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mensely beautiful and awfully rich. The short- handsome, and she received his advances—evi

er girl was only a traveling companion, a school friend of the heiress's convent days, now taken with her out of kindness and charity. The father was a quiet old gentleman, who didn't amount to much anyhow. The daughter ruled the party. As Colonel Sharpe expressed it, she "bossed the whole lot."

The morning rose beautiful and bright over the yellow waters and the rich green shores. The heiress and her party had emerged from their state-rooms, and were graciously mingling with the general company. The heiress was really a very handsome girl-tall, pale, quiet, with a transparent complexion, long, straight nose, and magnificent fair hair. The other girl was a bright, pleasant little thing, without much pretension, or any pretension to beauty, but with a pretty and compact little figurejust the person to be a very trim and agreeable teacher or mistress in a well-kept school, apparently. The father was a rather handsome, very gentlemanly, gray-haired man, who talked willingly and agreeably enough, but had, every now and then, an odd, uncomfortable way of looking uneasily about him, as if he had something on his mind, or were in fear of some manner of detection. Our trio of traveling companions observed these facts at first from a distance, at breakfast. It was de rigueur on the boat that gentlemen traveling without the escort of wife, daughter, or sister must not sit at the tables where ladies ate their meals. On deck, however, all was liberty and equality; and it was not long before each of the three gentlemen had made the acquaintance of the heiress and her father.

Captain Deedes made his way to the lady through the papa, to whom he offered a cigar as a propitiatory sacrifice. Colonel Sharpe disdained such timorous and roundabout ways. He boldly approached the young lady with two green volumes of Mrs. Southworth and the latest number of Godey's Lady's Book in his hand (the Colonel was not great on literature), and, taking off his hat with a splendid flourish, and looking wonderful things out of his beautiful dark eyes, he blandly offered her those masterpieces of the modern school, and presently he was seen to offer her his arm, and, to use an expression adopted by himself," tote" her up and down the deck. He came back, however, to his companions after a while, and though he proclaimed the young lady "too splendid for any thing," and intimated that he had made wonderful progress in the work of captivation, there was an underlook of dissatisfaction, or, at least, of doubt, perceptible upon his face, and he drank two sherry-cobblers in quick succession.

Phil Pembroke, now piqued into trying his fortune, easily found a way of initiating an acquaintanceship with the heiress. Her name, by-the-way, he had heard to be Miss Rosetta Alexander. Now Mr. Phil was fond of pretty names for women, and the "Rosetta" prepossessed him. Rosetta's face was certainly very

dently those of a gentleman-with ready courtesy and apparent good-humor. She had a bland, sweet smile, which she turned freely upon the young man as they talked commonplaces together; and Phil began to think she was a charming girl, and that he was very likely indeed to fall in love with her. That sweet, gentle smile! How winningly it turned to him! How it brightened and transfigured a commonplace as a moonbeam does a puddle!

Still the young man began to find that they were only talking commonplaces. That was a waste of power. That white forehead, those eyes, that smile, must have a fine intellect behind them. Paulo majora―he soon began to try higher themes. He talked of the scene, of lovely scenes in general; of nature, of the ocean, the desert, the Alps; of places he had seen, and places he longed to see. Miss Rosetta turned her sweet smile on him, and blandly assented to all he said.

"What a glorious sunset!" the half-enamored youth exclaimed ; and he gazed at the burning west.

"Beautiful! replied Miss Alexander, with her sweet smile; and she glanced first to the east, and then to the steamer's deck.

Phil felt a little disappointed, but he tried another tack. He turned to books.

"This," he said, apropos of something, any thing, "reminds me of a part of The Earthly Paradise.

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"Charming, I think. Have you not heard of it ?"

"No." The same delicious smile. "But you are fond of poetry?" "Oh yes." The winning smile anew. "And you read poetry, I know?" "Oh no; indeed I don't." Smile repeated. "Who, then, are your favorite authors ?" "My favorite-?" Smile equally sweet, but interrogatory this time.

"Authors." Phil a little disheartened.

I don't like any of them. They are all so dull; and when one tries to read them they give. one such a headache." The smile was now as sweet and placid as if it were worn by an Egeria pouring out the finest treasures of her serene intellect upon some rapt admirer.

Phil soon politely bowed himself away. “I can't fall in love with a smile and a fortune,” he said to himself. "My British friend may try his chance and welcome, if he will. She ought to marry Lord Dundreary."

