Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-02-08


anxiety among them"
"If ell there" said Maria. "be ss peace
ful as it looks, cannot imagine it to have
become and continued so, except by means
of religious tallh and principle and, surely,
no feelings or reflections Of any other kind
could raise them so high as that"
Probably" replied Walsingham, "their
faith is o mere dut ful warm hearted &C
Qpicscence in things that they as little IN.
derstand Us if their Bible were still in He
brew and Greek. And well for them that
it is SO. What vain upbraidlngs and
fears and what vague monstrous images OF
fanced good and evil, would press on and
destroy their quiet hearts and contound
their cheerful activity, if you could awaken
self.conscious in them. and make them
dream of conversions, beaut,tudcs, and per
du'ons!"
! Maria looked down and spoke in a low
voice. but very earnestly, while she said
Surely, however lule they may UNDER
stand their faith. It must, If they have It
at all, be essentially the same, and produce
the same fruits in their hearts, as ~ tn"
most intelligent aud expanded Christians.
Maria bushed deeper and deeper while
saying this, for she felt herself engaged
unawares in dispute with one OF The
most celebrated Of her contemporaries. -
But he only answered with bland smile
II fear We often deceive ourselves by using
the same word for very different things,
and pcrps faith is one of them. In a wise
man it means knowledge. and in q foolish
one ignorance. then turned to Sir
Charles, and asked him if he could tell
them any thing Of the history OF the family.
81 have been thinking, !he replied "how
little We can trust appearances such as
those which you and Miss Lascelles have
been talking of So far from the Wilson
family having had the quiet and happy
existence you imagined, they met with Il
domestic misfortune l,'tle more than a
year ago, whice seemed likely to kill both
= the father and mother. Beside the son
whom you saw they had an only daughter
"A small delicate looking, pretty blue
eyed glrl. She seemed only eighteen, bu,
= | believe was in reality Of age. when she
became acquainted with young man who
was private tutor in a family IN the neigh.
! borhood. After q few months acqnan
lance she was persuaded to go off with
hlm. II was said that they were secretly
married but from TINT time tn ihls nothing
has been heard of either of them"
"Ah ~ sad Wa'slng ham; Il dare say
= he talked eminent and speculation to her,
and turned her head with the unconsenla
element. Had she fallen in love with i
farmers son who had never thought beyond
his calling, no harm could have happened u
I, Maria said nothing. but she thought
! Had she been person Of religious prlrcl'
Il a l.,
D in such matter. nnr run the risk OF break.
; ing their hearts: and religion might have
9 enlarged her mind as eiftclually as he'
{ lovers philosophy.
u CHAPTER VI.
The afternoon of he following day wa,
: so rainy that none Of the party could leave
' the house, and several Of them were assem-
> bled in the large and noble library, Wal
a sngham talked to Maria, and evidently
Z felt much pleasure in drawing out her clea
" and strong sense for all that had lain within
IS her sphere, as well as much admiration o
g her beauty. She had at first been litlt
afraid of him, for genius is power which
u TILL we become familiar with it, has some
q thing hat dls'urbs, nay repcls, as well a
e fasc'nates. But she possessed herself TOT
= deeply for this to last, and was too open tt
; all higher impressions not to be won by hi
u calm aud manifold significance.
!" Miss Cunst able, who was near. they
10 sald-'llow tlresomc this rain is | wSl
y one could have n world without raln'
y A man ofscence, who was standing near
!" Immediately began to explain. IearnedIy
ID how impossible this would be, withou
y changing all the other Characters of tn
y globe as to its atmosphere and productions
y Wa'sngham turned, smiling, to Maria
Ia and said-'ln truth we can form no com
y, plete and consistent picture Of any olhe
III state Of existence than this, nor construc
he ideal of any faIrer world
70 DO you think this state Of existenc
complete and consi.ent' II seems to IN
es full of endless contradictions
Oar business here is precisely that {
nd removing or reconCillng these, and roundln
off our lite into as smooth and large a clrcI
to as possible
i cannot get over the feeling that I'll
by work is here hopeless, and that we ca
irI never be at peace but by trying to gro
es on, of our natural state into totally dlffe
ell ent, and ia, higher and purer one
'lh But can you form any distinct image
his such state, with all its suitable outwa
'ht accompanlmens' They must, fancy,
IRE only fragments and shadows of what y
m see about US here. One swallow. yc
know, does not make summer, nor W
Ter one picture of an angel with white wing
q and diamond crown fill up the notion
,se an elernal heaven
so Perhaps we cannot frame any such ide
fe, as you speak o.. | am sure carno
an But. on the other hand there is surely
ere want in human nature of higher lie th
lie that OF mere labor and pleasure. We ca
be- not say exactly in what forms that life. if
or were all in all, would clothe ITSELF But
out would be misery and despair to give up /
not hope of it,