The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1835-09-02

1 was received by Emily's maid and the steward,
who had hitherto attended me retired with noseiess
step down stairs: Ny conductress who, with her
sable.garb and mournful look, might well have pas
sed for the handmaid Of Sorrow whispered me 70
remain moment where / was,-and then, gently
opening the door she glided into the room, closing
after her the door in the silent she had
opened il. Ny feelings were wound up to the high
est pitch, and my strained nerves made my frame
rigid with their tensity; scarcely breathed, and,
as pressed my hand upon my breast, l could de.
tect no pulse beat in the heart. The deathlike
silence was appalling, and was rendered more pal
pabe by the monotonous ticking of a clock, which
occupied recess where / stood. But my
ger ear at length caught another sound-it was the
voice Of the maid i heard her utter two three
words, but too low to be distinguished then came
another pause, and the clock licked again there
was a sound--a moan, faint and low the plant
of a babe, struck my ear--'twas HER for felt the
blood grow chilly round my heart. Another long
pause followed, and then there few more low
spoken words-a faint sound the rustling Of gar
ments-anoher pause-and the door opened with
out a sound. The maid beckoned me in | entered
the door closed behind me-and stood in the
presence of the 'mourner.
She was seated, leaning backwards, n couch
at the opposite side of the Her whole form
palled in deepest black,-and the only relief to
this sable hue was the marble wheness of her hand,
which was held over her eyes. The maid, my
entrance had glided up the couch, and now stood
behind her Mistress essayed to speak,-but 1t was
with effort that my tongue performed its Office
and as the words broke from my lips, their tone
seemed TO have been touched by the spirit Of the
place-low, sad, and sepuchraf. Without any
mockery of coincidence, ndverted at once, and rs
briefly possible, to the subject of my visit,-and
proposed the matter in such form to require but
few brief answers for it seemed like disturbing the
quiet of the grave, to compel to speech that sorrow
stricken being. finished, and waited for a reply.
She preserved the attitude, the same unbreken still
ness at length she moyed-thc hand dropped gen
tly to her sde-and her unveiled eyes met mine
Oh, bitter grief that thy work How had
thy ravining tooth preyed upon the bloom of that
sweet face Its radiant smiles, its heavenly glad
ness all withered-al gone-and in their place the
palld hue of wO-the wan livery of wounded heart
Ye, still in all her sorrow the sweetness Of her beau
ty was left. Never had her eye looked so mildly .
lovely as now it glanced on me, dimmed with many
tears never had her voice sounded so gently sweet
as now, in low murmurs, it breahed from her bosom.
Her manner, too-her words had all the kindness,
The tenderness, of an imagined angel. She seemed
made up of holiness and sorrow,-and could have
Inelt down at her feet and worshpped her.
Our conference shor-for, with the winning
rankness of her character, she told it has pain
ul she thanked me for my excrtions in her behalf
left every thing 10 my direction, and requested
should take the entire management of her concerns,
hat her solitude might not he interrupted. She I,
lad ceased to speak; had nothing to say, yet
till remaned--an earthquake could not have re-
moved me from the spot. My whole existence
seemed to have dissolved into dream my faculties
we're absorbed {; my powers gone so completely ,
mad fascination possessed me- She observed that
was entranced, and as her innocent heart could at
tribute it to nothing but sympathy with her sorrows,
her goodness prompted her to relieve me (; aud, with
{, cbo b,I bnr ban SJoI'
"Adieu." | took the protfered hand,
and the little moment that it lay in mine, would
not have given for myrads of shining worlds Ny
head bent DER it the idoIatcr bows TO his god
and a tear that gushed from the heart, fell from my
eye upon that cold and marble shrine.
knew not that | had Quilted her; and it was
only the rapid motion ofmy horse, as, left to himself
he gaIIoped through the forest, that recalled to
myself. Till then my spirit was with her.
Days and months passed on, and saw her not
As the agent of her worldly affairs, | was privilege
ed to be often near her and passed whole days
in the house. Fain would have never quilted it ;
fain would have lain all night at the door of her
andlscned for the murmuring of her voice.
or Mt the windows watched away the hours, to see
and bless her shadow but dared not felt too
much in awe Of her do aught that might dispense
and each night | returned to my dcsoate home, to
groan away the darkning hours in waking anguish
or more dismal dreams.
year had passed since Walter lain in the
earth and still she kept shroudcd in her solitary W
They told me she sick; the worm which had
preyed SO long upon her heart at length had reach
ed the core, and she lay whitening on her lonely !
bed. How the hag Misery thrust her talons into my
heart at this intelligence! How my focd soul
wrthed in its agony, when it found its idol about to
be snatched from its view and hidden in the loah-
some grave And could not her; l sent up
prayers to the dying saint for permission but to look
upon her, and she refused she sent her blessing,
and bade me not mourn.
SHE DIED they came and told me she was dead
n sword of ice passed through my heart, shadow
settled down upon my brain. The toliiog bell came
the autumn breeze. the long array of sable seeds,
plumed and pacd in black, the carriages for the !