In withdrawing he nearly stumbled over a lady, and he stopped to make an apology. It

was the companion of Miss Alexander. She was a plain little girl enough, but she had good eyes, and a very expressive mouth-too expressive, Pembroke thought just then, for she seemed as if she were laughing at him. "She has seen my discomfiture," he thought, "and it amuses her."

Pembroke's apology led to an interchange of a few words. The young woman spoke in a clear, ringing voice, which had at least some character in it, and attracted our somewhat discouraged youth. He uttered a commonplace or two, but to his amazement the girl cut him short by calmly saying:

"Thank you. But suppose we meet each other on the deck or the stairs a few times more, and look at each other without speaking, until we get better acquainted?"

"Why so?" asked puzzled Pembroke. "Wouldn't that be a better way of opening an acquaintance than a prelude of unmeaning commonplaces that no one cares about?"

"Well, I suppose people must begin with commonplaces. It's like moving the pawns in the beginning of a game of chess."

"Is it? I thought there was some purpose generally in every movement, even of the pawns. But, indeed, the beginning of a game of chess is very dull to me, and I am always longing to get it over.'

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"Some people can only talk commonplaces," observed Phil, thinking of his recent interview. "Then why not keep all one's stock for dealing with such people?"

they soon found her odd and satirical, and pronounced her bold, and didn't like her at all. Some thought her manners highly unbecoming for a person in her class.

The day after their first exchange of words Pembroke came on deck and found Captain Deedes and Colonel Sharpe, one at each side of Miss Alexander, doing their best as rivals to interest and please the heiress. Miss Roberts sat at a little distance reading a book. Phil was rude enough and inquisitive enough to draw near her from behind, in order to see what the book was. It was Molière, and she was reading "Le Misanthrope," apparently with deep interest.

"Come," he thought, "a woman who can read Molière is worth something. Why hasn't she the money, or even the beauty ?"

Presently she glanced at the heiress and her admirers, and an idea seemed to strike her. She took up a scrap of paper and began to draw something on it.

Pembroke presented himself boldly, and plunged into conversation at once by asking her whether she was sketching any of the scenery of the river. She seemed a little embarrassed, and said:

"Oh no; I don't ever care to spoil my impression of a river or a tree by caricature. I hate silly women who waste their time over amateur sketches of scenery."

"But you have been drawing something; may I see it?"

"Indeed you may not. It isn't worth lookSomebody else came up, and this saucy little ing at, and therefore it wouldn't be worth conlady got out of the odd discussion. cealing, but that-well, but that I don't want to show it."

"She goes in for being eccentric," Phil said to himself. "She has no money and no beauty, and she thinks it best to be odd. I suppose she envies the good looks and the fortune of her young mistress, or friend, or whatever she is.

Poor thing! A woman without money or beauty must do something."

Captain Deedes walked the deck that day for nearly an hour with the heiress, and reported her to be a nice quiet girl, with no nonsense in her. He said he hated your talking women -strong-minded, and blue-stockings, and all

that.

Yet the sweetest smiles of Miss Alexander did undoubtedly seem to be leveled at Phil Pembroke. Phil felt a little flattered, and tried to think her delightful. But he really couldn't succeed. She was insupportably placid, sweet, and dull.

Pembroke talked a good deal to Mr. Alexander, and was much pleased with the quiet intelligence and varied knowledge of the old gentleman. But he was greatly puzzled by the obvious uneasiness and awkwardness which sometimes took possession of the latter when the two young women were near.

None of the other ladies on board liked the heiress. At first they were nearly unanimous in praising Miss Roberts, the companion, who had neither face nor fortune to boast of. But

She tore it in two, crumpled the pieces, and tried to throw them over the side. But the wind blew them back almost to Pembroke's feet, and he was malign enough to catch them, flatten them out, and put them together. He saw two wonderful little sketches, each done in a few touches-one of Captain Deedes, whose head was so manipulated as to look like that of a sheep; the other of Colonel Sharpe, made suggestive of a jackal.

"You have a wonderful gift with the pencil," said Pembroke, gravely and earnestly; "and you can see far enough into people. But don't abuse your gifts; don't be ill-natured. We are all afraid of satirical women."

