Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1844-02-01

actual, fnds m Ii,rts.vts ito only reahza-
tion. I}d now. his moM attractive vol.
umrs lay untouched, his hvo'ite maya |
zines were never opened, and their
leaves were uncut. The imaginative
refinement of ioiiy minds had lost its
charm for him, and the change that had
come over the readers spirit was evi-
drmly frangh, with heavy gloom.
Gertrude. was gentle and winning, but
neither highly endowed, nor eager for
mental Improvement, and IN their early
intercourse her husband had been want
a. point out 10 her noi.ce the striking pns-
sae.s in his readings, Ia eDdeHvor To
awaken her admiration for the spiritual
glory Of his faiherland, and 10 strive /"
head her mind, through her affections, up
to The inspire, the beautiful and lba true.
His own disposition was soaring aud am.
buttons il was not enough for him that
his wife was graceful and refined ; his
strong md eXaet,ng nature demanded
Wore, and he earnestly sought to arouse
in her that approaching reverence Tor
the greatly gihsj, which reflects even
on the simple heart that tenders II some
thing Of 'bc mysterious charm and h"li.
ness Of genus. And Gearudsv lowed
frvsntly aud well, and her spirit drank
in, with the trusffnl sagerness of a little
child, the eloquent teachings Of h'm
whose w,trds were swseter to her than
all enr,h's music. Now, these things.
bad ceased. The hours once blessed
and brig htened by such communion were
spent in silent separation, and the young
vile = heart grew dim and heavy with It's
sudden sense Of utter desoIatioo. Woe
10 thee. Gertrude for thy woman lot
hath begun to dawn, and through the
beautiful purity Of the souls strong, deep
love, must ia. the dark shadow of Thy
sweet lif-'s bitter and abiding grief!-
Alns for tho warm, true nature that
musi learn 10 suspect, that must turn from
the howrry paths of childhood's credulisy,
and enter, with trembling footsteps, upon
the sad precincts of the trouble. haunted
valley of doubt
Al length the observations OF others
were excited, and rumors were ailoai
that Rudolph's companions were not the
most credilnble, that he had resumed the
dissipaIrd habits acquired during his
foreign residence, and he often now m
dulsed in that vein of skeplical and
snee,ing philosophy To which he had for
merly resorIed too frequently. fle spoke
well and nuenlly, and his language was
always peculiarly choice and appropriate,
bat his eloquence was now wrongly aud
dang aronsly directed, and his scu!hngs
dared to approach the most sacred truths,
20 pr"lane the earliest hopes. Gertrude
was fortunately the last to note this Fast
increasing evil, for even the plausible
and recs slrss scorner hes,ia,ed 10 advance
the bold irrrlin ion of Rosseau's doctrines,
before one whose ialh was So meek and
nnfaltcring, and the skepilc shrank with
involuntary respect from suliving the
perfect reliance of trust that had never
known the la'ntest dinness oi doubt. -
Still, the moral darkness grew daily
deeper around his own being, his prinGi-
pies, hong ago undermined by false aud
spacious reasoning, ceased 10 combat
With temptation or 10 repel drlnsion. Al
hktiI y blCH'hv
took practical turn, and he yielded 10
the fatal d.iiTinm ot u vice, perhaps the
most attractive OF any to man confident
in himself, and proud of his intellectual
strength He gave himselfup, with the
ru'ire Irrynr of a resoluie, but misguided
mind, to- the ruinou. inIatual"a of a
gamblers career. There i- no unhap-
py irhaence more difficult To regulate
or subdue than this, for it allows sucl
play To the reason. aud haliers the meu'a
pride ol the im It is hnrying Ia GER
tain desirurlinu There are periods Ir
every life that form "a it were, n turning
point between triall past and those Ia
come, when uDfnrsrrn temptations assnll
US suddenly and thickly, and we either
co0qupr then, Ihr0egh the aid oI higher
power, and 90 foi.b the stronger aud
Letter that we have bseu thus tested, OI
We yiye wav TO The inlaigatlou that lurcs
md the minds faculty of resistance fal.
ters, and the souls brightnrss is so'let
forever. Such an era had come fo
Rudolph, and he WAS yet hesl,m'ng or
the brink Of evil, when one oG his forme
intimate associates arrived IN the city.
St. Clare and hmsrlf hnd been 'hro"l
together in Paris, and had there pursued
the same routine of pleasure. They ha'
muct sympathy in taste and te'hng, ant
beneath the spell of the early co'np'n
i"u's anful encouragement, i'pdoiPh'
unfortunate predictions were increa5e'
nod confirmed. II was long baior'
Rudolph ventured to introduce his fr'en'
to Gettrude, and he only did so whe'
ST. Clare's repeated and urgent sollclta
tions rendered refusal pointed and i'm
possible. Blu, with all his worldly care
lessness Of right, his sarcastic mocker)
Of excellence, the dreaUer dreaded Il
lay bare beiore ihe pure eyes Of his wife
the blackness of his real nature and ht
would most gladly have avoided bringing
Gertrude's innocent and simple mind IL
contact with the cold, studied hypocrisy
Of ti,e man he called his friend. Thee
was nothing Preposse essing in ST. Clare I
person, but he dressed with perfect taste
and few men could charm more com.
plrtelv, where he chose to exercise his
powers of pleasing. There appeared Ia
be strange aud incxplicable fascination