
Emily and Laura, but a r . length fixed upou 
the former. Possibly he might not himself 
have been able to account for this choice; 
but those who were acquainted with him, 
well knew that self-interest was not the 
motive. This feeling, however operated 
the more strongly on Emily’s father, for 
though his daughter was really attached to 
the captain, yet she was so incessantly 
lectured on the subject of filial obedience 
and submissiou fo the will of parents, that 
the gentle creature at length yielded, and 
promised to htifje the growing passion. To 
second this resolution as much as possible, 
her father sent her to a distant country seat 
where she languished a whole year in sol¬ 
itary seclusion. Her flowers, her pigeons, 
and her correspondence with Laura, were 
her sole amusements. Her father allowed 
her to read no novels, and he act<^d wisely, 
as she would otherwise have scarcely suc¬ 
ceeded so well in banishing the captain 
from her thoughts. In her own letters, as 
well as in those of her friend, his name was 
likewise interdicted, as they passed through 
her father’s hands; and as they came from 
a country infected with the pestilence of 
love, he never failed to open them first, in 
order to preserve Laura from the conta¬ 
gion. 
Though Emily had quitted the town, 
still the number of her admirers did not 
decline, for her fortune was left behind. 
She resembled the invisible diety of the 
Athenians, on whose altars the votaries 
offered sacrifice without knowing how he 
looked. Many, indeed, wished for an op¬ 
portunity of becoming personally acquaint¬ 
ed with her; and those who knew her were 
anxious to see her again: but a considerable 
time elapsed before her father would con¬ 
sent to gratify these desires. At length 
young S-made his appearance. He 
was a rich count, who had seen the great 
diamond known by that name—had dined 
with Vergennes, and been blown up by one 
of the floating batteries at Gibraltar; and 
in other respects a tolerably good sort of a 
man, who was fond of his poodle, and 
settled an annuity on his superannuated 
tutor. He occasionally read books, and 
always took the tone from the last he had 
perused. This young man had presented 
himself as a suitor to Emily, or rather to 
Emily's father, who could not resist his 
charms, and appointed a rendezvous in the 
country. The fair Emily was just feeding 
her pigeons when a fine carriage drove up 
to the door; a fine gentleman stepped out 
of it, and said many fine things to her. Her 
father, at the same time, gave her to under¬ 
stand, that this was the knight who was 
come to deliver the captive princess from 
the enchanted castle. Now let a young 
lady be evtr so fond of her pigeons, it is 
ten to one that she is much fonder of 
liberty. It is therefore no wonder, es¬ 
pecially as the count was agreeable enough 
and as Emily was anxious to be delivered 
from her dungeon, that in a few weeks she 
signified her compliance with her father’s 
wishes. After the honeymoon, the young 
count found a residence in the country 
rather dull; the countess agreed with him; 
the steeds were harnessed, and away they 
drove to town. 
Laura was sincerely rejoiced to see her 
friend again, and captain B-the very 
reverse; for no sooner had he succeeded in 
banishing Emily’s image from his heart, 
than her sudden re-appearance threatened 
to replace it there in glowing colors. He 
met Emily in companj", bowed respectfully 
and turned pale: Emily courtesied low, and 
blushed. The captain stammered forth a 
congratulation which nobody understood, 
and Emily an answer which nobody heard. 
‘What is to be done?’ thought the captain, 
on his return home at night; ‘shall I tor¬ 
ment myself to no purpose ? or shall I 
strive to seduce the count’s young wife? 
Neither the one nor the other. I will look 
out for some other female, who shall make 
the world, if not a paradise, at least toler¬ 
able to me. The sweet fruits of Hymen are 
not brought to maturity only in the hot¬ 
house of love, they grow also in the shade 
of reason. Nor have I far to look; happi¬ 
ness is generally nearer to us than we im¬ 
agine. Laura is an amiable creature, do¬ 
mestic and unaffected. I will marry Laura.’ 
With this resolution he closed his eyes, and 
with this resolution he awoke. ‘I love you 
dearly,’ said he, the next evening to Laura, 
‘can you love me ? Laura had long loved 
