vanced rapidly, but cautiously, in skirmishing order, and gaining the shelter of a corn field and skirt of woods near the enemy, opened a hot fire. Griffin's battery replied, but shot far over head. The two pieces of the Confederates were skilfully managed, shifting their positions rapidly, and firing from every point of advantage; their skirmishers were equally active, running from one side of the field to another, and darting among the trees, keeping up an incessant fire, which told with effect on the enemy. In two hours. after the fight commenced the Federals were in retreat, which soon became a rapid flight, leaving two killed and two mortalty wounded, besides a small harvest of muskets, hats and knapsacks on the field, carrying with them seven dead and nine wounded, and losing also six prisoners. The Confederates had not a man killed or wounded. But McClellan comforted Lincoln and the War Department by assuring them that Griffin's battery silenced the enemy's, and that the men behaved admirably under fire, concluding his report with the dismal words; "We shall have no more Bull Run affairs." a In an address to his men soon after this affair, Gen. McClellan sought to cheer them by saying: "We have made our tast retreat; we have seen our last defeat." How far his truth as a military witness, or his inspiration as a prophet, have been vindicated, the subsequent course of our history will disclose. [TO BE CONTINUED.] PRÆTERITA. BY S, D. D. I see through the shadows nightly With a form of most exquisite grace. a Northern account, Dispatch, Sept. 16. And I clasp a soft hand in my gladness, Mellow voices of laughter and singing Sweet sounds from a far remote shore. But ah! 'tis a dream, a dream only : I wake, and the murmurs are hushed; I had slumbered, (my life is so lonely,) O'er a flower that was faded and "Ah, it doesn't matter to a lucky dog like leaning over the side of the buggy, to make manner. "I bave never enquired about a critical examination of the little bays' her fortune." foaming flanks. A quizical expression came into the Doc-you, born with a silver spoon in your tor's face, and he watched Charles slowly mouth, but it is a matter of most confoundwhile he made that examination of his ed importance to me, I'll assure you," the horses. When it was finished, he looked into Doctor said, with comical earnestness. his face, and breaking into a laugh, said, “Why, man, what has come over you? You used never to go to town except on court days, and now I understand you are always there." "I am sure a bachelor can have court day whenever he chooses," replied Charles, stillanxiously observing his foaming horses "Oho," cried the Doctor, exultingly. "So the wind lays that way does it?" Looking away from Charles, he whistled a bar or two of music, then turning to him again, he said, with an air of deeper interest, "Charles, is it true that you are devoting yourself to that new schoolmistress? I meant to have had some fine sport there myself. I don't consider it exactly fair that you have cut in during my absence, and gotten so far ahead of me." I am not ahead of you. I have made no progress in her favor," said Charles in a tone which was meant to be very pleasant and candid, but which, in truth, was rather dejected. "Some good friend has made a more favorable impression for you, in your absence, than I have been able to win for myself, with all my attentions." The Doctor could not conceal his delight. "O, then," he cried, "if that is so, I'll enter the lists fairly with you. Let's see who will win the race." Charles was too much engaged quieting his restive horses to reply, and the Doctor continued: "You see I shall have to go to right much I am not preexpense on her account. sentable to her in this garb, and it will take about all of my cash on band to lay in a proper outfit. Did you ever see such a shabby looking dog?" Charles ran his eyes up and down the Doctor's figure with an expression of uncomplimentary assent. Observing it, the Doctor asked in a fidgety manner, "Look here, there is no danger of my encountering her this evening, I hope, one such meeting might spoil all." "There is no danger of her recognizing you, except by instinct as she has never met you," replied Charles, in a slightly sarcastic tone. "Good evening," he cried, giving the rein to his inpatient horses, and starting off. It was not altogether a bad idea of the Doctor's, to be desirous of shunning an encounter with any ore on whom he was anxious to make a favorable impression. He certainly was not appearing to that advantage which dress is said to give a man. He slackened his speed as he approached the village, not desiring to ride by the Colonel's in the full glare of daylight. It was quite twilight when he reached town, and was riding by the Colonel's yard, congratu "I don't believe I design entering the lists, myself," said Charles, untying a knot in his whip. Raising his head and ob-lating himself that there was no one visiserving that the Doctor was regarding him with an expression of mild astonishment, he added, with a confused, sickly smile, "In fact, Doctor, I believe I am not a marrying man." ble, when just then the gate opened, and a young lady issued forth. It was Miss Lochavel, he saw at a glance. His only consolation was in the thought that she did not know him, but just as he was pass"I am," replied the Doctor, frankly, ing her, a woman ran out of a house on "That is, provided everything suits," he the opposite side of the street, screaming added, in a jocular tone. "By the way, "Doctor, Doctor! for the love of mercy Charles, what of the fortune, I must be stop and see my baby! It's got the croup." sure of that before I become too deeply entangled." The Doctor rode resolutely forward, pre tending not to hear, but she shrieked all "I can't say I am sure," replied Charles, the louder, "Doctor, Doctor Gilmer! Oh, cutting the off-hand bay, in an excited dear, thought the Doctor, the thing is out now. "Stop and see my baby, if