The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1837-10-25
"No more, ifyou love me, lead on and
hat quickly" 4.

The easements were Sc
wide open 20 admit the first balmy breath
ings of the spriig,-the matted creepers,
which every where cured around the stone
work with their fresh green leaves, quiver-
ed in the light air, and seemed to murmuI
their anticipations of sunshine and summer
aad increasing beauty. The same breeze
fiuttered among the riEglets, and soothed
the languid form, of one, who looked forth
on the genial morning from her fevered
couch, with prospects, alas how different
she saw the face of nature gny with the
earliest blush Of vegetation, she noted the
promise of the budding shrubs-of the
bursting h0wcrs-of the newborn animals
of the myriad tribes Of winged life, called
forth to activity by the unwonted soitncss
of the season. She saw that they were fair
and happy,--shc knew that to these all
present joys were but foretaste, of fuller
maturity--that the swelling leaves would
spread into the rich garment of the wood
land, that the blossoms would ill the uni
versal air with loveliness and perfume, that
the insects would bask and glitter II the
warmer noon, that the beast of the field or
the forest would grow in strength, aud vigor
and gracc,-th,t the great sun himself
would mellow Inio more perfect day. And
while these inanimate, or soulless things
are drinking health and happiness from the
growing year, is not the light already tlut-
tering in her lamp on the verge of exiinc-
lion VIII her brow be fairer, her bloom
more transparent, as the days and months
roll onwards Alas the brown tresses-
here aud there tnged with n paler hue,
the sunken yet still beautiful features, the
complexion loo fair for health, and then,
that oininous bloom, that
- hectic ligii, the nesperus of the dead.
OF her consuming cheek the autumnal, leaflke
red"
spoke but too audibly the doom. The sum-
ner may warm the soil, the birds may ca
rol, as love or Joy inspires ihem,--the herbs
may shake their thousand odnrs TO the Air
but the sun will shine, the birds will sing,
and the grass grow, above the fair bosom,
now vibrating to the high passions, the warm
affections, the sublime devotions, which can
at moments raise the children of earth so
near To heaven. In past years the world
held not happier heart, than that which
bent within the breast of Helen Arnold.
The lovelcst smile,-the readiest tear,
the soul speaking from the eye even sooner
than from the tongue, tine candor which
thinks no i'll of others, breads none for self,
the pure love, reposed on an honored and
honorable objcct,-happy in requiied afiec-
tions and in the long perspective of golden
hopes, s,--had all been Helen's. .---She lived
too long she saw,
- rich dream by''dream decay
All the bright rose leaves drop from life away.
She lived to see all friends vanish; som,
false, some fled, many fallen, on the blood,
field or boodier scailold. She lived /,
know that he, to whom she had surrendered
her virgin ailections,--for whom she hat
kept widowed beart--wbo had been Sc
vered from her, with n broken spirit amids,
VOWS of endless attachment, had forgotten,
-forsaken her.
His last interview was all passion and
despair; yet twenty long summers, twenty
dreary winters had passed away without n
line--u ,oken-u message Her earthly tri-
nls were near their term--yet few more
weeks or days Of pain and sorrow, and the
wicked will have ceased from troubling, the
weary will be Mt rest.
hasiy step startled her,-a low tap at
the door--t was opened almost before her
voice had given permission, and in the full
sunshine stood the tall form of Audecy.-
She gazed long and wildly on his noble
lineaments. Have you too forgotten me,
cousin Helen" "Oh no 1T is-it is him
sef!' She rose to throw herself upon his
hosom,-.her limbs trembled, the room
rceled around her,--her eyes were darken-
ed. The revusion of her feelings Ind
overpowered her frail nerves, and eufeebled
constitution a h
A few hours later, in the same apartment,
on the same cushioned sofa, the windows
closed against the damps of evening, n
bright log cracking and sparkling on the
hearth. lay Helen Arnold listening in
breathlcss attention TO the deep tones ofhim,
she loved more than all the world beside.
"Tell mo," she said Audeley,-tell me
of your wanderings, and your wars; of
your perlls, your sorrows, your joys; you
say you have fought in the sunguinary
struggle of German warfare, and wandered
for years among the savage scenes of A.
mcrica. But why have you never written,
never suffered US to know that you were yet
on earihl will not blame YOU, Francis, -
why should l; Why SHOULD stain the few
hours, that are left TO me, with grief or Ia
mentation : But was i, not cruel, TO leave
us To our lonely afllic,ion, deprived even of
the last wreichcd consolation, the kuowl-
edge that you were in lifc--in heahh-in
honor 7"
"To what end" he replied, should !
have written What would il have availed
to pour foril, the yearnings of nv spirit to
the cold-hcarted, or, as l then deemed, TO
the inditfercnt-nay, had | written, who
would have cared to read the sorrows Of an
exiled, u dishonored ,raiiorl