The Whig standard. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1843-1844, 1844-02-07
THE BROKEN HEARTED.
BY GEO. D. PRENTICE.

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have seen the infant sinking down like a
stricken flower to the grave--the strong man
fiercely breathing out his soul upon the held OF
battle--the miserable convict standing upon the
scaffold with deep curse upon his lips. l have
viewed death in all it's forms of darkness and ven-
geance, with fearless eye; but / never could
look on woman, young and lovely woman, fa-
ding away from the earth, in beautiful and IN
complaining melancholy, without feeling the very
fountain of life turned ~ tears and dust Death
lis always terrible; but when form Of angel
beauty is passing off to the silent land Of sleep
ers, the heart feels that something lovely s ceas-
ing from existence, and broods, with sense Of
utter desolation, over the lonely thoughts that
come up like spectres from the grave to haunt
our midnight musings.
Two years ago took up my residence for a
few weeks in country village in the eastern part
of New England. Soon after my arrival be-
came acquainted with a lovely girl, apparently
about seventeen years of age. She had lost the
idol of her pure hearts purest love- and the shad-
ows Of deep and holy memories were resting like
the wing of death upon her brow. first met
her in the presence Of the mirthful She was,
indeed, creature to be worshippcd; her. brow
was garlanded by the young years sweetest flow
ers, her auburn looks were hanging beautifully
and low upon her bosom; and she moved through
the crowd with such floating, unearthly grace,
that the bewildcred gazer looked almost to see
her fade away into the air, like the creation Of
some pleasant dream. She seemed cheerful and
ever gay; yet saw that her galety was but the
mockery of her feelings. She smiled, but there
was something in her smile which told that it's
mournful beauty was but the bright reflection of
tear and her eyelids, at times, closed heavily
down, as if struggling to repress the tide of agony
that was bursting up from her hearts urn. She
looked as if she could have left the scene of fes-
tiyty, and gone out beneath the quiet stars, and
laid her forehead down upon the fresh green
earth, and poured out her stricken soul, gush
after gush, till it mingled with the eternal foun-
tain of life and purity. &
DAYS and weeks passed on, and this sweet girl
cave me her confidence, and became to her as a
brother. The smile upon her lips was faint, the
purple veins upon her cheek grew visible, and the
cadences of her voice became daily more weak
and tremuous. On quiet evening in June, |
wandered out with her in the open air. 1t was
then that she told me the tale OF her passion, and
of the blight that had come down like mildew up
on her life. Love has been a portion OF her ex-
istence. It's tendrs had been wound around her
heart in its earliest years and when they were
rent away, they left wound which flowed till all
the springs of her soul was blood | am pass
ing away" said she, "and it should be SO. The
winds have gone over my life, and the bright
scattered down, and lie withered in the dust. And
yet cannot 60 down to the tomb without tear.
II is hard to take leave of friends who love me !;
it is very hard to bid farewell to those dear scenes
with which have held communion from child
hood, and which, from day to day. have caught
the color of my life, and sympathzed with its
JOYS and sorrows. That little grave where have
80 often strayed with my buried love, and where,
at times even now, the sweet tones Of his voice
seem to come stealing around me, till the whole
air becomes one intense and mournful melody ;
that pensve star in which my fancy can still pic
ture his form looking down upon me, and beck
onng me on to his own bright home, every flow
err, and tree, and rtvulct, on which our eyes had
bent, in mutual response, and bore witness to our
early love, and, become dear to me, and cannot
without sigh, close my eyes upon them forever.
have lately heard the beautiful girl OF whom
have spoken, is. dead The close of her life
was calm as the failing Of quiet stream-gen-
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