you mighty machine, finished off, without an please; it's got the croup dreadful bad." equipoise. The Doctor was fond of certain It was useless for the Doctor to feign deafness any longer. There was no help for it now, he must stop and see the babywhich he did in the worst humor imaginable. The condition of his temper was not improved by seeing that Miss Lochavel, after hearing his name, seemed to be ob serving him with an air of interest. "Confound-a baby-that has the croup," the Doctor muttered to himself, as he dis-stories, of a more sentimental character, mounted, and "confound a croupy baby," he continued to mutter at intervals, when ever its mother was far enough away to make that expression a safe one. pos connected with the Doctor's youth, which I may as well tell you while I am telling about him. It all happened so long ago, though, that it cannot come under the head Doctor Gilmer was one of those contra- of tattling-rather a matter of history, is dictory characters which we meet almost it not? People who remembered the Docevery day in actual life and yet, it is so tor's youth, talked of an early and a budifficult to give them an air of reality in a ried love. They said he was engaged to a book. In such characters, each good seems beautiful young girl. She sickened-all balanced by an evil; still here are times his skill could not save her-she died, and when virtue surmounts every vice. Had it was pitiful to see his passionate grief. Doctor Gilmer been a man of wealth and For years he gave himself up to gloom leisure, he would have passed smoothly and sadness, shunning all society. But by through life, exciting probably the adinira- and by, when he came back to the world, tion of many. But unfortunately, that he discovered a wonderful partiality for command, "By the sweat of thy brow, the society of wealthy women. They even thou shat earn thy bread," had fallen hea. went so far as to say, he courted all the vily upon him. Never was there a nature women he met who could give tolerably formed with more exquisite capacity for strong evidence of riches. So the story doing nothing, yet there never lived got abroad that the Doctor was a fortune a man with a stronger desire for hunter. He had very much given up this session. His self-indulgent habits, his half-way sort of love-making when Evekeen appreciation of the beautiful, his ar- lyn came to the village, but when he heard tistic tastes and poetic fancy, made him of her wealth he resolved to play the old crave that wealth which would enable game again, only with more caution. him to live in luxury, surrounded in reality | The Doctor had but few advantages in by those achievements of art and genius the way of personal appearance. He was of which he so loved to dream. As a phy-small and ill-shaped. His beard was feesician, he might have been distinguished; ble, and his hair, like that of Uncle Ned, for often, what appeared incomprehensi- celebrated in song, didn't grow in the place ble to other men, he could understand at a where it ought to have grown. The Doc. glance. But so soon as the novelty wore or had one advantage, though, he had the away, he would throw it aside, and seize finest and inost expressive eyes I ever saw. upon some new hobby, neglect everything They seemed to come nearer speaking than else until that, too, was exhausted. He any eyes I have ever known. The Doctor was a man of extraordinary mental pow-had one other peculiarity-his hands. I ers, in fact a genius, but he was wayward was never in his company for a moment and capricious, the creature of whim and without being pleasantly impressed with caprice. Thus his fine faculties, and bright his hands. They were small and white, attainments, were as useless to himself and and his fingers tapered like a soft-handed others, as so much vapor that has escaped girl's. There was more expression about from a steam boiler. His head was a them than any hands I ever saw. I have seen him expressing emotion by a jesture, express preference or dislike. A hundred times a week as Evelyn's manner varied, he passed through all the gradations of hope, from ecstacy to despair. or simply by the position in which he held his hands. I never saw any other person who had this peculiarity. Evelyn was always pleased to see him her painting, and music; and whenever there was anything she wanted expressed in more beautiful language than she could command, she carried it to him. He was making himself necessary to her, and she was accepting his services without thought. She never asked herself why he so often sought her company, and she thought it was as natural for him to say pretty things as for the birds to sing, and the waters to Few men understood better the art of making themselves agreeable than Dr. Gil--she consulted him about her reading, mer, so that, after all Evelyn had heard, she was not disappointed when she met him. Like many ugly people with fine eyes, he made their light throw into obscurity the homlier portions of his face. She forgot, while listening to his fine flow of language, that the lips which uttered it were not classically shaped. His manner was at tentive and flattering-there seemed to be an entire forgetfulness of self, and perfect absorption in the remarks of those with whom he conversed. After Dr. Gilmer's first visit to Evelyn, his attentions to her became incessant. He carried her flowers, he sang for her, and his voice was flow. And Charles Ruscal, where was he all this time? Away. Absenting himself. Shut up in his great house alone, nursing deep and rich; he loaned her books, and gloomy, suspicious thoughts. Some wretched wrote for her criticisms, upon what they influence is upon him; he closes his doors, read, and epigrams he made sketches of and folding his arms, sits gazing moodily the wild mountain scenery. He managed into the fire. Mrs. Cricket chirps and always to occupy her attention by some scolds, chatters and sings, but Charles neiachievement of his polished pen or pencil. ther