Southport telegraph. [volume] (Southport, W.T. [i.e. Kenosha, Wis.]) 1840-1850, 1841-11-23

! STUDY. friend entered with" News tor you.
'Ah! for me 2" said [.
eyes: Alice is to be married, and she marres
not her chOice.''
''You are in iest''
"Not |. My authority is undoubted. 1t is her
own language. She yields to the persuasons other
! friends"
care you in earnest!"
"Whom does she marry?'
| "Terrell."
"Her choice 20
"W. c. P" naming myself
O! there moments when the heart sickens at
success. These are times when victory itself is a
| curse. My spirit sunk within me. My blood
| seemed to stagnate. The very fountains of life
| appeared for time to have dried up. To have
| courtcd her to have been defeated to have re-
concilcd myself to that defeat, under the conviction
that 1t was preferable to success be told that
| her heart mine, her hand another Shat she
was to marry man for whom she could entertain,
perhaps, cold rcspect-to think that but for me,
she would, at least, have married him with bet
ter show OF proprlety, and might have never known
what 1t to love anOther-that she could return
only hfeless ormahty, where pure, ardent affection
would be expected-that she was about to bestow
only her hand upon him, who would be entitled to
both heart and hand - to believe that the conse-
quences of such union would be loathing dissat-
! lstachOn and disgust and that Alice must drag out
an unhappy existence in the embrace of one she
could not love. O these We're reflections which
| pierced to the very bottom of my soul. Would
that | had never handed her that letter. O that
she had gone to the altar uniformed of anothers
! love Blessed ignorance hated and detested
thou art by the wise, It's thee that the countless
children of Adam indebted for no small share of
| sublunary bliss.
In due time the wedding day was set. 1t came.
| stood by TerrelPs side before the man of God. |
| heard him take the solemn pledge, heard her
to Store, honor and obey" | heard them pro-
nounced % man and wife" They became seated.
| Both smiled, and one was happy | was the first
to offer congratulations, but alas they proceeded
only from the lips The evening was spent in
amusements till at late hour, the company sepa-
rated. | returned to my lodg ings filled with the
| most melancholy reflections
Spring came, and with 1t change In my pur-
suits New engagements called me to a distant
| part of the country. became absorbed in the
| cares and anxeties of life The duties of my pro-
| tession were arduous, and the demands upon my
attention incessant Amid crowd of business,
the fair almost forgotten, if that were posi-
| BILE. At length, however, an unexpected turn of
! events brought me some relaxation. lost no time
| in improving II, and soon found myself suppant
! the shrine of beauty NV efforts were crowned
with success. We married. Never, never
| shall | forget the thoughts which that evening
rushed through my mind. The joyful antcipa-
tons, the happy dreams, the eager ongngs of child
| hood, youth and early manhood-the whole twen-
| ty-tive years of my life seemed to have crowded
| and centred themselves in that one hour. There,
by my side, sat the object of all my earthly aspra-
| tions-the fair being to whom had so often before
! valnly endeavored to picture in mag ination.-
| There she sat- living reality My happiness was
complete. Visions of the future started up to view
before me- We had pledged ourselves to tread
the path of life together Was that path to be
strewed with flowers or thornsl Was she, the
child of afluence, to bless the day that united her
| fate with mine, or to plod the down hill of life in
the cold habiliments of want? Thoughts such as
these clouded my brow with sadness. Amid the
hllarlty and mirth and JOY which prevailed around
me, in the secrecy and depth of my own SOUL |
pledged myself to be her protector, her support and
her comfort. With all the sacrcdness of an oath,
vowed, that as she had been nursed in the lap of
fortune, with the smiles of heaven my efforts,
she should still enjoy, at least competency.
After the honey NOON had been spent in the
usual interchange of vists-the giving and receiv-
ing of dinners, parties, &c, applied myself with
renewed ardor to the duties of my calling. Untir-
ing industry and perseverance, aided by my own
and my wle's capital soon put me- in possession of
qaite handsome estate, and resolved, as soon as
my affairs could be properly arranged to retire into
private life.
For few years after | engaged in my profess
sonal pursuits. | had been accustomed to think
frequently with a sweet, soothing, melancholy
pleasure of Alice. Gradually, however as the
cares of a family and the duties of public life in
creased in their demands upon my attention, |
found less time to devote to musings on the past
till finally her memory had well nigh faded from
my mind. Even thought itself in its backward
flight through the long vista of years, scarcely
fingered moment around her name Accident
served TO recall 1t in all the freshness and vigor of
youth.
Professional engagements called me to a distant
part OF the State, and my route would necessa-
ry lie near the section in which Alice had former
ly resided, determined to turn aside from my di-
rect course TO learn something of her history |
put up for the night at an inn in the neighborhood
and in due time inquired for Mrs. Alice Terrell
was answered with a sigh, which evidently be-
okened no good. Her story, as related by the
landlord, wss tins: " Shortly after marriage, she
and her husband settled on an excellent farm with
every prospect OF a long and happy life. For few
years. they seemed to enjoy themselves much in
each others society. AT length, however, as the
ardor OF youth wore off, of those little atten-
tons so common with newly married couple,
and which, though of small real value in them
selves, yet add much to the happiness of domes
tic hte, were laid aside particularly by Mrs Ter
rel She did not, as she had once done, now run
to meet him al the door. Her inquiries about his
success or disappointment In business, were neither
so frequent or so earnest formerly. Her SYM
pathy was not so free extended, nor did she enter
50 fully into has feelings as in times past. Still
there was no decided mark of disrespect-there
was no complanlng-no Gliding. Alice had too
much good sense TO manifest anv thing of that
kind. She only did not love. But she endeavored
to respect hum, and to some extent succeeded
Yet her professions were not so warm as they had
BEEN Terrell began TO doubt the sincerity of his
wlte's affection. Unwilling to trust 10 first i'm
presslons, lest percLance he should be led into
Ior, he examined the matter closely and mlnutely