Miscellany: Anna Milnor: Or The Young Lady That Was Not Punc...

"1 will cali for you at eight o'clock precisely,' said n youiig man, as ho stood nt the door of a house in Spruce street, Svith the hand of a gentle girl in his- he had taken it as he said 'good bye,' and held it longer than usual. "Very well, 1 shall be alt ready," returned the malden. "The cars start at a quarter past eight, precisely - We must not lesve here a minute later than eight o'clock.' "Not 'if we expect 1o join the private party at 's Grove." "Göód night, Anna."" _TUHU IllLMll. As the maiden responded to her lover s good night, Her hand ttíat lay in his, was genily pressed. The pressure sent a tk'rïll of joy to her heart. Henry Alton Had not yet dcclarcd his love for Anna Milnor, but little tokens of its existence wcre not wanting. Anna had fewdoiibts or fears on this subject. She feit for him a deep tenderness, and questioned not the fapt of its return. On the r.ext morning, Alton was al the houso preciscly as the clock struck eight. Fie asked for Anna. The ser▼ent went up stairs, and rcturned, sayinghat she would be ready in a moment. Ono, two, thrce, four, fivo minutes pased, and she did not appear. The young nan, who was thoroughly punctual in lis habits, became impatient. The cars eft the depot at a quarter past eight o'clock precisely, and it would take at east five minutes to walk there. ♦ It was seven minutes past eight, when Anna at length made her appearance. "I am really sorry to have kept you waiiing. Mr. Alton," she said. "But 1 could not help it. We have plemy of ime to get to the cars, I hope." "As much as the bargain,' return ed he young man. 'It's now seven minutes past eight.' 'Oh, I have forgotten my parasol. I will get get it in a moment. And away sprang Anna. In about a minute her little feet were heard pattering down stairs. 'l'm all ready now,' she said, when half way down. 'No! I declare l've dropped one of my glovcs in íTle chamber.' And back she turned. Very punctual men are usually impatient of delay.'Too bad!' muttered Alton. 'Wc shall be left as sure as the world. Wliy will people beso thoughtless?' Just at ten minutes past eight o'clock ïhey left the house. To reach the depot j iv time would require rapid walking. - Of course Mr. Alton would have to nppear in a hurry in the street with a young lady by his sitie, a tliing that annoyed him excessively. But there was no aiternative. They proceedcd at o quick step in silence. The bell was ringing as they entered the car yard. 'One moment, driver,' said Alton, hurriedlv. as ho passed llut individual, whovas jnst in the act of spraking to tlie horses. 'Be quick, tlien,' rcmrned. the driver, mpatienlly, mutleringsomelhing in addiiou about certain kind of people alwnys coming d the laat minute, which Allon onv h.'ilf heard. The excitetnciii and hurry of the two yonng people cnused severaï thouglitless peráons a gond deal of nierriment, which was rathcr loudly cxpressed. Alton's cheek burncd, and his li quivered, vhen he seatcd himself, wilh Anna, on the sunny side of tiic car. The moment he set his fout on the platform, the cars coinmonced moving. 'Like to been left, Alton. Why, what in the world made you so late?' said a young man, one of the plea.su re party tliat was going out on a kind of pie nieto Grove. 'We've all been here for at least ten minutes.'lt was ali my fruit,' spoke up Anno, wbose face wasglowing with cxcitoment and rapid wal Icing. '1 had no dea the morning was passing nway so swifily. - I miglit have been ready in good time enough, but didn't think eight o'clock ca me so soon.' Allon said nothing. Me was worried, and didn't care to let his tone of voice reflect his true feelings. In a little white they were gliding rapidly away from the crewded cily. The puffiing locomotivo was soon subtituted forhorses. llalf an hour rriore, and the gay party, consisting of about forty young ladies and gentlemen, left the cars, and proceed to a fine grovp, about a quarter of a mile frofn the ti-ack of the railroad, where they proposed tö spend ihe day. PJeosant oompany and a pleasaht ride dis)elled from the mind of Alton the effect nroduced bv Anna Milnor's want oipunetuality. The excitemenl attcndant upon starting had given un unusual brightness to her countenancc, at.dquickened her flqw of spirits. She was tlic lif'o of the company . Every time ihe young man's eye rested on her through the day, it was in admiration; and cvery timo her tones reached his ear, they came with sweeter music than before. 