Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1843-09-12
FRO" the Ladies' National Magazine for Sen,
Too LATE.

y" tiofe - plenty of time :" answered S,plio az can
I'VE minutes mOre- '' ~
IL you SAID on Monday. when you were too late In
t,p,,,o ' you are contracting habit OF procras-
tbrony WI DC fruitful Of to you
L. iIc' never pat of ul tomorrow what can be
% Today Is ala excellent proverb but would amend !,
no anu never delay minute in doing what has to
yourself" '' ''u y" anu AZURE
"oPha reluctantly obeyed and left the ROOM But when
,,d sLI u " ehanoer' instead Of donnng her bonnet
anu si'"i she threw herself pettishy in n chair
81 do wish ma she said .'yould nst Ioctn,e A 80
one Is always talking about my being too late One would
minh iather was bank clerk she has such regnr II, ~
too late" 'S"'' iO'i1e"i : u''
Du' wnen few moments had cooled her passion Sophia
iet ashamed OF her conduct, for sac was an npnsvc
raer than bad GIRL and began to attire herself resolved
~ ~ At cIsnof aoTlceil's IN time. Her delay, however
au ueen fatal Though she almost ran through the streets
sne arrived too late, and the Sgnor who made poin
OF never waiting minute, had gone out
Sophy," said her father to her few DAYS al,erword
mere IS nothing for to do town until Monday so
nave nou9n OF running into the county for the rest of
'he week md luckily the steamboat is to make an cycur
s o-uay anu VIII stop EN- ROUTE Elmsdae. This is
chance that won't again tins season To see your
trends the Wy'illes The boat starts at four shall
nave To return to the counting room for on hour after din
"ei OUT you can get ready and the boat John
will attend you down.
, H erya"e said SoPia, delighted the proposal a
She fastened up stairs 10 n-onare be,seIf mi .s,,r
ing her dresses, opened her little casket TO select the we
Se should wear She took up bracelets of different
pleh' uied each OF them and held them in different
lights, before she could make up her mind which To take
Then she wasa long time selecting three out of her dozen
rings the gifts OF her fond parents and In
tn7 situation the tmo slipped away rapidly that the
CLOCK was on the chime of four before she became aware
OF her ideness 1t then late and she sat down
and wept bitterly.
For fortnight, the lesson did Sophia good and she was
pattern OF punctuay But gradually her old habits reyv
ed, she became carees. ever and on every occasion
was 700 i9e' Her mother reasoned with her vain, and
itasn he ather spoke serisusyt) her tie subject,
oophy, said he one evening seyora Gays after he had
requested her 70 parchaso fabric of summer
wear Tor hn which was IN the market but which she had
delayed going for until II was oil sod your OF pune
tuay Is intoleabe. Tour mother and and indeed the
whole family daily sufferers by IT, Ii YOU do not correct
the habit It vii be the Of incaculabe evil to YOU
through Le Many battle, which hung the fate OF an
empire, has been lost by being too late on the
ground Many woman has lost the affections of a hns
band never yrecover tem by being to- late warn Won
my dear ctiu against the habit, for see 1t growing siron
ger daily and unless you rally once Against H. YOU will
ind yourself unable 10 CONQUER it,
Sophy burst into for her father had never spoken thus
u her ashore and rising, left the room determination
TO profit 10y his advice. And again. for several DAYS She
struggled be punctIal in her engagements but now She
found the effort much harder than before that she became
discouraged, ami, aiior several attempts 10 cOncuer she
her habit.
