The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-07-04
SELECTED TALES.
From the Southern Literary Messenger.
LOSING AND WINNING.

LOSING AND WINNING.
BY THE AUTHOR OF THE "coTItGE IN THE GLEN,
sENaRIBuITY," &c.
! Think not, the husband gained that all is done
! The prize ofhappineSs mus still be won:
And Oft, the careless find It TO their cost,
The lover in the husband may be lost
The graces might, alone, his heart allure
They and the virtues, meeting must secure
Lord Linleton
Can not win his love ?
Is not his heart of penetrable stuff
Will not submission, meekness patience, truth,
Win his esteem IA sole desire to please,
Conquer indifference l-they must-they will ,
Aud me, kind heayen-Ill try .7Rop.
1t was bright and beautiful autumna
evening. The earth was clad in garb o
the richest and brightest hues and tn,
clear cerulean of the heavens, gave plac,
near the setting sun, to glowing " saffron
COLOR" over which was hung a most mag.
nIficent drapery of crimson clouds. Earth.
er towards both the north and south, wa:
suspended here and there sable curtain
irnged with gold, folded as but one hand
could fold them. They seemed fitting dra-
perry to shroud the feet of HIM, who ride,h
upon the wings of the wind.
Such was the evening on which Edward
Cunningham conducted his fair bride into
the mansion prepared for her reception.
But had both earth and heaven been decked
with tenfold splendor, their beauty and
magniticence would have been lost on him
for his thoughts, his affections, his whole be.
ing were centred in the graceful creature
that leaned OH his arm, and whom he again
and again welcomed 10 her new abode
her future home. lie forgot that he still
moved in world that was groaning under
the pressure of unnumbered evils; forgot
that earthly Joy is oft times but dream, a
fantasy, that vanishes like shadow of a
summer cloud, that fits across the lands
scade, or, as the morning vapor before the
rising sun forgot that all on this side heav.
en- is fleeing, and changeable, and false
In his bride, the object of his fondest love
he felt that he possessed treasure whose
smile would be unclouded sunshine TO his
soul whose society would make another
Eden bloom for him. 1t was but six short
months since lie first saw her who was now
his wife; and for nearly that entire period
he had been in " delirium of love-" intent
only on securing her as his own. He had
attained his object, and life seemed spread
before him, a paradise Of delight, blooming
with roses, unaccompanied by thorns.
Joy and sorrow, in this world, dwell side
by side. In n stately mansion, two doors
only from the one that had Just received
the joyful bridegroom and happy bride,
dwelt one who had been four weeks a wife.
On that same bright evening she was sit
ting in the solitude of her richly furnished
chamber, her elbows resting on the table,
her hands supporting her head, while n let
ter lay spread before her, on which her eyes
blinded by tears, were riveted. The letter
was from her husband. He had been from
home nearly three weeks, in which time she
had heard from him but once, and then on
ly by verbal message. The letter that
lay before her had just arrived; it was the
first that she had ever received from her
husband, and ran thus -
Mrs. WEsTBURY-Thinking you nigh,
possibly expect to see me at home this week
| write to inform yeu that business will de-
tain me in New York some time longer.
Yours, &c. FREDERIC WEsTBURY.
For long time the gentle, the feeling
Julia, indulged her tears and her grief with
ont restraint. Again, and again, she read
the laconlc epistle before her, to ascertain
what more might be made of it than at first
met the eye. But nothing could be cloth
ed in palmer language, or be more easily
understood. |: was as brief and as much
TO the point as those interesting letters
which debtors somtmes receive from their
creditors through the agency of an attorney.
" Did ever youthful BRIDE" thought she re-
ceiye from her husband such letter as this p
He strives TO show me the complete indif-
ference aud coldness Of his heart toward
me. Oh, why did ] accept lis hand, which
was rather his fathers offering than his
ownl Why did not listen to my reason,
rather than to my foolish heart and resist the
kind old mans reasonings and pleadings !
Why did believe him when he told me !
should win his sons affections Did not
know that his heart was given TO another
Dear old man, he fohdly Believed lis Fred
cries affections could not long be withheld
from one whom he himself loved so tender
ly-and how eagerly drank IN his assur-
anees. Amid all the sorrow tha; I felt,
while kneeing BY his dying bed, how did
my heart swell with undcfnabIe pleasure.
rs he laid his hand, already chilled by death
upon my head, gave me his parting blessing
and said that his son would love me Mis-
taken assurance ali, why did fondIy trus,
i'll Were now free free would !
then have the knot united that makes me
hrs foI life Not for a world like ,his No
he il nine and am his; by The laws Of
God and man, We arc onc. Sic must some
tim. be sG home, end an occasional hour
in his society will be dearer bliss theu
aughi this world can hes.os beside. lis