The native American. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1840, 1837-12-30

!
favorable breezes! Prosperous be thy voyage!
By me may it never be endangered! would
- (stops.) "
.alc. What! Nais-y you will be SO cruel, or SO
capricious-
Nais. (Wringing her hands.) O that she,
who has just gone out, were not my mother!
That dared TO speak out freely!
| .alc Thou darest. This beginning-to say
sooth--does not augur very happily for me; but
thou hast something about thee that wins me
altogether to thy side. Speak! Speak with
trust as full as if / had come hither for nothing
but-friendly conversation.
Nais. Well then---I will venture it, Son of
Clinias, if thou be noble spirit, 0 seek not thy
pleasure here. Thou art too beautiful too sove-
reign amid thy sex, for aught but undivided love-
Thousands of my sisters can lavish on thee all
their hearts, That cannot /.
II Ale. (Amazed.) Didst thou not permit me to
come here? Knewest thou not beforehand ,chaf
i came for! 9S
Nais. To confess il fairly, with the open
heartetness,b becoming inaocence--I k,sea0. But
alb! that permission was accorded by other lips
than mine Constrained by them, thus much
promised--not to make resistance; and even now,
| if thou commandest, | follow thee, victim-like, to
tremble and to weep, and yet covering her
face,) to become thy prey, and my own abhor-
renee But q, dear, generous, beautiful youth,
command not me! Command thyse5g She that
delivered me to thee, is near, to me in blood; be
thou nearer yet in soul; be my brother, my more
than brother!
Ale. And why hast thou this repugnance to
me?
Nais. Who could have that to a man Nature
seems to have moulded as her masterpiece! But
only hear, in few syllables, the condition of
my heart, and be thou generous am can
did! Long, long has poverty been the portion of
me and mine In vain was all the industry of
my brave father, in vain al--(she hesitates.)
Ale. Now, wherefore hesitate?
Nais. Alas, she is my mother! And yet
cannot find word, at once mild enough and true
enough to tell her efforts and her means to snatch
herself from poverty. But all all was in vain.
memorable fate had pronounced on us the doom
'sbe poor.!"-and poor we were. In our neigh
borhood there dwelt youth-ah! as little like
to thee, my mother to the wife Of Pericles; but
yet beautiful, yet more than pleasing in my eyes
perhaps because he was the first in whose sight
| too seemed charming; the first--the only one
to love me with warmest, purest love. He was
any thing but rich; and yet his family was opu-
lent compared to mine. Marriage with me would
have sounded in his parents ears as unheard-
of folly-and yet it was his dearest wish, his
highest aim. To look upon our want was the
torture of hell to him. He did what he could.
Two whole years we lived chiefly on what he
4 gained by his work--he is sculptor--or pinched
himself to bestow. In no Joy Of his fellows die
he ever mix; to every indulgence he remained ;
stranger. The morsel he gave us was otter
Il plucked from his own mouth. A hundred mai
ldens were offered him--for he was lovely anC
beloved. In his eyes alone was both. with
a tone of agony.) And this youth, for two days
past my mother has forbidden me to behold
/ again.
i .alc. And wherefore so?
i Nais. Because he could no longer give her all
she demanded of him, my fathers death having
multiplied all our wants; because calaInities OF
their own, mean while, had greatly lessened the
fortunes of his family;-and above all (sobbing)
Ibecause-ah! because
il Ale. Kindly pressing her handy Without ap
|prehension, love! You must speak to me, as X
a brother.
Nais. Because seemed to her well grown
enongh to earn better income by shameful
trade.
| .4lc. with warmth.) By the immortal pow
4 ers that shalt thou not.
Mas. All! how often since have wished
away the few unlucky charms that nature gave
4 mel How blltheiy would have exchanged these
feeble hands, this slender Make this face favor
able prejudice eseems as fair, and soft, and come
lily, for the frame and strength Of the meanes
wench who maintains herself by honorable drudg.
Iery! And when heard at last that my mother
had sold me to Gnopektes, in what unspeakable
anguish did | spend the night, and nowhere
nowhere found a refuge, until to-day found il
in thy name!
Ale. somewhat surprised.) In my name!
i Nais. Yes! for to-day l first discovered to
sOhona my helpless youth was to be sacrificed.
Fresh hopes awoke within my soul. The hero
IL whispered to myself-whom all so willingly
surrender to, will be far too noble to make poor
maiden miserable-will depart from her SO soon
| as he shall learn, that she may admire, caress,
but cannot loDe him. He, evermore accustomed
to see souls and bodies equally his subjects--to
4 receive the profered kiss-shall he content him
/ self with enforced lips and bought embraces!--O
no! no! he is too proud, too great for that!
! Ale. (smiling.) Believcst thou so! Dear girl,
thou minglest truth with error! Behold, even
thy passive kiss is sweet to me as the breath of
violets! And yet, still sweeter is thy praise.
will endeavor to deserve it. To lay his head up
on that bosom would quicken the palsed grey
beard with all the fires of youth. But throb
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