'She is indeed a lovèly creature!' he more than once said to himself. The impression made by the unpleasflnt occurrence of the morning had nearly worn olí', so charmed was he with all that Annu said and did through the day. Time wore on, and the.Vun rariged low in the horizon. The cars were to pass at half past six o'clock, when the party must be at the stopping place, or have the pleasure of walking home, a distance of nearly ten miles. A bout half past five, notice was given, by som e of the more ihoughtful ones, that it was time to bc making preparations for leaving the ground. 'Oh, it's plenty of time yet.' said some. It's only a little step over to the railroad.' 'But it will take nt least halfan Iiour to make our anangements for getting away,' was replied. Better be an hour too soon than a. minute too late for the cars.' 'So say I,' clnmed in Alton and some others, who look upon themsclves the task of getting, as fust as they could, in rcadiness to leave the ground.There's plenty of time,' said Anna Milnor, gaily, to Alton. Gome, you must be my partner in tliis cotillion. ' 'I shouid'nt like to walk ten miles tonight,' was the reply. 'Nor I. liut thero'stime enough; we can walk to the railroad in ten minutes.' All on could not refuse Anna's request, and so ho joined, though reluctantly, the cotillion. Time sped quickly on. When the music ceased, it was six o'clock. All was now hurry and buslle among the greater portion of the company. But Anna still insisted that therc was plenty of time, and actually induced a srnall number to commence another cotillion. Several remonstrated, and urged the necessity of immedinte dparture. - ■ Butthey were only laughed at for their impatience. Alton bit bis lips with vexation at such thoughtlessness. He snw that Anna -was the ruling spirit in this oppoaition to the mnjority, to be at the stopping place of thecars in good time; and this worried him. It brought too vividlv béfore his mind the incidents ofhemorning. At last, even she feit that the time had :ome for making a speedy departure. - f ha Hule group thal had been seemingly governed by her, separated, and commenced hasty preparations for leaying the spot. This took longer than they expected. Last of all to get away was Anna Miluor. By the time she left, some had riearly reuehed the track of the rail rond. '♦There! as I live,' she exclaimed, afte she had stnrtcd with Alton, and had gonc a coii)le of hundred yards, 'I have lost my bracelet.'As she said this, she turned and run , back at Vuil speed. Alton called after her that they would certninly be left ( hind the cars. But she did not hecd him. His only alternalive was to turn back, nlso, and help her search for ihe b racelet. 'l've got il!' she cried in a moment aftter reach ing the grouud, und t hen carne bounding back to meet her yexed and cxcited lover. 'We shali certainly be left behind,' he said. 'Come, run, tiien, quick,' Anna returned and speling away like a young fuwn. TJiere was not u single meinber of the ! party in sight. All had haslened to the stopping place of the cara, the most indifferent feeling alarm lest they shouldbe too lato.'It's nearly half-past six,' Alton remarked, glancing at his watch, as he carne up to the sicie of the liurrying maiden. 'Wo'll soon bcthcre,' was her encouraging reply. 'There's nol a moment to spare. Heli! the engine bell, as surcas l'm alive! Wo are too late.' lPerhaps not. Some of the party are there. and the conductor will certainly wait for us.' The rest of thedistnnce was traversed with swift feet, and in silence. Fortunately thcy reached the stopping placo just in time to get into the cars, bilt excited, overheatcd, and panting from exert ion. 'Just saved your distance,' said the con' ductor, smiling. lMy shawl! where is it? exclaimed one of the party, looking around her in alarm, soon after the cars were in molion. 'I don't know. Have you lost it,'ed a companion. 'It was on rny arm wHéfi wc sïarted. But I was so afraid of being left behind ihat I did not notice where or when I dropped it.' Quiotly scaled n the cars, all had leisure now to ihink wliether they had lost or left any thing behind. It was soon discovered that on o was short of a handkerchief, anothor of n bag, a third acollar, a Iburth a bracelet, and so on. 3ul for these losses, ihere was no remedy. - Every moment the swift speedingengine was bearing thein farther and farther away from the spot where they had spent the day so pleasantly'Well remarked Alton, in a half laughing, half serious voice, 'I hope this will be a lesson on punctuality lor all of us. If we had quietly made our arrangements for leaving the ground au hour ngo, there would have been nonoot these losses to regret. We should have been nt therailroad track at least halfan hour before the cars came along, so that there would have been time enough to havo rnturned for any thingthen missed.' 'You neodn't say any thing,' spoke up one. 