Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1845-06-13
MISCELLANEOUS.
THE AWAKENED HEART.

My schoolmate, Lizzie L., was one of those gay,
thoughtless, high-hearted beings, whom everybody
likes, but who rarely awaken deep and abiding
interest in ones heart. Before can truly love
our companions we must have wept well as
laughed with them they must have called forth the
hidden sympathies of our nature; we must share
their sorrows no less than their joys and this is MS
true in childhood as in later life. Now, Lizzie's
heart was always so full of joyousness that those
Of a less gladstone temper were often oppressed
and overpowered by her gayety. Her susceptible
it, to outward impressions was so great, that it
gave her the semblance not only of fckleness. but
even of insincerty; and they who sounded the
depths and shadows of her grlish character found
no anchorage ground for their faith. Her parents
had died when she was little more than an infant,
and Lizzie would have been thrown upon the cold
charity of the world, had it not been for the kind
ness of a gentleman who had been her fathers boz
som friend from hoyhood. He took the child to
his house, and placing her under the charge of
sister, who presided over his bachelors household
avowed his determination to protect and provide
for the orphan. Had Lizzie been oldec when these
circumstances occurred, a sense OF gratitude might
have given more depth to her feelings, but the eff
feet now was rather an injurious one, since it eX
onerated her from those claims of tenderness which
natur lily spring up in the relation between parent
and child. She had no ties of blood TO any living
creature and as the unbroken prosperity of her
benefactors deprived her of all opportunity of max
ing those daily sef-sacrifces which, under other
circumstances, her gratitude might have suggest
cd, she grew up towards womanhood without hav-
ing one deep emotion awakened in her BOSOM
Gentle, sweet-tempered and joyous, she yet seemed
totally deficient III the power of earnest feeling
She resemblcd one of those beautiful Chinese
drawings, where bird and flowers and butterfly are
delicately drawn and exquitely colored, but where
the total absence of all shadows so fatigues the
eye that it gladly turns to some less Respondent
and more softly-tinted picture.
After leaving school lost sight of Lizzie for
about two years, when met her at fashion
ale watering place, attended by her guardian
and his sister. Mr.. Weldon was one of those
we'll preserved specimens Of manly beauty, which
seems to defy all attempts at verifying dates.
A stranger might have thought him somewhere
about ve-and-thrty, while those who remembered
his face about town for the last twenty years, knew
that he must be much older Yet the absence OF
all those daily cares, which wear so much upon
the physical frame, had enabled him to retain much
of his youthuness of appearance, while judi
cous use OF the convenient appliance Of art, cna-
bled him to supply the ravages of time. He was
handsome in person, grave and dignified in man.
ners atfuent In his circumstances, liberal and good
natured in disposition, and remarkable for nothing
50 much as his tendency for abstract speculations
and his fondness for books, which he devoured witt
voracity that efectualy prevented all healthy di
gestion Of their contents. Naturally studious il
his habits, his large patrimony had lett him withou
motive for active eXertion and his veneraton TO
true genius led him to despise the temporary repu
tation of popular authorship. lie had, therefore
given himself up to the pleasure Of literary idle
ness, and contened himself with enjoying the fruit
of other mems labor, without putting forth his ham
to scatter the seed which might have grown up in
to q stately tree, for the overshadowing of SOM
future wayfarer in the rugged path of learning.
His sister, Miss Weldon, was real old-schoo
spinster TALL thin and as upright as if her bac
had never been allowed to repose its perpendcu
arity during the last half century, with face O
decided uginess, but full of benevolent expression
she was as rigid and unbending in character as sh
seemed in person. Extremely exactng in small
matters, but remarkably liberal in all importan
ones, she would reprimand servant with excessive
severity for neglecting to brush away cobweb
while she would exercise the utmost charity towar
moral falling In short, she was one of thos
persons who so often shock our instructive sense q
justice, that their opinions become at length of lit
tie importance, and their influence is rather injuri
Gus than beneficial to those of more impulsve char
acter.
Lizzie had grown up very beautiful, but her in
fantile expression Of countenance had gained II
shadow from the impending duties of womanhood
and it was easy to perceive that the hgh-heartcd
ness which characterized her early days, still
her prevailing trait Her cheek was as round an,
rosy, her lips as bright her blue eyes as full Of