d never
be his wife, and he told his mother so in very plain language. Mrs.
Linden tried every art in her power to influence Charles, but it was no
use. He inherited too much truly noble blood from this independent,
right-thinking father.

At the age of twenty-one, he left his native place and entered into
business in a neighbouring city. His mother parted with him
reluctantly; but there were strong reasons why he should go, and she
did not feel that it would be right to oppose him.

About a year after his removal from P--to his new place of residence,
Charles Linden met Ellen Fleetwood. She had come recently from one of
the Eastern States, and resided in the family of a distant relative.
His first impressions were favourable--each subsequent meeting
confirmed them--and, length, he found himself really attached to her.
So little of his mother's peculiar spirit had he imbibed, that it did
not once occur to him to ask about her family until he had made up his
mind to offer himself in marriage. Inquiry on this subject resulted in
the discovery that Ellen's parents were distinguished from the mass in
no particular way. They had married early, and her mother died early.
Her father, whose very existence seemed to have been wrapped up in that
of his wife, went away soon after her death, and never returned. It was
believed by his friends that he did not survive her long. Ellen was
then five years old. An aunt adopted her and raised her as her own
child. A year before Linden met her, this aunt had died, leaving her a
small income. She removed shortly after this event, at the request of a
relative--the only surviving one, as far as she knew--and now lived
with her. Of the precise character of the father and mother, he could
learn nothing. Ellen, therefore, neither lost nor gained any thing in
his eyes by birth. For what she was to him, and for that alone, he
loved her--and loved purely and tenderly.

An engagement took place in a few months after their acquaintance
commenced. It was shortly afterwards that the conversation detailed in
the opening of our story commenced, from which it will appear that
Charles had not yet ventured to inform his mother of the choice he had
made. Knowing the strength of her peculiar prejudices, he had every
thing to fear, as far as opposition was concerned. The fact that Ellen
appeared so anxious to obtain her favour made him less willing to risk
the consequences of informing his mother that he ha