The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1832-03-20

| I could make no reply, but, turning ab-
ubtly from Herwaldsen, burst into a
passion of tears. He gazed at me with
astonishment.
"You have lost friend--a relative,
perhaps 7"
II have" was my reply; "and such a
friend as ! can never--never hope to
meet with again. But leave me Her
waldsen; l am not fit for society, and
least of all for yours"
"Herman this is worse than folly -
But come, come, you shall 60 with me
to Hortense her society will relieve
your gloom. By-the-by, your absence
has half offended her, for of late she has
not once mentioned your name."
In vain conjured him to spare me,
in vain to leave me to myself: Herwald-
sen would hear of no reply, but vowed
that he would not leave the room ill l
agreed to accompany him to the cottage.
went, and again beheld that glorious
being, the incarnation of grace and
beauty--the gentle, the susceptible Hor-
tense. She received me mt first with
grave ard distant courtesy; but, when
she perceived the rayages that remorse
had made in my person when she saw
my sunken eye; when she heard my
faltering voice: when she marked the
tmid-the respectful manner, in which
I listened to her condolences, and pre-
sumed to address her in reply, the stiff
ness Of her demeanor left her; with a
glance she youchsafed forgiveness, and
even condescended to seat herself beside
me. The evening was the happiest that
/ ever spent.
Early next morning received anoth-
er visit from Herwaldsen. After con-
graduating me on my renovated spirit.
-'I come," he said, "to receive your
congratulations in return. When you
left US last night, ! had long and earn.
est conversation with Hortense. ] told
her of my approaching triumph; / .ap-
pealed to her strength of affection 1 ev-
en- piqued her sense ofhonor and at last
rung from her promise, that the same
day which should witness my success in
the hall of the university should also
make her BRIDE"
Herwaldsen ceased but, had death it.
self been the consequence of my silence,
l could have made him no reply. My
head swan round-my limbs shook un-
der me was struck with an ice-bolt to
the heart. After struggling some time
with my feelings, gs,-"Herwaldsen," at
length faltered out, 81 congratulate you
on your good fortune, on that fortune
which, But no matter: you are
worthy of Hortense, and she of you.
May you be long happy together"
"But you will be present at the we'd
ding Z"
.I will ;"-and, unable TO utter anoth-
or word,-rushed in haste from the
room.
The time for taking university degrees
was now fast approaching. This is a
period Of great excitement among the
lterati of Stockholm. The distinguish
ed candidates are everywhere the chief
topics of conversation; acquaintance is
sought they are pointed at in the street !;
they are made the lions of the day.
Herwaldsen was one of the few thus hon
ored and, could have derived pleasure
from any thing unconnected with Hor-
tense, should have been delighted by
the notoriety secured by his friendship.
But my heart was formed to admit but
one idea, and losing that, to lose every
thing. The day appointed for the we'd
ding arrived, aud punctual to the hour,
Hortense, Herwaldsen, and myself, stood
beside the altar. Herwaldsen was un-
usually cheerful but Hortense-poor, de-
voted girl seemed oppressed with
strange dependency. Yet never had
she looked so lovely Arraycd in simplest
white, she stood like some guardian SER
aph beside the shrine Of its deity, her
dark eve upturned to Heaven, and her
fair white hands claspcd meekly across
her breast. When the ceremony was
ended-the ceremony which crushed my
last, my fondest hopes--we returned to
breakfast at the cottage, after which
Herwaldsen and myself set out together
towards the university. AS we approach
ed the hall, we met groups of students
from the Academy Of Antiquities and
the Fine Arts, Fastening in the same di-
rection and all conyersing eagerly on the
great .opic--the recitation of the prize
poem.
When we reached the door at which
the public enter, Herwaldsen left me to
make some preliminary preparations
and proceeded up stairs to the Gallery,
which was. more crowded than ! had ev-
er before seen it. In few minutes the
heads of the university and the different
academies entered in procession, and