Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1843-09-28
WooDsToeks yIRelN1A. sEPTE11BER .. lsAa.

aheart that has no intimate or IDOL gay
or tearlu, lives mechanically on.
DO yon guess at my meaning, Kate j?
DO you remember the merrimento of our
first meeting Do you remelnbe in
what lrolic of thoushtlessness you first
permitted me to raise to my lips those
restless fingers Do you remember the
mock opndescension, the merry haughti-
ness, tlla sallying and feigned incredibly
With Nhlch You received my successive
steps ii yoWing and love-mak ing-the
arch look when it was begun, the laugh
When it was overs the untirine follies we
Kept up, after vows piighted and the fu-
tuEe planned and sworn to ? That you
were in earnest as much as you we're ca
pable o. being, fully believe. You would
not else have been SO prodigal of the
sweet bestowings of maiden's tender
ness. But how often have left you
With the feeling, that. in the hours Ishad
passed with you. my spirit had. been a
lone! How often have / wondered if
there were depths in my heart which love
could never reach! how often nourned
that in the procession of love there was
mo place allotted for its sweetest and
dearest followers, tears and Silence =
Oh, Kate, sweet as was that sun CLEAN
Of early passion, did not love you |
tired of your smiles, waiting in vain for
your sadness. | left you, aud thought
OF you no more
But now-(and you will be surprised
to know that have been so near you
unperceived) ri have drunk an intoxica-
ton from one glance into your eyes,
which throws open to you every door OF
my heart, snbdues to your control every
nerve and feeling of my existence. Last
night | sat an hour, tracing again the
transparent and wel-remembered veins
upon your hand and oh how the Ian
gua@e written in those branching and
mystic lines had changed in meaning
and power. You were sad. | saw you
from distance, and, with amazement a.
an expression on your face which | had
never before seen, came and sat neal
you. 1t was the look had longed fol
( when knew y0u.and when tired of your
s mlrth. 1t was the look | had searched
| the world for, combined with such beau
ty as yours. 1t was a Ioook of tender
and passionate melancholy. which reveal
ed to me an unsupported chamber ii
4 yanr heart IA chamber of tears. All
why were you never sad before ? VIII,
have | lost the eternity's worth nf swee
hours when you loved me with that con
cealed treasure in your bosom Alas
Alas that angels must walk the world
unrecognised, till too late! Alas that
have held in my arms and pressed to m,
lips, and loosed again with trlf1ing ant
!; WEAKNESS. her whom it was my lite's Ell
rand, the thirst and passionate longin
: of my nature, to find and worship!
% heaveG! with what new value do
: now number over your adorable grace
of personi How spiritualIzed- is ever,
: familiar feature, once so deplorably mis-
appreciated! How compusive of res
2 pecttul alteration is that flexible waist
that step of aerial lightness, that swan
ike motion, which once dared to prais
triaingIy aud balf-mockingly, like til
tints of flower or the chance beauty
And those bright lips! How did | eve
looked on them, and not know that witt
in ther rosy portals slept volceless for
while, the controlling spell of my dest
ny-the fearful spirit followed and ca
. in my dreams, with perpetual longing
Strange value given to features and ou
ward loneliness by qualities Within
Strange witchery of sadness in woman
,, OH, there is, in mirth and folly, dea
Kate. no air for loves breathing; still les
; OF food for constancy, or of holiness
consecrate and heighten beauty of pei
, son.
What can I say else. except 10 in
! piore to be permitted to approach 20,
, to offer my life to you-to begin. thu
late after being known to YOU so long I'll
worship which, till death, is Your due
Pardon me i'll have written abruptly an
wildly. Il shall await your answer in "A
q agony of expectation. do not willin.
: lY breathe till see vou-tlll weep
: your feet over my blindness and forge
fulness. Adieu! but LET it not be fc
long. pray you!'
! despatched this letter, and it woul
be difficult to embody in language th
Il agony | suffered in waiting for reply
III walked my room that endless morning
i with death-pang in every step; SO fear
4 ful was ]. SO prophetically fearful-tha
s. had forfeited forever the heart ha
. once flung from me-
4 1t was noon when letter arrived =
4 It was il a hand writing new to me Blu
! it was on subject which possessed m,
existence, andit was of final import |
4 follows:
Dear Sir: My wife wishes me to- write t,
/ you. and inform you of her marriage, whicl
took place a week or two since, and ofwlliS3
i she prestanes you are not avlare She Re
marked to me, that you thought her lookinf
unhappy last evening whenyou ciisiced L
see her at the play. As She seemed to re
/ greet not being able to answer votlr 1 ote her
self. may perhaps, convey the pepper apol
ogy, bytaking upou myself to smelltaln to YOU
that IN consequence Of eating an imhrnden
quantity ofttnriDe frigit she tslt IN bei,p on