Madison Whig advocate., 1839-11-30

l--or IL was called forth IN the conten,-
: plation OF high deeds, or lofty intellect.
The usual tenor Of his life, was that oi
Uniform cheerfulness; the placid and
. sunny temperament of his mini. re-
lsembling a stream that flows brightly
and smoothly on through a plain whe re
not a single inequality of surface chan
ges the hue Of its wave Reginald. on
the contrary, with heart that vibrated
as easily as the magic harp Of the
winds, was alternately the spirit of qlee
and frolic, or the musing visionary.
iwhose thoughts had no share ia the
scenes around him. This distinction.
however, was rather the effect Of diff.
! ference in their social relations. than OF
the natural tone of their character.
| Reginald's infant years had been passed
amid wide circle Of doating kindred.
and early endearments had elected all
the tenderness of his nature The rnu-
/ sic of his spirit, those tremulous chords.
| which ouce aftpned give forth their
sounds TO every touch. had been awaken
led by the hand Of aaectlon--his child
I hood was a long dream Of light and the
varied atmosphere Of the world--its
chiiis and sunshine--ifs balm, and It's
subtle poisons, all fell with paIpable
we ight upon a heart thus thrown open 10
their influences. With Frank II was
otheFwise--an orphan from infancy, left
without single relative, and thrown BY
chance among souls Of the most selfish
mould, equally incapable Of awakening
or bestowIng tenderness, his young life
passed without the nightly blessing,
! whose soft tone through the long lapse
of years comes with soothing power
over the soBl--or the deep. deep PRAYER,
that is put up al midnight for the child
of parental love. A handsome inheri-
tance bad secured him from the evils in
cident 10 poverty, and the higher quail
| ties Of his mind obtained for him gene
raj regard; but the depths of his spirit
| were not yet stirred; its latest melodies
waited the thrilling touch of a stronger
| sentiment. The name, the pride, the
| hearts deep interest of no human being
was identified with his, but the world
gave him its specious smiles, and, ex-
| cept the friendship of Reginald, he knew
not that earth had a richer or warmer
| beam 10 bestOw. He regarded it IN re-
! turn with complacency, though not with
| interest, and viewing ii in mass, he nei-
! ther discovered its darkest shades nor
brighter spots that chequer it. With a
constitutional gaiety, that flung a perpe-
iuai light around him, and mind early
embued with sense of duty, he Jour
neyed cheerfully onward, unconscious Of
that thirst, which the tasted cup Of afflic-
ton leaves on the soul. Such were our
friends at the time Of their separation;
and, except that the respective shades
/ were somew hat deepened, such, ten years
after, when th1 again uaet. The stron-
ger passions Of matured years had given
/ Reginald a yet more romantic cast;
while Frank, more intimately acquaint-
| ed with the hollow faith and seltishness
Of the world, regarded it with increased
| Indifference, and gave still less OF his
better feelings TO the intercourse of life.
The sunshine Of his nature excluding
the bitterness of the misanthrope, he
was still, as formerly, q gay, elastic be-
ing, apparently the very spirit Of enjoy
ment, though after all, he was only sport
| ing with the bubbles of life, without
dreaming Of the pearls and the treasures
beneath its surface Accident had
brought them at the same moment TO one
Of our eastern cities, and taking now the
same lodgings, they spent few short
weeks in all the high and rare comnIun-
ION of disinterested friendship. The
| frequent reveries of Raginaid, his vision
ary perception, his deep interest in the
natural world-in a cloud IA star--a
| flower, we're all sdblects of coaseless|
raillery with Clifford, whose constant
flow Of animal spirits was perPetnally
breaking IN on the raPt tone Of Ialoert's
! mind. like the light carol of airy music
lsdf | would harbor the thought said
/ Frank, one evening, as his friend stood
watching the course of the brilliant
throngs that were wandering through
| the blue depths Of summer ky, nay.
he continued, as Reginald started with
| the evident CONSEQUENCES Of some strong
latent emotion, II fear il Is absolutely too
true--you are in love the symptoms
are too uneouiYocal; you are neither
PHILOSOPHER nor saint, and wherefore
then are your thoughts so frequently
wandering but 10 commune with some
angel. or planet-w hich shall cali herf
of our own sphere2" "And II, re
piled his friend, with a serious smile
| ..if | have indeed found an angel, from
whom am for time separated, why
not indulge me IN this spiritual conmun-
i ;ax9 In truth, dear Frank Way,
ReginaI. spare me the conlession' leave
me at least the consolation of occasion
ally doubling
..Bat why thus deprecate the reality e
/ s.Firstlv-because | have no faith IN
/ the divinity of the pretty ,riiles and
1 secondly-- you may laugh at my selfish
ness. il you viii - want no rival IN
\ YOUR good graces.r "a. rival. why,
| dear Frank, are love and friendship the
same passionl'' ..Oh no, but love IS SO
absorbing sentiment that every other
becomes merged in its sweeping tide.
i Let me still doubt then, Reginald. for
i we're positively assured of our enthrai-
1 ment. should feel exactly as did ten
4 years ago, when you were called home
Il from school - as if the only sensitive
i spot in ay heart was plucked out-and
/ vacuum left that nothing could fiil-
i and in short il never was filled till again
Il L. H. las