Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-06-16

\ HIS iaV0urIte DOCKS she could not, nor
did she wish TO understand indeed
she soon seemed Jealous of their inAu-
ence over him, and to see him reading
often increased her petulance to per-
feet fury. In short, she had quarrelled
outright with the old people. and fidg-
eted with her husband before the hon
ey-moon was over; and an half a
year had not passed before Charles
secretly cursed the day he was mar
ried, aud his mother lamented he had
not rather embarked OH a voyage
round the world. BY degrees Charles
began to seek abroad for the happi-
ness denied him by his own Greside
and when he had once yielded to temp
tation, the reproachcs of his wife only
increased the evil as to escape from
her afforded his conscience plausible
excuse for his irregularities. But the
tears of his mother had a more salu-
tary effect; and joined with the ell,
treaties Of his father, to prevent his
sinking to the lowest depths Of degra-
dation, ill their deaths, by freeing him
frori all restraints ofproperty or pre-
cept, made his ruin seem inevitable.
He had now been married about
dozen years, but ofall the children his
wife had borne him, none survived
their birth, and he quite despaired of
ever being blessed with a living child ;
when, to his surprise and joy, she pre-
sented him at once with two fine
daughters. This event, by awakening
hrs dormant sensibilities, impaired a
moral energy to tie mind Of the happy
father which was truly astonishing
He Immediately abandoned his vicious
associates, reformed his temperate hab-
its, and set himself about clearing the
embarrassment his follies had caused,
with the activity Of one who suddenly
finds a new value attached to the
world, and to existence. His estate
had suffered but little diminution .
and had his wife but "acted well her
part" they might have enjoyed domes-
tic happiness. But her caprices were
incorrigible. ltwas unfortunate that
her little daughters, though both beau
tiiul, bore but small resemblance to
each other. Mary, the eldest, was said
to be the very picture Of her father .
Miranda, Of her mother; and that tri-
fling circumstance was sufficient for
Mrs. Courtland to select the latter as
her favourite, and lavish OH her all her
tenderness. Mr.. Courtland was more
impartial but his mind, clouded by
the disappointment, ofhis early dreams
Of happiness, and weakened by bis
subsequent excesses, did not possess
the discriminating acumen necessary
to foresee the probable consequences
of such parental injustice, nor the Wig
or of authority requisite to correct it.
Indeed, a man, let him be adorned
with every excellence, is not, in the
education of his family, competent to
remedy the mismanagement of a silly,
ignorant, or perverse woman and
young gentleman while selecting a
wife for himself, would do wisely to
reflect that she is also 10 be the mother
Of his children. Those twin-sisters
might, and probably did, originally
possess minds capable of being mould
ed to love of the same pursuits, and
exalted to an emulation of the same
virtues. And above all, a tender af-
fection for each other should have
been twined around their very heart
strings. Friendship, the sweet friend
ship of sympathy seemed, by the laws
of nature, their favored boon but the
folly of their mother deprived them Of
the sacred inheritance.
The effect Of .fauouritism is usually
more pernicious TO the indulged than
the neglected child; and Mirandi, hu-
incurred in all her whims, soon became
peevish, wilful and selfish while like
the sweet violet that blooms fairest un-
tended, the quiet, condescending, gen.
erous Mary every year acquired new
graces as if to rcproach those who SO
unnaturalIy neglected her. And when
they were placed at school the con-
tras; was still more apparent. Miriam
da, had, at home, always assumed the
ascendancy and acted as the elder !;
but when no longer supported by the
countenance Of her mother, she saw
Maru iraatod ,,,ith tho caunur har mar