Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1845-07-31

Gun seou'e 'ho happiness OF my lalnlly-
if l can smooth the declining years of nv
father, and render my mother happy
Mrs Flemming clasped her daughter
and wept IN bitterness over her. She full
ly appreciated the sacrifice she had made,
aud at that moment, felt almost willing to
incur her husbands dlspleasure and the
loss Of his affection forever. AS she arose
to leave the room, she said
'Catharne, you have laid your mother
under weight of obligation that presses
her to the earth. You have one thing,
my child, to sustain you, tina. am a
stranger to; that is, an approving consci
ence. 1t would make me wretched,' said
she still lingering in the door, IF | thought
the step you have consented to take should
seal your misery in this world
oh no: dear mamma, said Catharinc,
as she beheld. her imploring helpless look,
i shall, | know, be happy in the discharge
of my duty
Her mother tried to believe what she
said, so calm and snbdued was her look,
and under such perfect control had she
kept her feelings.
1t was not until after the last receding
Of her mothers steps had died upon the
ear, that Catharine in burst of grief, re-
lieved the wild pulsatIons Of her heart
Long and mournfully she wept.
'And, is it thus she exclaimed, my
dream Of earthly happiness is to end!-
Dear, dear Francis, can | ever cease to
love theel Must it now become a sin for
me to chlrish thine image inmy breast! but
you shall know all that has influenced me
to give you up; all, all, but my mothers
disgrace shall not be revealed
Caharine now set down, and address,
ed letter to Mr. Davenport, informing him
that, to crafty her mother, and in compli-
ance with her command, she had given
him UP forever.
Brighter days | trust, dear Francis,
said she, 'are before you; my sun is set
forever. The torch that lights me to the
bridal altar will shed lis beams upon a
daughter that has sacrificed her peace to
the qualification of her mother, and the
good of her family
When Francis Davenport received this
line from his beloved Catherine, he was
on the eve of starting to see dying uncle
in Baltimore, who had sent on an express
for him. He stepped back into the house
and addressed to her the following note.
Beloved Catherine, all ask, and
have light to ask it, is, that you will not
consent to be married to another until
you hear from me, which will be soon.
90 to hold communion with the dying.
Your faithful,
FRANCIs.'
No casual visitor at Mr. FIemming's
would have supposed how wretched at
times Catherine was, as she beheld the
preparations for her marriage. In the
family she was calm and cheerful; in her
retirement prey to grief. Often she
would see the penetrating eye Of her ia
ther fixed upon her, as if he would read
her very SOUL. aud SO often she would
shrink from his gaze. lie was the last
person she would have been willing 20
have known her unhappinesss. Often too,
did she meet the plying look of her moth
err while she was decking the altar on
which her victim was to be consumed
The great wealth that was about to
come into the family of Mrs FIemmlng.
seemed, for the present, to silence her cred
ltors; and the promises of immediate pay.
ment, on the marriage of her daughter, to
keep them STILL She was not, therefore,
constantly trembling every time she heard
the bell ring, fearing it might be some one
that would reveal the whole truth to her
husband. And yet, her unhappiness and
anxiety had so impaired her health, that
she looked like one who had just risen
from sick bed. If anything in this
hour of trial could have afforded satisfac-
ton to Catherine, it was the thought, as
she gazed upon the pale face of her moth
err, that the sacrifice she was about TO
make, might restore peace to her mind,
and animation to her countenance.
Mr. Davenport had been absent two
weeks and yet Catherine had received no
intelligence from him. AT the expiration
Of the third week the marriage was ex-
pected to take place. 1t did not seem
possible for her to fulfil her engagement
until she heard from him. This was the
last request and she desired it might be
gratifed, and yet she knew that any dis
position on her part to postpone the we'd