The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1841-09-28

net uoWn from the sphere In which she Nigh
nave continued 10 move in constant brightness
1.-The hight OF every eye--the admiration Of ever
heart. How can she bear poverty2 She ha
heart--it will break her heart p
saw his grief was eloquent, and let il hav,
us now; for sorrow relieves itself by words
when hrs parokysm had subsidized, and he hat
reiapsed INTO moody silence, resumed the sub
Jeet gently, and urged him TO break his situation
al once TO his wife. He shook his head mourn
fully, but positively.
"But how you to keep il from her2 II j,
necessary she should know il, that you may take
The steps proper TO the alteration of your circum
stances You must change your style of living
nay" observing pang TO pass across his
countenance, don't let that affiict you. l am
sure you have never placed your happiness in
outward show--you have yet friends, warm
friends, who viii not think the worse of you fol
being less splendidly lodged; and surely il does
notrequire palace to be happy with Mary-"l
could be happy with her, cried he, convulsively,
| lin howell IL could 60 down with her into po-
| verify and dust!--I could could--God bless
| her!-God bless her!n cried he, bursting into a
transport of grief and tenderness. rs
And belieyr me, my friend" said I, step
ping up and ssasping him warmly by the hand,
"belieye me, she can be the same with you.-
Ay, more: il will be a source Of pride and tri-
umph TO her-it will call forth all the latent en-
ergies and fervent sympathies Of her nature; for
she will rejoice to pfove that she loves yon for
yourself There is il every true woman's heart
a spark Of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in
the broad daylight ofprosperity but which kin
dies up, and beams aud blazes in the dark hour
OF adversely. No man knows what minister
ing angel she is-unil he has gone with her
through the fiery trials of this world"
There was something in the earnestness of
my manner, and the figurative style of my Ian
guage, that caught the excited imagination of
Leslie. knew the auditor / had to deal with,
and following up the impression | had made, l
finished by persuading him to 60 home and un-
burhen his sad heart TO his wife,
Unjust confess, Notwithstanding all had said,
felt some little solictude for the result. Who
can calculate on the fortitude Of one whose
whole life has been round of pleasures Her
gay spirits might revolt at the dark, downward
path OF low humility, suddenly pointed out be-
fore her, and might cling TO the sunny regions in
which they had hitherto reveled. Besides, ruin
in fashionable life is accompanied BY so many
calling notifications, to which, in other ranks,
i is burden. In short, could not meet Les
lie, next morning, without trepidation. He had
made the disclosure.
''And how did she bear il ~
Like an angel! 1t seemed rather to be re-
lief to her mind, for she threw her arms around
my neck and asked me if this was all that had
lately made me unhappy. But, poor girl" adj
ded he, ''she cannot realize the change she
must undergo. She has no idea of poverty
but in the abstract; she has only read Of il in
poetry, where il is allied to love- She feels as
yet no privation; she suffers no loss Of accus-
toned conveniences nor elegancies. When we
come practically to experience its sordid cares,
its paltry wants, its petty humiliations-th
will be the real trial"
But said |, now that you have got over the
severest task, that Of breaking il to her, the
sooner you let the world into the secret the bet
ter. The disclosure may be Notifying; but
then II is a single misery, and soon over; where
as Won otherwise suffer II. In a-.:-:--.. .,,,,,ch
as pretence, that haraJsisssna paHfasddF mantle
struggle betweena proud mind and an empty purse
the keeping up hollow show that NUT soon
come TO an end. Have the courage to appear
poor, and you disarm poverty Of its sharpest
prepared. He had no false pride himself, and
as to his wife, she was only anxious to conform
TO their altered fortunes.
Some days afterwards, he called upon me in
the evening. He had disposed Of his dwelling
house and taken small cottage in the country.
a few miles from town. He had been busted
all day, IN sending out furniture. The new es-
adjustment required few articles, and those of
the simplest kind All the splendid furniture of
his late residence had been sold, excepting his
wifes harp. That he said, was too closely as
ISOLATED with III. idea Of herself; il belonged
to the little story Of their loves for some of the
sweetest moments Of their courtship were those
when he had leaned over that instrument, and
listened TO the melting tones of her voice. /
could not but smile at this instance of romantic
gallantry in doating husband.
He was now going out to the cottage, where
his wife had been all day, experimenting its ar
engagements. My feelings had become strongly
interested in the progress of this family story,
and as it was fine evening, offered to occom-
pany him.
He was wearied with the fatgues of the day },
and as we walked out, fell into fit of gloomy
musing
"Poor Mary y at length broke, with a heavy
sigh from his lips.
.'And what OF her 2" asked I, g has any thing
happened to her 2"
'.What p said he dartng an impatient glance,
"is it nothing to be reduced to this paltry stua-
tion-to be Gagged in miserable cottage-to be
obliged to toll almost in the mental concerns of
her wretched habitation2"
ssHas she then repined at the change ~
"Repned she has been nothing but sweet
ness and good humG. Indeed, she seems ia
better spirits than have ever known her; she
has been to me all love, and tenderness, and
comfort p
Admirable girl y exclaimed |. /" You call
yourself poor, my friend; you never were so
rich-you never knew the boundless treasures
of excellence you possessed in that woman"
'sOh but my friend, if this first meeting at
the cottage were over, think could then be
comfortable. But this is her first day of real
experience she has been introduced into
humble dwelling-she has been employed all
day in arrangingits miserable equipments-she
has for the first time known the fatigues OF do
nestle conference.-the has for the first time
looked around her on home destitute Of every
thing eegant-almost of every thing conve-
nient and may now be sitting down exhausted
and spirtless, brooding over prospect OF future
,,oyovty