'You were the last 10 renoh the cars both coming and going. A lecturer on punctuality should bo punctual liimself.' 'This was said jestingly, but it touched Alton in atender spot.' iTT0__no_ jts not far (o blame liiru Anna spokcup It was all iny fault.''í wish it hadrrt been,' was Alton'a mental reply. Wiicn he retired to bed that niglii, thc young man did not feel happy. ; ílis mind was disturbed. Why? Heknew of only one cause. Anna Milnor's conduct had not pleased him. There was a defect in her charnctcr, with which, let it exist where 'it would, he liad no kind of paticnce. Il was so easy to be punctual, and so wrong not to be particular on this head, that he could fvnd no excuse for il even in the girl he lovcd. Il was a woek before Alton could feel just in the frame of mind to visit Anna Milnor. Five minutes passed in her presenco was sufficient to dispel all unpleasant impressions that her conduct had produced. There was a cliarm in her person, mind and manners that thoroughly captivatcd him. He was again a constant visito r. As for Anna she waited only a declaration from her lover, lier heart was fully his. But he was not quite ready tomake that deelaration. Alton had a e.ool head as well as a warm heart. lic was ordcrly in his habits, and .regulated his conduct in lifc upon fixed principies. In choosing a wife, lie would not permit himself to be govorncd entirely by his feelings. He saw that Anna had defectsof charactèr - and one defect that, in his estimation, would have a very important hearing upon his future happincss.■w ore advancinga step farther, he determhicd to see how deeply seated tliis defect lay, and whelher there was any hope of its being corrected. 'I will cali Cor you on ne.xt Sunday 1 morning,' he said to her one day, 'and wallc with you to church.' 'I shall be very happy to have yoar company,' was hor pleased rcply. 'I will nnw sec,' he said to himself, how deeply seated lies th is want of puncumlity. Surely, she will regard the orderlv observance of external worship too liighly to permit herself tü be onc moment too late. Anna Milnor could not he gnilty of disturbing n worshiing assemblv bv entering church after thevicos have begun.' Hnlf past ten was the hour fortlie services lo commence. 'Do, Anna,' said Mrs. Münor. as tho fninily aróse from the breakíast-table on tho nexl Sabbalh morning, 'try and get ready in time to go vhh lbnr íather and myself tochurch. I am really tired of your wy.nt of punetualíty in tliis matter.' 'O never fear.' relurnèd the daughter, 'I shall be rcady. Tlierc's plenty of time.5 'So.you nlwnys say. Go and begin to dress now.''Dress now! VVhy it's only eight o - lock. 1 eau gel ready ín half an hour ii fnrthest. You won't start before len.' Saying this, Anna took up her linie brother in hor arms and corntnenced sporting whh him. An hour ader, Mrs. Milnor heard her voice in the parlor. 'Anna, dear, do begin to dress for churcli.' she called downto her. 'It's only nine o'clock, mother. Thcre is plenty of time. l'll be ready as soon as you are.' 'I declare! it's half past nine o'clock, and that thoughtless girl hasn't gone up to her chafnber y et,' the mother said, as she heard the clock strike the half hour. 'Anna! - do go up and dress yourself. I am out of patience with you.' 'l'll be ready now before ou will,' the daughter said, fis she bounded up stairs. A new dress had come home on the evening before. lt was not to be worn that day. Bilt os she had not vet tried it on, slie feit a desire to do so, and ascertain it-s (il. There was plenty of time to dress tbr church. So ahe tried on the dress. There was sonie defect about it. Certain foldssomewhere, did not lie just to her laste. These were adjustcd and readjusted over and over again. But they were incorrigible. While thus engnged, she was aroused by the voice of her mother. 'Anna, come, it is just ten, and we are all ready to start.' 'Don't wait for me, mother. I will be along in a litlle whilc. ilr. Allon is going to cali fur me,' returned the daughter, startkul to find it was so late, and liurriedly takingoff the new dress.In about ten minutes aftenvards Mr. Alton rung the bell. 'Teil him that I will bc along in a few moments,' was sent down by tlie sorvant, whobrought lier word of his arrival. Five, ten, lifteen minutes passcd, but the young lady hm not yet appenred. '1 run rcnlly grieved,' niurmurod the young man to bimself. 'ít hardly possible that nny one coukl be so tliouglitlesa. 1 mot her father and mothcr soms distanccon tlieir wny toclmrch as I carne ulong.' Juát tben Anne carne hnrrying down slairs. ít lacked but fonr minutes ofchurch time; and the walk was one of t'ull ten minutes. 'l'm sorry to havo kept you wniting,' , Anno said. Uut really, I had no dea it i wnssolate. lscarcely notice the flight of time.' 