The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-10-27

oil rank. gained her yonng affections. She toe
cIeduousiy trusted in his unhallowed professions
Inc erdor OF hrst love overcame her better judy.
ment, and abandoning herself Ia her love- passion,
she made an imprudeni escape from the protection
OF her parents, and soon fund herself in elegan,
apartments near the city oi Edinhurg. The sung
OF neglected Tannahill was Ia his Jessie bath a
glory and a curse while il b brought her into notice
and enhanced her beauty. il laid the foundation
OF her hnal destruction. Popularity is a DANGER
Gus elevation, whether the object of { he a pea
SAINT or a prince temptations crowd around il. and
snares are laid ON every hand. "Who would he
eminent" said a distinguished child az populari
~, IT they knew the peril. the madness. and
distraction of mind to which the creature of the
popular breath is exposed 2'
When the poet heard of the fate of his beloved
Jessie, his heart almost burst with mental agony,
and. working himself into the enthusiastic frenzy
OF inspiration, poured forth a torrent of SONG more
glowing and energetic than ever before dropped in
burning accents from his ,onguer II is to be
lamented. that In a 1t of disgust, he afterwards
destroyed those poetic records of his passion and
his resentment. Ere three years had revolved
their triple circnit after Jessie left her fathers
home. she was a changed woman. Her paramount
had forsaken her. She was destitute in her
splendid habiiation. Her blue eyes looked pitifnl
on all things around her the oval cheeks were
indenied by the hand Of misery. and the face and
person presented the picture Of an unhappy, hut
amiabIe being. How changed was the 6unre
clothed in silk, which moved on the banks of the
Forth. from the happy. lively girl in Dumblane,
dressed in the rustic garb Of a peasant! But this
is a subject too painful to dwell on let us hasten
30 the catastrophe. 1t was on an afternoon in
Jnly, a beautiful, sunny afternuon-ihe air was
calm and pure. The twin islands of the Forth,
like vast emeralds set in a lake of silver. rose
splendidly over the shining water. which now and
then gurgled and manlled round their bases
Fifeshire was spread forii, like a map, her hun
dreds OF inland villages and cots tranquility sleep.
ing IN the sunshine. The din of the artisans
hammers in Kirkaldy and Queensferry slno,e the
still air and Dumfermline's aproned inhabitants
scattered forth their whitened webs beneath the
noontide sun. On the opposite shore, Leilh dis
gorged her black smoke, which rolled slowly in
volumes TO the sea. Edinburg castle, like a
mighty spirit from the : vastly Deep reared her
grey oulwarks high in air and Arthur's seat rose
hugely and darkly in the back ground. The
chorusses of the fishermen, like hymns To the
great spirit of the waters, assembled over New
haven and down from Grangemuuth, lightly
booming over the tide, hoated the tall bark. The
world seemed STEPPED in happiness. But there
was one-a wandering one, an cast-wret
and despairing. amid all its loveliuess ; her bnsom
was cold and dark. no ray could penetrate lis
depths the sun shone not for her, nor did nature
o"'' "'o"'u W ihIict a more exquisite pang
on the unfortunate. Her steps were broken and
hurried. She now approached the waters edge,
and then receded. No human creature was near
TO disturb her pnrpose-all was qnieinde and
privacy; hut there was an eye from above who
who watched all. Jessie Monteith-how mourn.
fully sounds that name at such a crisis! Blu,
Jessie sat herself down. and, removing a shaw
ana bonnet from her person, and taking a string
OF pearl from her marble seeming neck, and a gold
ring, which she kissed eagerly, from her taper
hnger, she cast up her streaming eyes, meekiy
lmPiorIng the forgiveness of Heaven on him, the
cause of her shame and death. Scarce offering a
prayer for herself, she hreathed forth the names
of her disconsolate parents, and ere. the eye could
follow her, she disappeared in The pure slream.-
The sun shone on, the green Of the earth stirred
not a leaf; a bell did not toll nor did a SIGH
escape from the lips of one human being, and vet
the spirit Of the loveliest of women passed (may
we not hope y to Heaven.