"Well, I am sorry I caricatured these, since any body saw it; not because it is ill-natured, but only because they are not worth satirizing or caricaturing."

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"Should I have a better chance?" "Much better. Go and test it for yourself." "Not I! Like Sir Lucius in 'The Rivals,' I am too poor a man to do any thing shabby. I couldn't afford to run after heiresses."

Miss Roberts's eyes flashed on him full of keen inquiry. She rose, made a quiet bow, and left him.

"A strange girl, full of talent," he said to himself; "made cynical, I suppose, by seeing a pretty idiot preferred to herself by every man, just because the idiot has money and she has I must talk to her again.'

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glances of mutual confidence passing between Mr. Alexander and Miss Roberts, his daughter's companion, while no such glances ever passed between Mr. Alexander and the daughCould it be possible that Mr. Alexander was weak enough to think of giving his daughter a young step-mother, and that Miss Roberts, who seemed so noble, was capable even of momentarily humoring such an idea? He put the thought away, and would not harbor it.

The voyage was drawing to a close. Soon the party would all separate, perhaps never to meet again any of them, unless Phil should say He did talk to her again, and again. He some words to the one whom alone he profound her piquante, bright, brimful of intelli- foundly longed to meet again-which words he gence, and, for all her occasional sharpness of had not yet spoken. He dreaded the thought speech, full, too, of good feeling, tenderness, of separation. He knew that he loved Miss and sensibility. He began to think her pretty, Roberts now, with his whole manly heart, and and more than pretty. The brave Colonel that he never could be happy without her. But Sharpe was highly amused at our hero for his his prospects were poor; he had as yet made no having taken up with the companion, in default way in life; he doubted of his own worth, he of the heiress, and offered to bet drinks and ci- doubted whether he ought to ask a girl to risk gars that before the steamer reached St. Louis her fortune and fate with him and for him. Pembroke would find himself compelled to fall Yet he felt that he could not leave the Columback on the French waiting-maid. But Pem- bia without at least telling Miss Roberts all; broke received the suggestion with such a telling her how much he loved her, and asking frown, and one or two words so angry and her, if she would, to wait a little for him. fierce, that the intervention of good-humored Captain Deedes was urgently needed to restore pacific relations. After that, Pembroke was allowed to go his own way unheeded-which he did.

An amazing amount of incident, event, romance, love-making, passion, marriage-making, may be crowded into a voyage from New Orleans to St. Louis, and yet not seem crowded neither. This voyage, thanks to an unusual strength of current in the river, was slower and longer than usual. By the time the steamer had reached Memphis Phil Pembroke was in love with Miss Roberts, and by the time the steamer had reached Cairo he knew it.

Late in the evening-in the night, indeedhe came on deck. The deck seemed almost deserted, and he was glad of it. He walked moodily along and watched the darkling shores and the gliding trees, where now and then a fire-fly was gleaming. Suddenly he saw that close to him, at the stern of the boat, two figures were seated, a man and a woman; and the woman was lying with her head on the man's shoulder, and his arm was round her neck. Phil started, and would have turned back unseen, but it was too late. He felt the blood rushing to his head, and he seemed to see lightnings dancing before his eyes; for the pair he saw were Mr. Alexander and Miss Roberts.

Meanwhile Captain Deedes had become hopelessly discouraged in his pursuit of Miss Rosetta Alexander. He frankly owned that he could never get any thing more out of her than "Yes," and a sweet smile; and that every body else got just as much, and he had, therefore, no way of testing his progress. Col-way for him to sit beside her!

He heard the whisper of a hasty word or two-and-yes, indeed, even something like a half-suppressed laugh, and then Mr. Alexander coolly rose and walked away; and Miss Roberts called to him-Pembroke-by name, and made

onel Sharpe now had the running all to him- He obeyed, with rage and scorn boiling in self, and seemed mightily satisfied. The very his breast, determined to show this worthless evening when the steamer touched at Cairo girl, this mercenary coquette, how little he Sharpe whispered to Deedes, in exulting ac- cared for her. As he sat by her he could see cents, "I've made it all right with the heiress! that she was still laughing-ay, laughing in She's said Yes; and, if papa don't consent, I'll his very face! run away with her from St. Louis!"

Captain Deedes stared, turned away, wondered within himself whether he ought not to warn the papa, began to feel heartily ashamed of having given any manner of sanction to Colonel Sharpe and his schemes; but ended by smoking a cigar moodily, and saying nothing.

