Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1833-01-17

L.
young days of love, when the bright
beams of his fancy went abroad to revel
in the sun light of poetry. Woman was
then The spell to which he tuned his harp,
and touched as it was, by her fairy wand,
the music that il discovered was most ell
oquent 1t was under the influence OF
an almost hopeless attachment that these
letters were commenced and the last one
! was written after he had received an an
swer from his mistress, which contained
n refusal of his hand Burns was ever a
lover from the first warblines of his muse,
10 its last rich breahings, his poetry was
Of midcr cast ,and his fancy Of a bright
or hue, when beauty was his theme
But he, with al his bright genius, capa-
bic as it was Of stealing us away from
every thing cold and selfish, aud trans
porting US TO n home, as natural and in
nocent as that SO beautifully portrayed,
in "The Cotter's Saturday Night" and
willing rs he was to bow down at the
feet of his fair one, still all would not OBJ
tain smiling consent, and he was fore
ed at that time to call up reason and sub
due passion. | have spoken Of Burns
and those letters, because on the ono
hand, they are written in the natural and
easy language Of that author; and on the
other, the sentiments arc such as would
flow fiom heart where honor presided
Let young lovers peruse them.
There winds through the green mea-
dows that spread themselves out in beau
ty around the village of Mid-G otham, a
silvery creek, which has been termed,
in the poetic language oflovers, the Fal-
kill. Many bright eye has gazed with
pleasure on its waters, as il danced along
in murmuring sweetness, ovor the peb-
bles, or slept in silence in the calm pool
But there was none that wandered here
SO often, to drink in the calm richness of
the summer evening, or to allow fancy to
play so widely like the waters, as Lucy
Gay
My heroine, smiling in beauty and in
nocencc, was never alone when she
rambled out to her favorite spot, where
the creek, after its various wanderings
through the meadow, is formed by the
hand of art, into small lake, on the brow
of hill, but from which its waters es-
cape over the rocks, and foam and tum-
bic along until1hey pay their tribute into
the broad bosom of the Hudson.
To young girl just budding into life;
rich in every charm that floats in wild
and playful beauty around her form; who
has smile for this one and laugh for
that; who finds there is an enjoyment in
the company of the other sex which her
own cannot afford and who has around
her many apparently willing to become
suitors, there is step necessary which
in her inexperence it is impossible to
take. All carry towards her the same
urbanty in their manners, the same frank
and onen conduct, and why should she
make preference, or what ground has
she to make that preference on' This ,
was a question which Lucy Gay put to 7
herself, but found it impossible to answer I
She had many visiters, but two young =
men, in particular, appeared to single her
out as their favorte. She studied the a
characters Of both, and found herself will {
ing to accept either; gave both oppor- u
unities ofexplanation, yet received none.
L was evident to her there existed be-
ween the two, a spirit of rivalry, yet it
vas impossible for her, under any cir ?
to destroy it, AT length one
lropt off; the other finding that the charm u
If opposition was gone, discontinued his
'isits also. 1t caused Lucy some mel
,ncholy moments, when she was left a.
one. She had endeavored to conduct
herself properly, and that rectitude Of
conduct was evidently the cause Of her
rouble. She dwelt upon the circum-
tance, learned lesson from it, and
ormed her resolution accordingly.
Alluring as it is to the young Of both
exes as many real aud fancied plea
ures as they enjoy--as sweet to ramble
n the evenings witching hour listening
0 the voice Of beauty-and powerful as !;
uch influences may be, and rich as the
njoyment it creates is to the gay mind,
till all these, Lucy Gay resolved to
Drego. That period Of life with her had
rived, when she was willing to claim
n endearing protection from man. The
ays Of conquest trining coquetry with 70
er were over. She bad always found
le bitter mingled with the sweet in those
mes. 1t was not long before the reso-
,tion she had formed was put in execu-
on. There was one who singled her
ut for the object of his attention. He
sited regularly, and his visits were re- n,
eived for proper length Of time-still he
D offer came-meet where they would, ne
le must hang upon his arm-pay him II
i attention or apparent offence would o, OF
n A