Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-02-01
VOL. II.


sanity seemed to me to have assumed
the almost hopeless form of imbesility.
But her pure and beautiful instincts
were as fresh and powerful as if intel
lcct were still their guide. She was
tender, gentle. and full Of that confding
innocence which knows no evil, and
suspects no guile. Childlike in her
frankness, womanly in her sweet ten
dcrness, and withall evincing by every
look the intuitive modcsty and delica-
cy which so characterize the pure mind
ed, she seemed the every pcrsonifioation
ofall that was lovely in her sex. The
very wandcrings of her imagination
were
I" like sunshine on the rill,
Though turned aside is sunshine sill.'
The beauty. the tenderness, tie help
lcssness of this young creature, inter
rested me exceedingly. My sympa-
thics were aroused to degree positive
ly painful; and yet as listened to her
incoherent but sweet words, uttered by
the rosiest lips that ever love had kiss
cd, | felt that had her soul been ava
kened while her heart was thus gushing
forth, earth could have held for me no
higher bliss.
When we parted, which we did with
mutual promise of again meeting,
retired to my lodging in a state of ex-
citement, such as had rarely known,
and my first care was TO learn some
thing of her history. found that she
had been from childhood, dull and in
ert of intellect; that it had been only
with exceeding labor she had been
taught the elements OF knowledge; and
that her mind seemed TO become more
obtuse as she grew older, until "A severe
fit OF sickness, which bclell her ere she
attained her fifteenth year had com
plctcly obscurcd her reason. Upon
further inquiry | learned that she had
been an affectionatc and depending
creature, always looking for love in
every one, and as far as could learn,
never finding it. Her family were cold
and commonplace. The strict disci-
pine of reason was all they could cx-
crcisc, and the child had grown stupid
in proportion us these means had been
cxcrtcd upon her. She had been for
three years in this state of imbeCility,
and they had now lost all hope of her
recovery.
The next day again found her in
the shrubbcry, where she was allowed
to pass much other time, as the absence
of all close constralnt and vigilance
had been found beneficial Her Joy
at seeing me was unboundcd, and throw
ing herself on the turf at my feet, she
leaned her arms upon my knee, and
rested her head upon them in attitude
Of the most childlike rcposc. remained
gazing with speeches. tenderness up
into my face. She said little, but
could perceive that she was filled with
tumultuous emotion, and as | bchcld
the workings of heart, the idea fl tshcd
through my brain, that her soul might
yet be awakened. remembered the
story of her ycarning tenderness in
childhood, and of its unsati>ticd thirst;
fancicd that J could see wherein size
had been misunderstood, and | could
not but think that where cold reason
had failed, affection might be found
more cficacious. She had passed the
Threshold of girlhood; the instincts OF
a womanly nature had asserted their
rights; the iancics of her arratic mind
had assumed a shape, and the anticipa-
ton of the coming of one who would
rescue her from loneliness aud thraldom,
had taken the place of her formervague
dreams. This would account for her
warm welcome Of me, and Il thrill Of
Joy pcryadad my whole being, when
the thought suggested itself that it
might be my destiny to rescue a soul
from darkness.
From that moment | determined to
make the attempt, and without dream
ing of selfish passion, without one spark
of unholy love, vowed to devote all
the energies Of my nature to the noble
task Of enlightcning clouded spirit
Carefully did ] begin the work, and
tcnderly did ! guard from dangerous
excitement, the heart which ! sought
to influence. She was child, sweet
and lovely child to me, and cherish
ed her as if she had been my own sin
less sister. Never did ono tumultrous
throb stir my heart when her head rest