One thing had puzzled, and even pained, Phil Pembroke a little during the voyage. He could not help, now and then, detecting little

"Mr. Pembroke."
"Madame!"

"Good gracious, what a solemn and melodramatic sound! You are angry with me?" "I have no right to be, madame!"

"And you say so in a tone which seems to imply that you have all the right in the world. Pray, Mr. Pembroke, don't be angry; forgive my laughing; I can hardly help it. You would laugh if you only knew all."

"I don't ask to know any thing."

"No, of course; but you are longing to know, all the same. Well, Mr. Pembroke, I ask you just for once to believe in me without knowing. I can guess what you have been suspecting, and I won't laugh if I can; but you are quite wrong. Mr. Alexander is more dear to me than any other being almost on earth; but I have not been flirting with him, or trying to marry him. Do you not believe in me?"

She laid her hand gently on his, and looked into his face with eyes so pure and a trust so noble that every darksome thought and harsh suspicion were swept from Pembroke's heart, and he pressed the hand to his lips, hardly knowing what he did, and said:

"I believe in you-I love you!" Then his whole tale of love poured itself out into her unresisting ear; and although for a while she said no word, he knew that she loved him. She looked up at last, and said:

I am quite ashamed of all this absurd masquerade; but I have only lately become rich-and I suppose it has turned my head-and I have not long come out of a convent, and I heard that all men were so mercenary, and I thought it would be such capital fun to see people making love to Virginia for her supposed fortune! Papa would try to get me the moon if I cried for it, and so he consented, very unwillingly, to go into the scheme, and very awkwardly he played his part; and-and that's all-except that you are fairly trapped, and can you ever forgive me?"

Pembroke did forgive her, although he was, for the moment, honestly disappointed to find that he was not marrying a poor girl. She, with her quick and subtile instincts, would probably in any case have divined the truth and nobleness of his character; but it appeared that Mr. Alexander and she were already well acquainted, through friends, with

“You know what my position is—that I am our hero's antecedents, and the manly promise a poor, dependent girl?"

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on one condition."

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Any condition you will-only name it quickly."

"That nothing you may hereafter, or soon, hear about me, nothing I now have to tell you, shall induce you to withdraw your offer of love."

Wild thoughts went through Pembroke's agitated mind. Perhaps there was something in the girl's birth, parentage, family history, which she feared he might regard as a stain, and by which she therefore would test the strength of his love. How idle a doubt! What did he care for any thing but her own purity and truth? and of these his whole instincts, heart and soul, assured him. He passionately protested that nothing on earth should divide him from her, if she would but promise him her love and her hand. would wait as long as she pleased-years, if she would only give him the pledge that her heart was his.

He

A bright smile crossed her face even while tears were in her eyes, and she said:

"I have been playing a foolish trick-a mad whim of mine-and I have entrapped you! My name is Rosetta Alexander, and Mr. Alexander is my father, and the young lady with the sweet smile whom you wouldn't make love to is Virginia Roberts, my waiting-maid, the handsomest, best, and stupidest girl under the sun!

of his independent, honest nature. Mutual love did all the rest, and the affection that grew up in six days will last true and bright forever.

Captain Deedes was invited to the wedding. Colonel Sharpe (who was not invited) always offers to bet drinks that Pembroke knew the whole secret from the beginning. He considers himself an injured man, and plays euchre more steadily than ever.

OPPORTUNITY. SHE leaned out from the lattice

At the budding of the morn; The sun was on the hill-tops,

The dew was on the thorn.

The willful, climbing roses

Above her wore a crown,
And crowned her the queen of maidens
As he came riding down.

He checked his horse's gallop,

Smiling and gazing upon her,
And lingered by the way,

Loath to go and loath to stay;
For he thought: "Since the sweet to-morrow
Waits on my delays,

Prithee why should I sorrow
For a flower that blooms always?

"Where she blossoms I surely can find her,
Or ever the season takes flight,
Blushing and smiling behind her

Lattice, morning and night.
Shall I squander life's early hour,
Ere the dew is dry on the May,
In reaching my hand for a flower

That may be plucked any day?"
So he passed. And the sunshine passed with him,
And the dew dried up on the thorn,
And the roses dropped all their petals
That had crowned her the queen at morn;
But once, when his heart was tried,

And life of its glory seemed shorn, He turned him again to her lattice, But she and the roses were gone!

