The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-07-01

Helen. " I on must give your NINA 10 your cOuh-
try, and in dischargng your duties patriot and
statesman, you will find enough to engross your
heart. And BESIDES who can talk of solitude in
the midst of Washington society,""
The mind is its own place, said Mr. Howard,
-" and one may feel as solitary in crowd as IN
a desert"
Both husband & wife now remained silen, ;and in
u short time they were aroused by the horn of the
slase-coach sounding before the door. The table
was deserted in an instant, and after showing the
stagc-waer his baggage, Mr. Howard returned TO
the parlor, and closed the door,
The bitter moment has a, length come" said
he. eve must part! o, Ilelen,- pity say that
we part fiiends!'
"Friends!" reiterated lIeen--in a voice as
cheerful as she ever spoke in-ior tire light, glad
tone Of earlier days had vanished away together
with the "wrea,hed smiles that had accompanied
it" Friends! -assuredly we do!--and most sin
cerely do wish you such success, as will leave
you nothing to ask"
There are moments in our lives when the most
hitter wailings of grief, would be SweeIer 10 the
ear, than the gladdes strains of music and thus it
was in the present instance with Mr. Howard. Hell
ems undisgused Indifference, even a, the moment
of parting wrung every fiber of his heart With
look Of intense feeling he turned TO the children,
and pressing them to his bosom, murmured few
fond farewell words to each. AS he replaced the
y1un!es. on tn, carpet, Helen presented her
hand. lie took it withou, uerng syllable press
ed it firmly, and then darling from the house, seat
ed himself in the coach, which the next moment
rolled away
1t was toward the latter part of November when
Mr. Howard left home, and for number of weeks
there was no very marked change in leen's
health, She was really happier than she had been
for many, many long months for now she had to
perform no hearess attentions \ burden was re-
moved from her mind. She was very tender
mother; and during her husbands absence, she re-
solved to lorego society us much as possible
and devote herself to the comfort and cdu-
cation of her children, and TO the cultivation of
her own mind. She received ihrec or four letters
a week from Nr Howard, They were fail Of III
terest, as he detailed al! that he saw or heard,
which could either entertain or instruct her There
was, too,a peculiar kind of tenderness about them
Whenever his own feelings were the subject, he
wrote like Il tmid lover, as if in doubt whether
what he said would and or nJnre his suit, In each
letter he uged her to tell him every thing con-
corning herself and the chidren AS the most rl-
ling incidents, --even the praitIe of the little one,
was full of interes. to him.
Helen wlole often TO Mr. Howard. and kept him
well informed as to all that was in progress A.
mongst their friends and aquain'ances; she told
hun all there was communicable about the children,
their health, their Improvement, their fond aud
uniirns questions about their father, and their I'M
patience for his return; hut Of herself she said !
nothing, except to answer his direct inquiries for her
health, and This she did in the most indefinite man
ner possible. "She was as well rs usual" cher |,
health was much the sane, "--or, "thcrc was no
essential change the Whole amount Of the |
matter. She was truly ingenious in con,riying to
close her letters with duo courtesy, and sc, with.
ont any Of that tenderness Of expression which al. |
ways proceeds the signature of wife, when wr. |
ting TO the husband she loves In receiving and wr
ting letters; in attending to her children, und in |
reading; in the Occasional calls of her circle of |
IrendS,--nnd in frequent visits of her father and
DR. Miller, lleen's time passed away without wca-
rness or discomfort.
But though scarcely aware of it herself, Helen
was much altered. Her strength had so gradually
declined, that she was hardly sensible of its dim-
mutton; her flesh had wasted by such slow degrees
that she scarcely perceived it; and like all persons
laborlng under the same d-easc, she illuered her
self that each day she vas little better than the
last. Her friends laughed at her for pinins on ac
count of Mr. Towards absence, and her father
almost child her on the same ground; but DR. Miller
looked on with deep solicitudc and anxiety. Still,
his hopes were at eas, as strong as his fears, I'M
til tho beginning of February, At that period,
Helen one day took drive with the children W hen
the air was very humid from the dssolying
STOW and she took a severe cold. It's fatal e.
lects were soon Obvious. She was at once conlin-
ed 10 her room. still Helen herself was not alarm
cd but calculated to be ont in few days. 1t de-
volved on Dr. Miller 10 give the alarm 10 her faith
e. lie pronounced her to be in hectic: and the
father betrayed 10 his daughter the Doctors opn-
ion. AT first it was a stunning blow to her; then
she thought the Doctor unnecessarily alarmed, but
remembrance Of her mother, hcrbrohers, and
her sister, rushed upon her mind she looked
Fairly at her own symptoms, aud felt that her
doom was sealed.
The confusion, the rush of thought and feeling
incident 10 the frst shock, soon passed away, and
Helen calmly set herself to examine her present
posliion,-and, as the Scripture expresses ii /" set