AT esheen Sophia of the most beautiful girls
her native city, and her hand soughfur by crowd
Of admirers OF these she selected one every way worthy
G! her lie was young lawyer rapidly rising eninence
for his legal atianmenis and eoquence were both OF su
Peror order He had long been the prize which nume
rous OF her friends contended and when Sophia found him
at hereoi natural thrill OF pride could be avoided
Bat II was from selfish vanity that she accepted him.
lis estnabe qualities had deepened the impression which
his fine person al first made her soon learned 10
love Walter Conrad with all the Intensity of womans first
affection She anticipated his ghtest WISH and regulated
her conduct accordingly, and her opinions were always
moulded as size thought his would be framed opha was
one Of those trusting beings who give up all the they
love satisfied that he should be in every thing
Conrad returned her love with equal teryency, but with
more discrimination. ~ he became better acquainted with
her he faults which he greveG; but OF san
guno nature, he hoped Iut and desire 10 please him
would induce her conquer them Nor he wholly dis
appointed Many OF the sgher bemishos character
disappeared under the kind cutue OF her lover; but there
one fault which Conrad found. long time all his
clio Is aborve 10 remove 1t the fatal hab, procras
iination.
II Is true that Sophia made many resolue attempts IN
conquer hs habit but her chains had forged strong
that she found the task breaking them more d, Than
ever Her Old weakness constantly returned 20 her and
though sac continued her struggles, hey finally grew weak
En- Unable or unwilling 10 perseycre arduous un-
GortaNns and conscious OF her lovers OF the
habit she ssoried 10 every conceal from his
eye so That at length, Conrad began hope that she was
cured oil falling as the slave OF which, he felt she could
not continue TO possess his respect and with him respect
was necessary TO love.
One evening Conrad called on her an hour after his usual
nmo Twas bitter winter night and snow was knee
deep IN the streets laying in drifts against the doors where
the wind had piled It;
al am glad YOU have come" said Sophia, running to
nm 70 assist IN taking OIL his cloak afraid some.
ming had happened e. you, Where have YOU been2"
~ have been, dearest" he said taking her hand and
leading her 20 the sofa which had been wheeled up opposite
u the hTe ito see poor gill my laundrcss. who
lear, j. DYING and dying, too IN the most ahcc poverty
SIe broke bIOOdyee yesterday and is yery dangerous
but with care she may live the physician says There
was no lire M the bare when went there and the
snow beating through the broken panes had collected m
pile OF the foot of the bed. Oh il was a miserable sight,
and lac placed his hand before his eyes. 1t length he
looked up and resumed promisc you will 20 there 10.
morrow-oary tomouow-i0r said would send one to
sec after her wants, and you know would be more deli
cate Tor TO aid her then for Here is my purse
nay! MUST be the gver this casc-On.y promise me 10
early for the poor thing might perish for want of nece
sary medicines and care. sent for wood 10 warm the
ohamocr and got poor ncighbor stup with her tonight:
but Tomorrow she must have better hello. Alas what
misery exists IN ou5 city, and amos, at our doors Yet
how little We DO 20 alleviate IT,"
sophia listened with tears this recital and made the re-
FHod promise Tho lovers continued for while 10 talk
OF the sueIcr and then gradually passed peasan,er
mclles' In the Indulgence Of these we leave them.
Inc next morning the storm ragged fercor than ever
ne WIND how.ed along the street. the shook and
e sho" spun ana Missed M the tempest Sophia had
forgotten her promise but looking her watch after break
fast and finding the hour early she concluded To wait awhile
tor the subsidcncc OF the storm. Sitting down n her bou
DOR she took up new novel, aud immersed in
M pages Hour after hour passed away, and though she
often thought of her PROMISE and looked 20 the window 70
see the gale abaicd, yet the tempest ragged violently
the boob nscu1unE,lnd she thought the pr h1bv
OF any harm ensuing from her delay So small that with her
usual easy pTocTasunuton. she concluded to wait little
while longer, und So continued reading
AtI1s two o'clock came, and the storm ubacd The no.
vel 700 finished Sophia ordered the carriage and with
some msgvings set forth. She had mo- officially in finding
the miserable howell ~ which her lover had directed her
Asht assembled the steps she thought she heard voices
aud sudden fear came her for their was sorrow and
indignation n the speakers and among them she fancicd
she recognised nor lover Filled with rcmorse she totered
up TO the door. aud pushing opcn scene that she
never forgot
On the humble pallet lay pale and beautiful face. whose