The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-05-12

HOW sWeetiy Dloomed tne grey-green plfk,
How rich the hawthorn's blossom,
As underneath their fragant shade
clasped her TO my BOSOM"
Highland Mary.
will you 90 with me Laura, down by
the brook 7 said |, as the merry hearted
girl came in, singing gaily, after watering
her flowers, looking doubIy beautiful from
her exercise.
'Go-oh yes
But you'll put 90 your bonnet, surely.
What, that hateful one with tho very,
pery large cape, thought you dldn't like
it..
'Pshaw Laura, only put il on the sun
is still an hour high
'Well, then, since mus, and tripping
gaily in, she re appeared directly with her
huge bonnet overshadowing her face and
covering with its enormous cape her Snowy
shoulders. In another instant she was
bounding like fairy over the grassy knoll.
Laura was Just seventeen, with raven
curls, dark, hazel eye, aud form of ex
qulsiie symmetry. She was the only child
OF my guardian, aud we had spent our child.
hood together. Even then | had a boyish
fancy for her; climbing trees TO pluck her
fruits o; nuts, making rail bridges for her
across the little streams in our walks, and
gathering the sweetest flowers to bring her,
when she happened one spring 10 be i'll a
fortnight. But with my removal 10 school
new feelings arose; accident had prevented
our meeting for years; and came at last
TO look back upon that period as on hap.
by but half.remembered dream. But this
summer, after graduating, | met her ogain
and we had not been together week be
fore all my old sentiments returned. But
it was no longer boylsh fancy i; was the
deep, ardent passion of first loye--thal
holy feeling, which visits US but once, anc
which amongst the woe and misery Of tbs
world seems like a sunbeam from the best,
Alas that we never love again as we did
in the holiness OF our first affection. The
passion is there, but the purity is gone.
found Laura impossible to read. To
me she was all frankness yet did not this
prove that she thought OF me ouly as q
brotherl But remembered that she al
ways lived a secluded life, and that she
freely confided all her little secrets to me
She was sometimes so taunllngly merry a
my expense, that would vow she loved mt
not. But then she did a hundred thing,
which could have been done only to please
me. That very bonnet had been almos
discarded, because one day laughed at IT
enormous cape. she read my books, pat
ted my dog, and half suspected her 0
filing my bed room with flowers every
morning 1t was delicious, but | would
have gwen worlds had she been more re-
served.
If she used to be merry at my expense
took my revenge by calling her ocular
" country girl. She was too affection
ate TO get augry, but she only half liked It
But though plagued her about her rura
education, il was in reality her sweetest
charm. She had never been contaminated
by the society Of cities, and like the lily o.
her own valley, was purity itself. Her
very voice corroling a song as she tended
her flowers, gushed forth with music lc
nv fancy almost divine. She was tho lido
of my young heart; the theme OF daily re-
veries and nightly dreams. ! still turn &c
that summer of my young existence, like
the traveller 10 the coo fountain sparkling
in the desert.
Let US 90 over the BRIDGE said she
pausius at the top Of the knoll, and fling
ing her dark curIs from her forehead, a:
she looked up to the cliff from which the
airy structure sprung.
what, IS it ever used 7 said !, in some
surprise for the irall pauks rocked at q
dizzy heigh. above US, had no idea II
was SAFE
fladn't you oh then III prove il, that
Isl said she, smiling archly, if you're mol
afraid to follow wild country girl
'Pshaw Laura
We'll come
Stop, Laura
'Oh indeed it's safe, bI, if you're really
afraid I'll come back for she was already
high on the cliff above, her white dress fut-
tering, and her riDgets waving IN the breeze
Afraid only for YOURSELF and | sprang
up the ascent after the laughing girl. ShO
waited I'LL | came up, and then for an in.
slant stood pointing out the scenery.
You've been here for month de.
clare, and never was on this rock before.-
] really believe she continued, looking
nrchly at me, you were half afraid to at.
tempt the ascent. Blu, we country girl;
don't mind 1t. Look here at Chester Hill
rising dark and gloomy on the northern
horizon, and away there, like u far of cloud
are the blue hills Of your own State. Now
that is our house, almost at our feet; see
can throw this stono upon the roof, anc
there is the mill dam, and yonder IS New
port, and down, down there and she lee
me gaily to the edge of the ravine, ia the
ravine, is the little slfesmlei murmurng ant