Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1843-04-15
From the Ladies' Wreath for A priI.
MY COUSIN KATE.
BY c. y. WALLACE .

BY c. r. WALLACE.
Intimately interviewer with the hbres OF tn
human heart tho chords which bind each Ii
div dual to his race, and mighty IS the Influenc
that womun exerts upon the destinies Of indivit
uals aud nations Her smile and her tear hav
been, from the earliest period to the present hou
all potent to soften the asperites Of mans rough
er nature, awakening him to the noblest virtues
and unloosing his soul from the thra.dom of sen
sualiiy and sin.
The love Of the pure and the beautiful origin
ally implanted in every human breast, like tn
seed upon good ground, when nurtured Il
the sunshine o: her smile, and trained under tn
fostering influence of her purer perceptions, ha
brought a thousand fold Of the richest blessings
and her influence has caused to we'll up from tn
Jyrkest chm mbers Of the heart, TO water the de
sert spots Of life, those streams Of tranquility
happiness which have g!addened the most desc
late places, and caused them to bloom and t.
breathe Of The flowers and the fragrance of Para
disc.
At tho cross and at the sepulchre, in Joy or il
sorrow, ia sickness in health, IN the gorgeou
halls Of luxury the humble dwelling places o
the Of toll, she Is ever the same KIDD friend
ever the inciter to our best deeds and the ms pi
rer Of hottest thought; and when degraded
and despised, even then, her failings lean vr
tues side. But nevor does the Low eiiness of fe
male character exhibit itself in IA more pleasing
light than IN her kindness and forbearance to the
being of her choice, whom the temptations o
life and The aIluremen,s Of unhalowed passions
have caused to forget the early promise Of true
and sieadfast love.
The tale which ! have TO relate, is a case
in point and if il should serve o awaken in the
mind Of one Of my fair readers desire to look
into her own heart and study the means to win
back the es,ranged affections or the lost conf
dence Of HIM who has sworn to love- honor, and
protect, the purpose Of my true narrative is an
swered.
Nv Cousin Kate, as a beautiful girl. peeC
no, . into a pa .ticuiar des.,'r'iv. 49, u
ner of the romance writers oil the present Gay
and tell YOU the precise shade OF her complexion
the color of her hair and eyes. the shape OF he'
nose and chin or the exact length OF her fingers
suffice 10 saw she was beautiful girl; and. u
any one of my readers should be stu dissatisfied
with thi, rather indefinite description, let them
took al the most loving and loveaOe oil oil men
acquaintance, and imagine her 10 be my COUSIN
Kate as she appeared to me some eight years
90 when we were all assembled down at Uncle
Harry's to witness the performance OF the cere
Inony ..lhat binds two willing hearts.
Some weeks previous to the evening aore
said il had been duly announced Vor our 'a'e Is
of New Englaud,) by notice posted upon me
door of the church, duly signed by the town CLERK
that George Walter and my cousin Kate, lnten'
dad u,arriaoe which circumstance had afforded
the good people of II. about the sole topic foI
conversation and scandal ever since.
She was universally beloved, and George was
apenera favorite with the good people o: The VII
lage, but he had some fallings, not The least o.
which wps an over fondness for gay society, ano
a strong prediction for the pleasures OF the wine
cue, which, upoa one or two occasions, he hae
been known to indulge 10, even to excess ana al
there NAV be always found, even IN me sma"es
communities, some uncommonly knowing ones
thew could not, Of course, predict other"ise ina
thai The ceremony, about 10 be performed, woui'
bu q
parties concerned.
The wedding party was large and brilliant
the cheer was excellent, the dance went ga'iy on
the ioyful laugh went round, the congratulations
of friends were most ardently bestowed, and new
er. 10 all appearance, had happier wedding par
~ been convened in that little village.
But as in the sweetest cup of joys dregs vii
sometimes be found, so, in the happiest moments
Of our lives, when, as il were, we seem to nave I
glimpse Of that prospect Of earthly BLISS tor whici
we are all striving, cloud will obscure me nori
ION Of our hopes, and shut the bright vision iron
our owes. And so did the shadow of that daTl
cloud rise before the bright prospects OF Kate
even upon that very eve when, before God an
the world, she gave 10 him whom she ardentl.
loved, q heart as pure as ever beat within the hu
man breast,
All her hopes and all her affections were stake
upon her lover. She had dreamed nougnt out
happiness, and thought not that he who loved s
truly could ever forget the bounds Of temperance
No wonder, then. as she perceived him give wa,
10 the solicitations Of friends to drink his heals,
and that Of his young bride, until his fine fac
vas flushed with an unnatural glow, 40 wonde
tina, the rising sigh was, with difficulty depressed
and that tear glistened for moment,'nlher cea
biuAeye. Alas, that for such trifles so pure
soul should be thus rudely stricken! Q that u
the heart Of man dwelt but tythe Of that spir
Of devotion and se,f-sacrifice that are the compo
nents OF love IN woman; then we should not hav
such scenes on record.
A tear, as We have said. glistened in her ey
but all unnoticed. she dashed it away, and he
beautiful face betrayed no, the painful emotion
Of the mind. She was q brave girl. my cousi
Kate, and was endowed by nature With s,ron
good sense Grieved she was and shocked trul,
Blu, she still s,rove to supprets her feelings, an
90 we'll succeeded that none supposed she his
marked the change in her husbands manner.