Madison Whig advocate. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1839-1841, 1839-06-29


imprinted on her marble face. At the f,.l.,
of the scaffold-ail failed to dissolve the
trance of grief into which she had fall
len. But the moment Of awaken;na
agony came at last When the gniIIo.
tine had done its Office. and the BODY of
her Victor lay dead and bleeding before
1her-sorrow, asserting its omnipotent
sway over humanity, shiyered the feeble
barriers Of temporary Inconsistencies,
and lei the imprisoned mind free to con-
template the ruin OF its only earthly
hope, the extinction of all youths sweet
est visions.
Vainly the friends who surrounded
Isabelle strove to tear her away from
the body of Victor. There was fascina-
ton IN the gaze, though horror was
blended In il. Her own, her beautiful,
lay mutilated corpse before her-he
whom she had loved with an absorbing
intensity, which would have defied time
to lessen, circumstances to change =
with whom she hoped to journey through
existence, partner of his pleasure, sooth-
er of his griefs. And now she was
alone and desolate! Then, indeed did
| she feel that fate had levelled its deadli-
est weapon; and henceforth every hour
was stamped with stern, unchanging,
dreary despair. Great misfortunes
either strengthen or enfeeble the mind
When the grave had closed over the body
of Victor, Isabelle-the weak, the timid,
the gentle Isabelle-returned to her lone
ly hearth, calm, stern determined wo-
man.
All the elite of Milan were gathered
together in the magnificent theatre of
La Scala. Beauty lent IFS attraction,
rank its patronage, and fashion its influ-
ence, to grace the farewell benefit of
s'La Florinda," the unriyalled danseuse
the boast of Italy and the idol of the
Milanese.
1t is not an easy task to rouse an
English audience into Juror or extacy;
an Italian one is composed of materiel
of more inflamable nature; and de-
monstrations which would seem to US ex-
trayagant and absurd, only appear to
them as meet homage to genius. To-
night their wonted enthusiasm received
at least double impetus from the con-
sciousness that it was the last testimony
they could afford of their appreciation
of the consummate skill and loneliness
of the fair creature before them. The
ensuing week would see her united to a
wealthy noble, and this night witness her
parting obesiance 10 an audience of
whom all the men were her worshIppers,
and even the women her partisans and
admirers. The curtain rose, and GER
tainly the appearance of the heroine of
the evening was warranty enough for
the burst of rapturous applause which
| followed Her form, itself Of the most
faultless symmetry, acquired additional
fcaptIyatIon from the display md oesrtEzI
ness permitted by theatrical costume.
Her face, too, was one of surprising
beauty Large deep blue eyes, waves
of the glossiest hair, and skin of that
clear transparent whiteness, which shows
with such dazzling effect at night--all
these attractions were in themselves
Ienough to fascinate the sight. But there
was that about s1La Florinda'' which in
terested the feelings fully as much
The dreamy melancholy of her pro-
found and passionless eyes-the entire
repose of all her features-the extraor-
binary expression about the small che
rub mouth, which seemed formed for
love and dimpIes, yet which none had
ever seen relax into smile-this it was
L WHICH TENT SUCH NltCutGf W ucI DEdttLS .
and threw around her q kind of mystic
rious charm, even amid the glare and
| frivality with which she was surrounded.
On this her last evening of public ex-
istence, all was done that could render
her exit triumphant The stage was
literally filled with boquets flung at her
feet, accompanied by many valuable
and less perishing testimony to her
4 worth and talent. When she made her
farewell acknowledgements, each felt a
| pang of regret at parting with one so
lovely and gifted, and many bright eye
was filed with tears-yet she, the cause,
remained unmoved. There was graft
tude in the graceful bowling of the head,
and the meek folding of the hands on
| her bosom-but the face was calm and
/ impressive as ever. The curtain fell
amid such an outbreak of feeling as
shook the walls of La Scala TO the foun-
dation, and FIorinda was seen there no
more.
/ Snow pray, Signora, on this your
wedding dav, do look as if you were
HAPPY. Heigho. if were so beautiful,
beloved, too, by the Marchese, should
be smiling all day long,"
sMv good Rosalia, have long for
gotten to smile or weep. In truth, poor
child, you have had but wearisome
life. in attending on one whose bosom
the pulse of Joy hath forever stopped ?
4 s.Oh! say not so, Signora; all the
girls in Milan would be glad to wait on
so kind, so generous, SO gentle mistress
lay, and so pretty one, too--For
when am braiding those long tresses,
4 ~ fasteniuu The sandafS on YOUR tIny