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the backbone of the continent." President The Territorial dispensation did not stand in Lincoln made a parallel statement: "Utah the way of the hierarchy, since, under Presiwill yet become the treasure-house of the na-dent Fillmore, the government machinery was tion."

controlled by the apostles. Brigham Young The early history of the Territory is familiar was appointed Governor and Indian Agent, and to our readers; it constitutes one of the most Almon W. Babbit Secretary. The Chief Juswonderful chapters in the religious annals.of tice and his associates were the only United the world. But recently three important cir- States men in the administration. Practically, cumstances have combined to excite an inter- the Mormon leaders obtained what they deest in the public mind regarding Utah, not as sired-self-government-and Utah, in all her the abode of an independent religious com- | cities and settlements, grew up under the most munity, but as a region in which American en- complete hierarchical rule that Christendom terprise and American ideas are destined to has ever seen. There and in Europe the disciprevail. These are: 1. The discovery of silver ples of this new religion were taught that the mines every where in the Territory; 2. The republic of the United States had been Divineopening of the Pacific Railroad; 3. The inau-ly ordained to give "the kingdom" time to guration of social reform under competent and vigorous leadership. These momentous facts promise for Utah a glorious future. The miners have caught a glimpse of this coming era, and it is a popular saying among them that "Utah will pay the national debt." They see in the future Salt Lake City one of the principal centres of the continent. They see a Territory now consisting of one hundred and thirty settlements devoted to Mormonism transformed, under these new auspices, into an important section of the nation occupied by millions of United States citizens.

grow up and spread until it obtained the supremacy of the entire American continent. The United States was the first to be subdued to the Divine rule. As soon as the Mormons grew strong enough, by the influx of their people in tens of thousands from Europe, they would declare their independence, and establish a distinct national government, to be called "The Kingdom of God."

he sent them away in disgrace, his decision was confirmed by new appointments. It was thought, and truly, no doubt, that Brigham Young was the best man to govern the Mormons in their isolation, and in their exasperated mental condition consequent upon their expulsion from Nauvoo. Their past persecutions inclined the nation to sympathy and forbearance.

While Brigham Young controlled the executive department, the city corporations, the courts, the police, the militia, and the Legislature, and thus practically excluded the nation The necessity of recognizing the authority from the administration, there was yet one thing of the United States government has interfered he could not do: he could not exclude the nawith the grand design of the Mormon leaders, tion from the Territory. Notwithstanding his which was to establish an independent theocra- arrogance, he was sustained by Presidents Fillcy-a" Kingdom of God." This design would more, Pierce, and Buchanan. He had but to have been accomplished had the Mormon ex-speak, and the federal officers were removed; if odus taken place in 1844, as was originally intended, for then the Territory was nominally Mexican, and the United States could have uttered no protest; while the Indians, the only inhabitants of the valleys, would have been organized as the auxiliaries of "the kingdom." But the movement was delayed until 1847-48, and when the Territory was occupied it was a province of Upper California, and it was necessary for the apostles to organize their community as a part of the nation. In applying for the nation's recognition, however, they urged the capacity of their people for self-government, and dwelt upon their essentially organic condition as a society. They applied for admission as the "State of Deseret." In their scheme their peculiar national economy was as important as their religious organization. And, although it has not been recognized, this "State of Deseret" has existed from the beginning, and has practically governed the Territory of Utah. Not until the rise of the Utah Protestants, and the rule of the late Governor Shaffer, could the general government reach the executive functions of the Territory for a practical administration of its affairs. In effect, Brigham Young has been the potentate. Hence the

Colonel Steptoe was commander of the first military force sent to Utah. He and his principal officers were favorable to the Mormons. Disloyal speeches were overlooked; and Brigham Young, though he assumed the attitude of an independent potentate who had Divine authority to rebuke the United States, was arrogant with impunity. But there were occasions when the superior officers with difficulty prevented a conflict between the soldiers and the citizens. Upon the expiration of Governor Young's term, Colonel Steptoe was appointed to succeed him, but declined the empty honor; for he knew that, whoever might be nominally the Governor of the Territory, Brigham Young would exercise the functions of that office. He was joined by his officers in a petition to Congress for the reappointment of Brigham Young. It was not long before difficulties arose be

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