'We shall-be late,' was Alton's only reply to this. 'I know wc will. But we must walk fast. Oh! I have left my handkerchjwh' fShe glidcd up stairs, and did not come down again for lwo or threo minutes. - They soemed as long as a period of ten minutes to the mnid of Alton. When the yoUDg couple entered the church, the minister wns reading a portion of the service. All was silence profound and deep attentian. Théir coming in evidently disturbed the cnof regation. This was feit entirely'by Alton, who never enjoyed public worship so lillle in lus life. After all was over, he returned withArinnto her home. But he snid little on j Lhe way. He could not. His mind nvos too much disturbed. II is abstraction of manner was so marked ihat even Anna could not help noticing it. She nevcr rernembered to have seen him so dull. - At the 'door of her lather's house he bowod iormally, and retired. 'llow could you do so, Anna?' her I inother said, as soon as she had entered I the house.'Do what, motlier'' n 'Come so late to chnrch, nftor all Ï said ; K o you litis morning. And worse than iill, ' i 0 keep Mr. Alton waiting for you until 1 ■ñer service had commenccd. h was plain tliat hë was greatly annoyed.' 'I don't see that he was, Anna returned with a slight expression of surprise. Uut, she riow reraembered that he had said very liitle whi'.e going or coming, lt might be that her mother's suggestion was too ncar the trulh. Anna was not liappy during the rest of the doy. 'h'ri no use ofdisguLsing the fact,' Alton said to himselfj os he walked slowly homcward. 'Siie will not suit ine. 1 should be worried oul of iny lile by her 1 want of punctuaüty. Tliree times has Lshealrcady subjected me to hnnovance and mortifieation. The;e have worried me eiiGiigh. How wou ld it be if I were j suV)jected to siicli things every day of my life1? lt would kill me outright. No- ! no! Anna Milnor! - you are a sweet fascinating crcature. 1 love you more than I dare confess to myself. But 1 cannot malee you my wife. That would be riskinr iri- milPtlo i TJiifs reason urged. But ihe feeling ( as not so easily snbdued. lt pleaded i ong Por the charming girl - but it i d in vain. Alton was a young mail of ' ecided character. He never permitted limself to takea step that his judgment ilearly cohdemned. 'I h'avn't secn you viíh Anna Milnor, ately,' said a friend to hítn a months aferwards. 'No.' 'Why do yon ask the qucstionT 'You used tobe very particular in youv attentions in that quarter.' 'Perhaps I was. Büt I am not now.' 'She isa lovely girl.' 'That she ís', truly.' 'Just the one íov you.' 'No.' ll think she is.' 'While I, the party most interested, think otherwise.' 'What is your objection?' 'She comes late to church.' 'WhatY' 'She is not punctual.' 'You are justin g.' ;No. Don't you rcmembcr the pic.■ , me. 'Yes. And how you and she werc late both ingoing and fetürning.' 'All her fauit. I don't want a wife that has uot a regard for punctuality.- It would annoy me to dealh.' H surely, that is not youronly objection.' '1 have noother.' 'You are foolish.' 'Perhas not. But I can't help it.'- 'Úy wife musí bé' punctual and no mistnke.' Alton showod liimself to' be in earncst. Much as it cost him, he steat3üy resisted tlie inclination that was con; smntly urging him to renew his alte ntions to Anna Milnor. As for the young lady, she was unhappy for several months.- Thensho was consoled by ibc attantions of a new and less fastidióos lover. Slie paid as littl'J regard topunctunlity as ev ér, but lilis was a defect of rfiïnor importan, in the èyës of the young man who had inade uji his minci to ofior hor his hand. Alton was invited to her wcdding,aboni ayear afiorllia date of his. unpleasant picn.c adventure. A large and brillmnt partv wero assembled to witness the nuptjag ,hat weré to tnko placo at e.ghl ovlock precisely. At eig, all thepany were wailing, wiih tin; niiniser, il. o deseent of the bridul j j n 1 y - - Hut time passed on, and tnany brgnn to teel irnpatienl. Mr. Mil nor, the lather of Anua, cnmc into ihe parlor frequenlly, and then went out, evidently worricd at the delay, ihc causo of which Alton shrewdlv gucssod fö Hè in fact tliat the - D j bride was not vet ready. 'I believe the girl yjílj bo too late for death,' he henrd the old gentleman say in a fretfii] undertone lo some qqe in the passage, close to the door near wliicb he vvassitting. 'Thank Heaven for my cscapp! miirmured Alton lo hinisolf, as the pnrU carne in about half past ninc, after hav ing kept the compauy waiiing Por an hour and a half. 'Too late on the wed ding nighl! She would have killed me! Ifthisshoe should hap)en lo pinch an lady, whether married or single, we heg óf her not to think fur a moment that i was made for her Poot.