hears nor heeds. He is gazing into the Then she no longer took her walks and embers, striving hard to read the story of rides with Henry alone. Dr. Gilmer almost a life, which is not written there. If he always joined her. No one could bet-only knew something-anything-no matter descant upon the charms of nature-or ter what, of that past which haunts him point out its undiscovered beauties. In like an incubus-but he knows nothinghis desultory education, he had neglected absolutely nothing. He is angry with himneither geology nor botany, so that he could self a hundred times for ever mentioning tell her something new of almost every that German. It was her evident confufragment of rock they saw, or something sion, then that was sending all those troubeautiful of each pretty little bud that dared blesome thoughts into his mind now. to bloom in that chill mountain soil. Or Charles feels hurt, indignant—takes it alin their little boat rides, seated at her feet, most as a personal affront, that the only he would sing to her-songs full of love woman that he can love, has had a prior and passion, gazing all the time into her attachment There are so many other woface, with his soft expressive eyes. And men whom he does not love-why could when the echo of his deep voice reached it not have happened to some of them? them from the hills again, he would tell You see how unreasonable love will make her in poetic language of the wild legends people! He would have been angry, only he had heard in the mountains around. he didn't know whom to be angry with; And this was not affectation in the Doctor, so he was gloomy, morose, a little eynical he felt all that he expressed. As soon as he perhaps. He was going to stifle this pasknew Evelyn, he forgot all his mercenary sion in its birth-give up this dream of schemes. The heart that had lain dormant love He had lived a long time without so long, leaped into life again. Evelyn's it, he could go back to the old life again. manner, too, roused a delicious hope in his One thing he was resolved upon, he was bosom. His keen sensibility, and powerful not going back to give those German lesimagination made him quick to see and sons. This was the conclusion of the first feel all those little acts, by which women week's meditations. The second, he be gan to think it was not altogether polite, or even gentlemanlike, to be making engagements with ladies, and breaking them in this way, without a word of explanation. What must she think of him? he was afraid she was angry. This was the end of the second week's meditations. The third-an idea came into his mind, not boldly, rather slyly at first-an idea that after all it was not such an awful crime to have loved What right had he to hoot at second love, who had never felt the first. There was something humiliating, too, in this thing of shunning a woman because he was afraid of loving her too much. He thought it would be more manly to go boldly forward let the consequences be what they would This idea was strengthening during the whole of the fourth week, and the expiration of a month, found him on his way to the village. Evelyn met him very kindly. Charles. looked anxiously, almost hopefully, into her face for some symptom of anger or resentment. It was not there, her expression was quietly amiable, and Charles turned away with a feeling of painful diзappointment: After all it. had been a matter of "No, it is not removed. The danger is increased tenfold," replied Charles, raising his head and gazing into her eyes with an expression of passionate fondness. "But I no longer shun it. I court it." She could no longer misunderstand him now, and yet she neither started nor blushed, nor turned pale, one of which she ought certainly to have done; and I'm afraid you are disappointed she did not. Remember, at the very outset, she told you that her heart was dead. You, yourself, have seen how strongly impressed she was with the idea that she could never love again. You should not expect a girl with so strong u dash of sentiment in her composition, so throw off this dream of a broken heart and blasted happiness, and accept the first love that is offered, just as any common matterof fact person would do. No, certainly not. You must give her time. CHAPTER VI. CONTAINS A DECLARATION OF LOVE. It was one of those warm mild days in winter, which come sometimes like a pro. no importance to her, whether he stayed mise, to help us through the cold, dreary or came. * "Here are some German books I have brought you," said Charles, going towards a table, to put down a package. Evelyn nodded her head without ing. ones. Evelyn had gone out alone, through the fields for a walk. She passed a little wooden bridge which lay in her way, and reply-resting on the rail, gazed over into the elear pebbly brook, with a feeling of calm enjoyment. She nad taken off her hat, and her long, dark hair, uubound; hung like a cloud around her. She was not aware of the presence of any one,and she could not sup press a cry of surprise, when Dr. Gilmer stepped on the bridge and spoke to "I am afraid you have thought a little strangely of me," said Charles, awkwardly, still standing by the table, and looking over his shoulder at her, "that I did not come to give those lessons, as I promised." "Why did you not come?" she asked simply. Charles was startled by so straight a question. Going near her, he said, half seriously, half laughingly, "I was afraid to come!" "No, sir. Is it removed?" she asked, her. "What a lovely Ophelia you would make, with the aid of a few flowers," said the Doctor, resting his gun on the bridge, and leaning over the rail beside her. "I could never make an Ophelia; I have not her madness, or the cause for it." "Are you sure you have not the latter?" asked the Doctor earnestly. "Yes, sure," ," she answered, laughing. "Why do you ask?" "I sometimes think," said the Doctor, evidently not understanding his meaning.musingly gazing into the water, "I some VOL. XXXVIII-6 |