Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1829-11-26
THE DEFORMED GIRL.

Memory-mySterl0uS mOmOry !-h0ly
and blessed as q dream Of Heaven to the
pure in spirt--haunter and accuser Of tho
guilty Unacceptable presence lingering
through every vicissitude, and calling US
back to the past-back to tho dim and
sepulchered images Of departed time--o-
pening anew tho deep fountains Of early
passionate loves and sympathies of boy
hood-the thrilling aspirations Of after
years While the present is dark with an.
guiSh, and the future gladdenod by no sun.
bow Of anticipation, invoke thy spell oi
power. Unroll before mo the chart of
vanished hours lot mo gaze once more on
thy sun light and shadow.
I am an old man. The friends Of my
youth are gone from me. Some have per-
ished on the great deep; others on the
battle field, afar of in land of strangers
and many--vory many, have been gather
ed quietly to the church-yard Of our native
village. They have left me alone-even
as tho last survivor Of a fallen forest-the
hoary representative Of departed genera
tons. The chains which once bound me
to existence have been characterization,
Avarice, Pride even all that wakes into
power the intolerablo thirst ofmind. But
there are some milder thoughts-some
brighter passages in the dream ofmy being,
yet living at the fountain Of memory
thoughts, pure as angelic communion; and
linked by thousand tender associations
to tho Paradise Of Love.
There was one--a creature Of exalted
intellect-a being whose thoughts went up
ward like the incense Of flowers upon Gods
natural altars-those were so high and so
unlike to earth. Yet was she not proud
of her high gift. With the bright capaci-
ties Of an unbounded spirit, there was
something more than woman's meekness in
her demeanor. 1t was the condescension
Ofseraph intellect-tho forgiveness and the
tears Of conscious purity extending to the
erring and passionate Of earth.
She was not being to love with an
earthly affection. Her person had no har-
mony with her mind. 1t bore no resem-
blance to those beautiful forms which glide
before the eye of romance in the shadowy
world of dreams. 1t was not like the
bright realities of being-the wealth Of
beauty which is sometimes concentred in
the nlatchless form Of woman. 1t was De-
formity-strange, peculiar Deformity, re-
u0Vcu Outy ny u0 tutcHeCtudl glory OF u
dark and soul-like eye. sfr.~..
Vet strange as il may seem, loved her,
deeply, passionately as the young heart
can love when it pours itself out like AN OBJ
latiOn to its idol. There were gentle and
lovely ones around me-creatures of smiles
and bushes soft tones and melting CLAN
ees. But their beauty made no lasting i'm
preston on my heart. Mine was an intel
lectual Iowa yearning after something
invisible and holy-something above the
ordinary standard of human desire, set a.
part aud sanctiied, as il wcre,ty the mys-
teries of mind.
Mine was not love TO be revealed ia
the thronged circle of gayety and fashion
lit was avowed underneath the bending
heaven; when the perfect stars were alone
gazing upon US. II was rejected; but not
in scorn, in pride, nor in anger, by that
high-thoughted girl. She would ask my
friendship-my sympathy; but she be-
sought me-ay, with tears she bes0ught me,
60 speak no more OfLove. l obeyed her.
] aed from her presence. mingled once
more in the busy tide of being, and ambi-