Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1843-04-15
From the Lady's World of Fashion.
THE FATAL WORD.
BY EMILY II. MAY.

|
"You are too severe" said Ellen in reply
to the speaker, sand exact more from our
sex than you demand of your own. Is
this JUST"
Il admit the truth Of what you say, for,
though ] cannot trust a man who is guilty
of falsehood, loathe and abhor woman
habituay given TO duplicity. We look
for more purity in your sex than in our
own, and that love only ought to be favored
by you which regards you in this exalted
light. No true man but chafes at the
chains which bind him TO the grosser things
of earth, and has longings for something
better and holier; and love in its purity
for all love is not pure--steps in here TO lift
US heavenward, by affording US compan-
ioRsbip with being of finer sympathes,
and of more heavenly impulses than our
selves With what loathing then does it
fill me to find her deceitful for of all the
virtues truth is, in my eyes, the highest
Let man or woman be incapable of a
falsehood, and she is incapable of continued
guilt"
Ellen was silent, for she had begun the
conversation in Jest, and she felt that the
speaker uttered the truth. She continued
silently at her work, and, in few minutes,
Robert left the psrlor, and went out.
Not until the front door had closed on him
did she look up, and then her eyes met
those of her cousin, the only other occu-
pant of the room, who was sitting at the
opposite side of the work table. The face
of the latter was flushed, and her lips part.
ed as if in partial terror. She clasped
her hands and exclaimed,
ooh if Robert knew it," and then burst
into tears,
, Emily rose up, went around the table,
and encirclng her friend with her arm,
r said soothingly,
But he will never discover it, dear Lucy;
so don't fret. 1t was only once you did it,
and then it couldn't be helped"
"But if he should find it out" sobbed
Lucy" "oh bow / wish had never told
5 him that untruth. Don't you Think" she
continued, looking up earnestly through
her tears, "that he has heard of it! He
scarcely said good bye when he went
out" "No-no"-quickly retorted Ellen,
! "calm yourself, dear Lucy, or when he
returns, he will see you have been crying
No one could have told him. Besides
even if he knew, he might not be angry
at least not rcry angry, for you know he
spoke of habitua duplicity, and Of that
i, my dear, no enemy, even if you had one
could charge you with being guilty"
; "But wish had told him the truth a
once; and will never deceive him again,
said Lucy, drying her tears.
Lucy was betrothed to Robert Emer
a son, and in many respects was fully worthy
of his love. But she had one fault--Uanity
u Fond Of dress, fond of amusement, fond o
. admiration, and fond Of display, she wa
often led into foles, for the qualification
. of her vanity, which, in her after moments
she bitterly repented. Robert was no
ignorsnt of her failing, but he knew she
= had good heart, and he trusted to time
TO cure her of her foible. Still he was no
aware of the many minor errors which
she committed for the qualification of hel
vanity, much less did he suspect that false
=, hood had been resorted TO in order 10 con
e ceal her conduct from his eye. But such
= had been the case.
n Robert hated alike coquetry and untruth
: He had often said that he could never low,
. woman who would trife Intentionally
IS with a sutton, for, apart from the seisI
e vanity such conduct displayed, there wa
d always more or less duplicity in flirt
), Lucy, therefore, since her acquaintanc,
:, with Robert, had stndiously avoided tn
# error that, otherwise, her love of admira
r ton might have induced her TO commit
e But alas! how true is the remark that on
y errors dog our footsteps. and will not lie
. us 60 even when we would forget them
ii During sojourn at Saratoga the precedin
e year, Lucy, then just ushered into til
!, great world, and comparatively thoughtles
- had allowed the attentions of young mar
whose suit she would not have encourage
seriously for moment She had first lis
Is ened to him to pass away an idle hour, an
- found herself compromised in a measur
8. before she thought of her indscretion. Sh