The National Register.
London, England, 1820-12-17 00:00:00

THE BROKEN HEAR7.—A Skettle.
• —4O-
- the" Talisman.")
Like the lily,
That once was mistress of the AA, and
I'll ham; my head and perish.

There is no killing like that which kills the heart.

SUAKSPEARE.

The approach to the village of ---, is pleasing in
the extreme. The road lies along the ridge of a hill, be-
tween which mad the river of , is a small but :*er-
tile valley, with a score of neat n hite-wa.hed cottages
(scattered promiscuously) and pleasant garden-plots. Some
hay-fields to the right of the river guarantees the richnes, of
the soil. The village itself forms a highly agreeable object ;
the thatched cottages, with their neat, fanciful garden:,
edged with blooming bowers of elder that rise one :.bove the
other, to the very height of the bill, at Vile base of which
the principal part of the villa- ,,situated.
It was to this rotrus"l;c t the amiable ales. Somers, after
Ike deo"- Po
..... or her beloved husband. retired with an only
iatigliter, as beautiful as she was virtuous. Mrs. Somers's
history may be related in a few words.
Mr. Somers was the principal in a mercantile house of the
highest respectability, and which maintained, in its various
negociations, no unimpeachable character. By a sudden
stroke of ill fortune, Mr. S. was seduced from affluance to
oomparative beggary.
Two of their chief connections at Amsterdam, from whom
they were daily expecting n remittance to the amount of
several thousand pounds, suddenly stopped payment. This
unfortunate cireinnstance was so unexpected toad unhooked
for that it necessiatcd Messrs. Swam and Co. to declare
themselvesl totally incompetent to honour the several large
acceptances that were then due; the consequence of winch
was, the following Gazette contained the lamentable intel-
ligence of their complete ruin. From this severe blow Mr
Semen sever recovered, Two mouths after Mr. S. was con-
signed to a premature grave. It were perfectly needless
fee me to describe the heart-rending agony Mrs. S. sullt•red
•• this occasion; suffice it to say, that by the contributions
sad exertions of her numerous friends, they raised a suffi-
cient subscription to purchase for her a small annuity, suffi-
cient to keep both herself and daughter, who was then 14
years of age,fea very comfortable manner. They had been
Ave years in the village, when a young gentleman of the
mow of Siogiesos visited them iu company with one of Mrs.
Somers's most intimate friends.
Young Singleton was the sun of a retired city banker, and
bad just returned from College,
_where he had een
sent for the purpose of completing his educutiou. His man-
nen were easy and gentle: his disposition gay and insinua-
ting. His whit was repented. and iu a very short period,
became a great favourite with the family.
Rosalie Somers was at this time between eighteen and
nineteen, au age when the passions begin to bud, and to
affect the human heart. She was tall and elegantly formed:
bee features soft and regular, such as
" Youthful poets fancy when they love ;"
with moat expressive and sparkling black eyes.
Her eyes, and one might look on them at times,
Is Isere did outvie that Egyptian queen,
When on the Cydaus' banks in pride she stack
Rare gems, each one a province, in her hair,
And bade the Raman worship her."
Hermeatal qualifications equalled her external beauty.
Rosalie's charms soon made (or appeared to make) a
deep Impression on the heart of Singleton. Rosalie on toe
Other hand, felt a sentiment of attachment rise within her
towards Siogleton which she was unable satisfactorily to
aeommt .for. If she plucked a rose, its perfume did not equal
the sae Sidgieton presented to her ; nor did the fresh mown
Lay have each a delightful fragrance as when Singleton
strayed with her thsough the neighbouring fields. Singleton
at length deteruhad to avow his passion; an opportunity
soon presented itself, and, 00 his knees, declared " the story
of his love."
Rosalie received his avowal with that modesty which is
tbs great ornament and becoming grace of her sex.
Relialieoomendurd with oo common decree of penetration,
sod bad examined his conduct with the strictest attention;
tbeliglus of poetry and passion so universally adopted by
othen.gare place in him to modesty and respect.; his words,
ids looks, were entirely subservient to hers; in short, every
part of his conduct seemed to vouch for the sincerity of his
bee.
Abort this tinseSingieloo received a letter from his father,
tootaining the melancholy intelligence of his being confined
to his chamber by a serious Illness, and requiring his imme-
diate attendance in town. He parted with Rosalie with the
greatest regret—asked, and obtained permission to write.—
Seiuentontbs, however, elapsed without her seeing or hear-
from him. Every excuse that partiality could suggest she
found in his favour; bat she had too soon more convincing
Proofs of his neglect and desertion than either his protracted
absence or silence.

She received from him stetter couched in such language,
that too plaint), indicated tbut he had cancelled for ever
their actinaintiatance of two yearbstandsog; the greater part
of which belied employed in the most earnest endeavours to
criavince her that his heart and arections were solely Ilea's.
Ilia Wale of levity that was repulsive to Rosalie's virtuous
'Sealing*, he ridiculed marriage, and concluded by assuring
her that it would be many, many years belore any one should
prevail on him to think of it seriously.
Never utter the receipt of this cruel letter was Rosalie's
sweet bee illumined by a smile; for ever banished were
tliese'faseroating rays that were wuntliti Sit across her maul.
bag cheek, and add a tenfold radiance to her hoe espies-
sive eye.
She would sit for hours by the side of a rose•hush that
Singleton had planted, and water its tender uprearing
b ditties with her plenteous tears : then suddenly would she
east her humid eyes towards heaven, a Olt a look so mildly
resipied, so couteuteoly pensive, that it were impossible fur
die outmost heart to behold her without feeling a seutimeot
orpity dud sympathy for her unmerited tufferiugs.
• •

1 •


'Mark you willow! bee bow Its drooping branches em-
Mes each other, awl SCreefl the green knoll beneath from
the scorching rays of a July's sum—That is the grave of the
sitraetuttate Rosalie Somers ! Few passengers pass the spot
without dropping a tour at the recollection of her bad story.
May she tied that happiness above, that site was deprived
fr.►w solo) ing here by the inhumanity of the unfeeling
Wijklow.

Ia my opiniap, the cruelest actions a main can be guilty of,
the robbing au tunuceugand tou susceptible creature of her

THE NATIONAL REGISTER

affections, with no other design tits!' to gratify his own in-
ordinate vanity. Alt;iough the laws of this country take no
cognizance of the fraud, its barbarity is not in the,,least
diminished.

How despicable among the female sex is the character of
a jilt ! yet men feel not the pangs of disappointed love half
so severely as they do. Men, from supposed superiority of
reason, can resent the injury, or from milli iplicit y and varlet f
of employmeuts forget the trifler who milirted it. But wily
them it is fur otherwise; they have mine of those occupa-
tions to call oil' their attention from disappointments, and
generally speaking, nu lasting resentment in their nature
against him who has betrayed them.
The majority of the gentlemen of the present age, imagine
(hat it is a most material bran:tell of politeness to fall despe.
ately in love si ith every pretty woman they meet, but in
:o doing. they ore not aware of the misery they indict.
Let every gentleman possessed of real accomplishments,
who has no serious design upon the heart of a woman, avoid
below particular in conversation, or in the civil offices that
politeness anti good breeding demand, and he will prevent
many a silent pang—many a stifled sigh. lam convinced
that it is from a contrary behaviour, that many a lovely and
worthy young creature is hurried to a premature grave, by a
disease that would defy the skill even of .Esculapius himself.
• BROKEN HEART.