American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1844-11-16
[Frem the Pennsylvania Inquirer.]
EMMA MASON.
\ TALE OF LIGHTED HOPE
BIZ Lucu Hamilton.
y 'WSy TVtHVVVVV'
CHAPTER |.

l.
BY Lucy Hamilton.
CHAPTERI.
l Wealth, beauty, talent, position in society
were mine at the age ofeighteen; loving friend.
were around me, though bound by fond nature
ties to none, for my relatives had all passed
from the earth before the recollection of theil
tenderness could sadden regret that they 1ce1t
d not But, as yet, had not since the age of
childhood known the JOY of satisfied heart
The revelry of my own halls proved harshest
dscord to my ear, and was submitted to only
as one of the necessary requirements of my sta
ton. Adulation was not agreeable to me, for
had grown tired of it even in the nursery
Love was thing desired but still unknown,
unfelt. A mind Indifferent, heart unsoothed
by genial sympathy, was alone and solitary
in the midst Of gaety and crowds of adulators
Two years passed on in an unbeaming course
of heartless folly, which brought no bright con-
tentment to my soul; yet, still, as if in trance
i hurried on. Incapable of excrtiDg nv own
independence, allowed myselfto be borne along
by the current, beyond the pale of my own
4 sYmpathies and tastes
Ofal the candidates for my favor, and there
were many-one, at last, obtained power over
me, and he, the chosen one, was not the adj
mired of the world, the loved of many hearts.
The world was against him, and lonely and I'M
happy, he sought not the sympathy of his kind
though bent on noble designs for their good
No one, save myself, seemed to understand
him; for his active exertons for the public well
fare, were misudged and condemned as evil
Yet he bore all without faltering in his course,
and, if he suffered from the unmerited scorn of
the race he served, few could trace the record
of his sufferings on his pale brow.
He stood aloof, while idle worshippers throng-
ed around me- and his voice was never heard
in the light batteries which proclaimed me
queen of the festive hall. And, yet, when
turned to meet his glance of welcome sympa-
thy, met the cold contemptuous regard which
my heartless folly merited. He seemed to lead
me back to the pure hopes ofgirlhood, and as
gazed upon his noble brow and into the calm,
clear depths of an eye the expression of which
was that of glorious triumph over suffering, and
of determined courage in the cause of right,
could not but reflect seriously upon the frivoli-
ty ofmy own life, the entire neglect of all du-
ty. The disquiet of my aroused mind was such
as to make fearful havoc upon my health
Day by day felt myself gradually sinking be-
\ heath load of ntolerable anguish of spirit
That bowed me to the earth. Languid lstless-
ness had given place to the keenest selfre-
proach and remorse, that were devastating
both mind and body without promising moral
result.
There was one being in the world who could
have aroused me TO active exertion, and he
had caused me the feeling of self-abasemcnt.-
Yet, strange waywardness of human nature,
the daring migrate who seemed to repel my
sympathy with determined GOODNESS, was the
bne on whom my hopes of amendment rested,
and had by his manly scorn, awakened love
That many, in the eyes of the world superior,
had sued for in vain. But hopeless was the
teelng that pride vainly attempted to subdue,
Nor though | met Mr.. Tracy almost every
where that appeared in public, and frequent
Nv received him as a guest at my own house,
vas struck by the unvarying GOODNESS and fol-
NAL politeness of his manner when forced 10
address me. AT times, however, / fanced that
there was curiosity in the earnestness Of the
gaze that fell with whitening power upon me, as
unexpectedly encountered it, after some wild
burst of ioyless mirth had evinced my partici-
patton in the general folly.
He was one evening engaged in serious
discourse with gentleman of very intellectual
appearance, in my own drawing room ,and stood
cape observation and to breathe the pure air.
Their conversation was upon selfreliance, with
but which he argued there was no virtue, and
hi pretonces to it were vain and nugatory in
lha extreme-that the consciousness of inward
worth simply, the worth of truth, was all that
lhe human soul required to rest upon for its
support--that it was more than wealth or pow
kr, or the highest intellectual culture-without
which the individual who possessed it under
ordinary circumstances, had every thing he de-
tired at his dsposal-that, in short, he was as
he house based upon the rock, against which
he rains poured and winds blew, yet fell not.
Their conversation was of long continuance,
md when it ended, l felt that it had infused
trength and courage into my soul.
The companion of Tracey moved away, and
Tracey himself fell back into the recess Of the
window where sat, and after standing with
ais back towards me for some moments, turned
nd took the vacant seat beside me on the divan.
4 start of surprise first indicated his conscious
hess of my near proximity but he bowed po-
itely, and noticing my pale countenance, in
buired if were i'll? admitted only fatigue.
compassion and concern were visible in the
penetrating look with which he regarded me-.
"Why are you not happy?" he gently said,
IS he laid his hand Upon mine, which rested up
pn the window sill,-.young, lovely, gifted,
esalthy, the worshipped idol Of a crowd, what
an woman's heart desire more?n
sighed, and bent my conscious eyes upon
he floor; and dared not meet the glance which
knew TO be searching the innermost depths of
~ soul ea
"Have you" he continued, 'svanly sought
the many what the true heart only finds in
lie one pure, fervent and sympathising affec-
on?" @u' N