Liberty advocate. [volume] (Liberty, Miss.) 1835-1866, 1837-09-05

Il
mora and acknowledged their silent tea
| ckings, while we are reminded BY the
bright and May colored leaf, and the de-
parting glory Of the sun, that another
day and another season have passed, and
that successive days and seasbns are hur-
rying 50 rapidly onward WAo is there
that at such moment does not feel an in.
stinctiye desire for something beyond the
power Of change2 Who does not, while
looking beyond The earthly, and the pres
ent, raise his thoughts to sehigher and ho-
lier communion than earth cant Afford
It such a moment as this, willis her own
feelings had been powerfully excited by
the rich natural beauties upon which she
had been gazing, and the lesson Of change
so deeply impressed upon them all, was
Calharne destined to see all her Earthly
hopes, blighted, her scarcely breatbed fears
confirmed; when turning to her compan-
ion with the expressions of humble and
coniding piety, and animated with that
hope which reaches beyond the confines
of the present, she was met b. the shall
Ylsapb ytrX9Gi. the unbeIiever, with ar
Spurned them upon any subject VIE "a pave
prejudices and pride Of reason had not
been enlisted. To detail his attempts 70
shake her lai'h, and establish the reason
ableness and truth of his own positions.
were painful and worse than useless
The veil was rent asnnder. Caharine
felt that great as was the sacrafce, it
must be made, and alone in the solitude of
her chamber, with none but her God to
witness the deep agony Of her spirit, she
resigned the cherished object Of h ear
thly love.
She wrote to Frank, and while she ex-
pressed her sincere wishes for his happi-
ness and change of heart, decidedly re-
fused TO link her fate with one who denied
the attributes and existence Of that Being
who was the daily object Of her worship,
"whose favor was better than life" 1t
has been remarked that affections are
seldom solitary; nor did Caharine form
an exception to the rule. BY the nisman-
agement and consequent failure of a COM
mercial house, in which Mr.. Howard had
been engaged, he saw himself suddenly
stripped Of wealth, even of competency.
Catharine now felt that duty was imperi-
Gus; her energies must not be permitted
to languish in vain regrets; vigorous eff
forts were necessar y: the work or re-
trenchment and active eXertlon common
ced, and often were the hearts Of her pa
rents cheered by her sweetness and until
ring devotion to their wishes, when her
oVn was breaking. And where was
Frank? Had the dissolution of such a
tie caused no pain to himself? 1t surely
had; but pride, the pride Of opinion, had
for time struggled in his breast: yet not
without another effort could such prize
as Catharine Howard be resigned, and he
now awaited himself OF the opportunity
which her change Of fortune presented,
to test the strength of her principle and
prove his own disinterested attachment.
He wrote to her, renewed his vows Of love,
and again was decidedly, unhesitatingly
rejected. But how great the struggle had
been, the faded form, the pale cheek, and
sunken eye, soon testified; while the
quick breath, the hectic glow, and short
cough, told that consumption
was slowly yet surely doing its fatal work.
Health, present gratifcaf ion, all had
been sacrafced at the shrine OF duty;I
and did she regret t2 No; she was sen
sibIe of the influence eyerteG over our
by those with whom we con-
stantly associate, when united by the
strong bond of mutual love, and what hap
piness could union offer with one, who,
though rich in worldly advantages, was
destitute of that bright, and best of all
treasures, sincere religious faith, firm
trust in the Rock of Ages. To mind Of
common cast, the connection would have
offered irresistible attractions; wealth,
station, all that the world holds great and
but what were these to one
who had been wont to fix her hopes upon
a heavenly crownl Each succeeding day
but found the invalid declining; each, in
its passage, took something from her re-
strength; and the opening spring,
with its flowers and promises, was look
ing on the decay of one bright bud of
beauty, and whitening many cherished
hopes.
One afternoon, when the soft breeze of
April had given a temporary revival to
the invalid, she expressed wish to see
Mr. Elwood; she believed she could com
mand sufficient strength for half an hours
1t were difficult to describe
the emotions Of Frank when he entered
the room, and gazed once more upon that
face, on which he had so often looked
when it presented the picture Of health,
on that faded form once so rounded and
graceful. Catharine's emotions were no
less intense, but with powerful effort she
restrained them. The exertion was too
great for her failing powers, and she