Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1842-09-23
BY VIM. Il. RYTHER.
GOOD HEARTEDNESS;
OR NOBODY's ENEMY BUT HIS OWN.
BY MRS EMMA C. EMBURY.

ton, as he sat by the side of his pretty sister.
"Pray what made you utter that truism
SO emphatcaly I" ked his sister, as she
laughingly looked up from her needle work
Because never felt its truth so forcibly,"
answered Charles.
II hope you have had no new evidence
oil their eccentrclty, brother" said Susan,
archly,
Indeed ! have" was the significant re-
ply. 81 thought that you, Susan, was free
from the caprice that characterizes your sex,
but believe now that women are all alike"
"What have done, dear Charles p
ooh, you know what | mean, Sue here
find you as calm, quiet and cheerful, as if
nothing had occurred to disturb the current
OF your feelings, and yet only this morning
you deliberately murdered the peace of as
hne fellow as ever the sun shone upon"
Brother, this is unkind," said Susan,
blushing deeply as she spoke.
II do not mean to say aught that will pain
you" said Charles; ''but | cannot refrain
from telling you that you have been guilty
of great injustice towards my friend MAY j
ask why you refused the hand Of Edward
HartleyW
"Who told you it was ever offered to my
acceptance, brother 2"
81 heard it from his own lips | have lust
had long interview with him, and the an
guish which he is suffering would melt the
heart of any one but selfish woman"
Charles you are angry, and Of course I'M
just; Edward Hartley has less sense of deli
cacy than supposed him to possess, if he
can thus pour his complaints into the car of
another"
"Why was not informed of his proposal,
Susan! Surely, your only relatives, your
mother and brother, ought to be consulted
on matter fsuch Importance"
81 have no concealments from mamma
Charles, she knew the whole affair, and had
been disposed to accept his addresses, YOU
certainly would have been consulted"
"This is an excellent idea, Sue if you
had accepted him, should have been allow
ed the privilege of knowing it after the mat
ter was settled"
mo, brother, if had loved Edward Hart
ley well enough to become his wife, | should
not have welded him without your approba-
ton but, when knew that my decision
was already made, felt that it would be
wrong to betray his confidence by disclosing
his profer, even to you'
But might have succeeded in persuad-
ing you to a different decision"
This would be impossible Charles my
objection to him, is one of which only him
self could have removed, and it is too late
now.
"Yet you were once inclined to like him"
81 do not deny it when first | became
acquainted with him, his fine appearance,
his agreeable manners, and his varied talents,
excited my admiration, and but for MAN.
mas kind watchlulness, might have allow
ed my affections to become involved but
am thankful that was preserved from such
misfortune"
"a great misfortune, truly you would
really have been an object of pity, had you
become the wife of the handsome, gifted aud
wealthy Hartley"
Mrs Wharton had listened with deep in
terest to the conversation between her chill
dren, until perceving Susan's flushed cheek
and fearful eye, she uterposed. ''Your sym
pathy for your friend, makes you unkind
to your sister, Charles; | will answer in So
Der earnestness your ronical remark, and
can affirm with truth, that if Susan were the
wife of Hartley, she would be an object of
pity"
'Why so,Epray?"
Because he is a thoughtless, selfish vota-
a ry of pleasure; he spends his time, his mon
q ey, and his health, in round of frivolous
pursuits, which, to say the least of Them are
vain and worthless"
"Yet no one has ever accused him of Vi
a cious habits"
"Oh, that is Just n woman's remark, Sc
we're, sarcastic and unchartable you can
not bring any serious charge against him,
and therefore you take it upon yourself to
predict future vices"
MY son, ! trust you have never had rea-
son to accuse me of want of Christian char
ity, but have lived long enough in the
world to know that when youth, usually the
season ofgenerous and lofty impulses, is Civ
en- up to selhshness and dIeness, vice is not
lar distant Edward Hartley is still very
young, yet he is already noted for his epicn.
rean habits, his thoughtless prodigality, and
his love of the wine cup"
"No, no, mother" interrupted Charles,
you wrong him, indeed you do; he is .
little wild perhaps, and possesses a very ex
cItable temperament; but he has never beer
degraded by intoxication."
III An, ShdIIcS, you llltle KNOW now lnSlu
uous are the first attacks of vice; the very
weakness which renders him unable to re
slst the excitement of good and bad compa
n ny, will always make him an easy victim tc
temptation He has no stability of charac
ter no strength of principle, to oppose as {
barrier to the encroachments of vice.
Pardon me, my dear mother, if ven
lure to tell you that women, however sens