The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-03-25

never hast thou crossed my slightest wish, ard no,
: father must say firmly mol never can becom
the bride of him thou namcst.
Girl thou shalt not even be consulted Thou
hast had thine own way seventeen years, noe
will have mine Thou shalt wed the IaIavera
have 10 drag thee to the altar, Nay, no fuwn
ing The glrl had wned her soft round arms a
bout her fathers neck-her eyes looked beseech
I"gIy into his. But he pushed her from him, say
ing-'Go 10 thy room, Isabel, and there remain
until thy reason comes TO thee Dos, thou hea
mel
The Spanild strobe from the room, and tn
weeping lady sought, with heavy heart, her owl
lunel.
1t was the first time her father had heen unkinC
to hcr,and she, threw hsrseltdown, on low coucl
in all that utter hopeesnesS of grief youth uon,
can feel. It was her first sorrow.
There came Il soft rap at the door, sht
needed not; and not until hand, soft us woman
held her wn,--and Il voice whose deep, low tones
were breathing music, whispered in her ear did
she know her fathers handsome page was kneel-
ed by her,
'Wecp, not, my dear Isabel, sooihngly said he,
cor rather let me share thy grief know i, all
thy father hath told ne, aud sent me here TO bring
thee 10 reason, as he said, Can | do it, sweet
ady;' and the handsome page smiled
IL was wicked in hm to smile when her heart
wa, so full ofgrrI.-und so the lady thought, but
she had learned to love, aud when love Is warm
and new, all the loved one says or does is more
! than right,
Love 1ugs halo nrouad the dear ones head,
| Fuullicss, lmmurtEl--
| The Dona Isabel loved her fathers page lowed
him as an ardent SOu!ed daughter Of sunny Spain
knows how To love, The G,iher!- he did no even
dream Of such wickedness, (f he had he could moi
have slept for at least six nonthS)- uapardon-
able wckednesS Of Il daughter Of his--hi; bright,
beautiful lSabeI-the high bora lady Of, i.lenaTo-
loving her fathers page! a nameicss pagc.-und 50
he slept secure. The thought was too pruposcrous.
Aud the DOna Isabel i0yeu Love is all truStluI.
ness, all walchluInesS, and hopcfulncss The page
was hnndsome; the page was graceful, witty ac-
cOmp,hed, lie was indeed an uncommon page;
and SO thought the Dona's lalhpr,and so thought
her father daughter, lie could sug to the music
Of isabcI's guitar most dymeIy; he could Ounce,
fence, was perfectly skilled in all horsemanship,
moreover he was acquainted with all the then lore
Of bright Spain, lie wrote poetry too; aud sang
the words of his own composing. In sooh he was
most marvellous page-a perfect paragon of
page;-and then his eye-why ii was wilder than
lightning shot from midnight sky. The servants
all feared and hated him 70 Isabel alone was he
all that was geneand 10 her father, for her sake |
lie was her leacheri her patient, faithful, un.irng
teacher They drank together at the pure well Of
learning IA well too often untUslcd in those DAYS !
OF fair Spain,
Weep not, sweetest; thy noble father would
see thee wed with the Marquis of I'aayera, and |
thou cansl not love him. And il is for tina, thou
wecpes'. Is i! moi so sweet lady;'
u was happy replied the sorrowing girl. q
did no. dream Of love, or that had heart. ony .
tet that was happy, Aud now
AND now, my gentle lsabcI;'
'Ana now, said the Senora, deeply hlushinq,
nov feel have heart 10 give
'Eicss thee, dearest, for those words. Isabel
hear me for ! must speak, love thee Isabel
am other than | seem. am no hireIing-l am
the heir to noble house. One year ngO, having
h~Hd so much OF thy wondrous beauty, and fail
OF curiosity and darmg,l conirlycd 10 get admitted
INTO Inns castle us thy fathers page. 80 see is to
love lhee-bul 20 be near thee day after day-to
read thy gentle lhoughtto gaze in thy liquid truth
iuI soubcamins eyes-ro feel thy soft hand with.
in my own. Isabel, being cut from granite 10 see
thee ihus could not help loving thee. | Ioyea soul
ii soTl thou hnst sweet lsabel-a rrlrclmg
gentle, trusIul, ardent, he.rl-fu soul. Isabel /
oye thee, wilt lhon love nu:
Jose, WILT y love thee and the girls ewes
were soft MS tn, rested them in his.
lie took her hlud-her little, warm white hand,
md covered it with kisses. Then drawing her
gently towards him, he cIaspcd her silently to his
heart. She nestled like a bird in his bosonl-nrd
rested her head there. At intervals low sob swell
led her little heart, like that Of wcared infant.
worn ont with much crying, 1t length her sghs
'ame less and less frequent; and when the page {
)ent over 10 gaze upon her face, She had sunk INTO
calm, gentle sleep. \ bright tear sill g,tcned
N her silky lash-thal long black fringe that re-
POSED so quietly on her pale, fair chucli
There Is something lneSprcSslbly touching in the
luiel and cam rcpuSe of the beautiful giI. And |
%hcn we feel that that youth and beauty is all we
owe on earlil-hlt II !, near us-ncsIlng in SwcCi
rust within our arnis-Our ulI--Our owl-Iiic Of I
'ur IIil-hear oIour hcarI-soul of our soul-what d
'tIer happiness can earth give more pure, more
Ioy, more unaiioycd: ,
The page Jose almost wished the Dom might
lever awuke-bul ,he didawakc. And when She 4
i'd she looked up in his eyes and smiled. There f
vas everything IN that smile, love, hope GIllh,gen- q
leness, TRUTH trust, JOY II was drolI smile TOO
mere was archnrsS IN it--Josc never forgot that {
mile! silange that an outward symbol Of the in II
Ter world can express 80 much.
The pnge attempted TO lila, the brgh, smile ir,o ,
is own h1art-bur the lady's mood hid changed. ,
ialf ashamed, half in sport she broke from him 9
'Ilh laughter own peculiar laugh-bird like :.
n It's sIl'cry ccarncss; aud like bird,ds wild and
wert. f,
sit down, dear Isabel would talk with thee +
nImy thou be nlue, Isabel | love thee =,
Dh! how love thee. Naughi on earth, is haIcso ;,
ear as thou-iiIa-ten thousand lives, were they /,
'lne, would give for thy love. VIII thou be g
line! my own r
The girl put both her little hands in his, that was i
er only answer. And then the page drew her H.
nm to his heart and Kissed her brow and lips And !,
len-nnd ,hen-.and thcn-why then. and there. !,
ghl pbelOre them with cured lip and clondy :
row-sood the castles lord!-rhe proud hdai- =
the Count AlcarOs de I.cnaroi the Dona u
'aheI's iaiher'-the handsome pages master! y
'I!a' exclaimed lis this the way We obey INV u
All, sec! Thou'rt doing my bid =
ng, sir page. Hast thou won the scIl-wilcd ady !,
think as do' Away giri!--Dacli, say! Avail u
ilh thee, page" Il
Pale, dropping, quaing beneath her rlthcr's an
~ glance the gentle nirl siontlv t,Yi,,d hoe 40. III