Literary cadet and Rhode-Island statesman. [volume] (Providence, R.I.) 1827-1829, 1827-05-23

ucI IOVcI ueaIt dChuOWico&cu SuoS bu-
periority, Notwithstanding his sense of
honour induced him to continue an ap-
pearance of affection for her. She felt
that she must either hold the first place
in his esteem and love, or she must be
miserab rable-and, disdaining to retain him
near her, merely BY the tie of honour,
her resolution, long waverng, was at
length tsken.--She resolved to break the
eng agement which existed between them,
and leave Herbert froe to devote his
he art to Helen Rushford. She doomed
such sacrifice necessary to the happi-
ness of him she loved, and to her own
dignity, and she resolved to make il,
even though her heart should break in
the ,nflict. Gertrude's parting inter-
view with her lover was agonizing to her
heart; yet, acting, as she believed, from
a principle of duly, and nerved by noble
pride, her manner, though tender even
to solemnity, was free from the least ap-
Pearance Of resentment. Herbert per-
ceived that some deep emotion was la
bouring in the bosom Of his gentle Gcrt-
rude, and though he felt that he had Civ
on her some cause for unhappiness, he
was far from suspecting her design: yet
ut the sight Of her subdued anguish, his
tenderness was awakened in all its prim-
tive force, and he mentally resolved
that she should never again feel uneasi-
ness, that his affection could avert
Long after, when refecting on that in
toryisw, he recalled each look, each tone
of suffering tenderness, and struggling
pride; he execrated the vanity, which
led him to exult, when he should have
inquired, explained, and atoncd to her,
who meditated, for his sake, the sacrifice
Of her own peace.
In pursuance of her plan, Gertrude
departed, in silence and unknown, from
those scenes which had witnessed her
former happiness: she left for Herbert a
farewell letter, explaining the motives of
her conduct; but left him no clue by
which to trace her. Herbert's astonish
ment could only be equalled by his an
guish on reading Gertrude's letter. In
a state of mind bordering on phrenzy,
he execrated thousand times the vani-
ty and folly, which had suffered him to
wound her feelings, by any show Of ad-
miration for another. His heart had
never been interested for Helen Rush
ford; he paid her the homage due to su-
perior talents, and her flattering notice
Of him had awakened the spark Of vani-
ty, which is inherent in every bosom -
He had forgotten that love like Cert
rude's merited all his tenderness, and
that to a mind like hers, to doubt is TO
despair. He now felt the cruelty, the
danger Of trifling with affection-but the
conviction came too late. He felt the
fault to be all his own. Gertrude had,
perhaps, been impetuous, but he had
been guilty. Helen Rushfard learned
from his confidential friend the anguish
Of Herbert, and its cause. Noble by
nature and rendered more so by cultiva-
ton, her exalted mind shrunk from the
thought Of having been the cause Of
misery to another. A congeniality Of
taste and opinions had led her to notice
and admire Charles Herbert, totally un-
conscious that she was interfering with
the peace Of the highly gifted Gertrude,
whose tenderness and virtues, merited
happier fate. Helen felt her situation
peculiarly embarrassing. Herbert had
never insinuated lovo to her, and she
know that he felt for her only friendship
and admiration; she secretly blamed her
own vanity, which had led her to receive
pointed attentions, in which she knew
the heart had no share; and Charles Her
bert suffered scarcely more than Helen
Rushford.
Every inquiry was made by the half
distracted Herbert, in order to discover
whittier his Gertrude had withdrawn, but
all to no purpose. Gertrude had resided
with an aged relative, apparently desti-
tute OF other connexions; anc no trace
of either was to be found he and Helen
avoided each other, as if by mutual
agreement; the sound Of her name was
like a dagger to his heart; and Helen,
though she longed to see him, to assure
him Of her sympathy, and to convince
him that she lamented, as keenly as him
self, the consequence Of their unrefec-
ting conduct, dared not seek an inter-
view, feeling but too conscious that, in
the present state Of his feelings, her
presence would only be fresh aserava-
ton. Not one, in Gertrude's limited
circle of friends, could throw the least
light on circumstance, which appeared
TO Herbert involved in mystery; and
sometimes the dreadful idea would oD-
trude itself, that Gertrude was no longer
an inhabitant Of this world. At such
times reason almost deserted her empire,
and his agony was terrible beyond ex-
precision. His friend, faithful in sorrow,
as he had been kind in prosperity, never
left him; and to him it was owing that