The Columbian fountain., 1846-09-09
Rev. J. L. WARD, Assistant Editor.
PRICE ONE CENT.

ona painting fancy sketch it seemed
aportrait Of female. Oh! how my soul
lsaped with electric spring, 10 see with bod
| lily eyes that phantom which had hoated
for dreamy years before my souls vision.
II was the thinning Of my own ideal beau
ty, and for happy hours ] gazed in I'rapt
admiration upon the angelic features, fancy
ing that but step, and could enfold in
passionate embrace that embodied beauty,
which only now had beamed before my
eyes 80 but then the encfiantment passed,
andI knew thatI was gazing on a piece Of
lIfeless cloth. Alas. my soul felt sick
Melancholy, ] turned away, to pine in
hopelessness, conscious that no living be-
ing, with features, oh, so fair so beautiful
SO full Of matchless Intellectual loveliness
would beam upon my path, and light up
the dim and dusty halls of my sad heart
! turned away IN sorrow, with my head
and heart bown, when 10 one seized me
by the hand, and reused me from my
thoughts. ! looked at him with vague
enquiry upon my countenance as to his
meaning. i'eHush, hush!v he family whis-
pered, and drew me back to the almost spea-
king canvass, and pointed 10 scarcely per
cepiilble name traced on its margin, over
looked by me in my idolizing gaze, read
'-("Julia Courtland." )-my souls idea
possessed a name! II was not, than, the
mere creation Of an imagination tinged,
like my own, with wild dreams of beauty,
but copy from nature; the being had lived
perhaps she sPILL existed. My eyes
spoke thus, andon answer the artist said:
"She lives---bai oh, how changed Five
years .agone, 1 revelled day by day in trac-
ing this faint ,portraiture Of the lovely Ju-
La, but now 80 - heard no more-I
rushed wildly out-my brain on fire, nv
heart leaping with The new born hope, which
now, like . Gagged eagle, beat against my
hearts throbbing bars the hope that per-
hapa Tyet might behold her, might win,
might claim her as my wn!--oh, God
what vain fool isa poor, visionary mortal,
whose food isshope !os5, al te5 .L.H
! ! found myself within deep of shady
wood----my frame pale and exhausted, lean
ing against tree. There was low plant
Of a love-sick bird which fell upon my ear,
recalling by its plaintiveness the thoughts
whose very excess had caused my tempor-
airy insanity. With faint moan, i sunk
upon the sward, exhausted and unconscious
--who can tell to what region the spirit flies
when in a, trance Of exhausted nature, it
leaves the forgotten body far behind, and
and floats, like a cloud "prism- hued, y in
The blue expanse, perhaps to hold short
coloquy with its kindred spirits of the
viewless cline Perhaps, in sorrow, it
hovers nigh its pallid tenement Of clay,
bending in anxious solitude over the insen-
safe body, until the life blood, permeating
the throbless veins, warns it to It's station,
and----------I revived. The mellow moon
was casting few softened rays upon my
face !; and gazing down in sympathy were
two. dark eyes, beaming from face whose
every line was writ by passion passion,
deep, and deadly, that stood out in bas-re-
lief upon his otherwise handsome counten-
ance. He was tall and from his appearance
had been well-formed, though dissipation
was fast obliterating every trace Of fine shape
and gentle breeding. 1t was a strange feel
ing that his sudden apparition at that time
created in my breast; for felt the need of
solitude; but perhaps it was best as it was.
| could not speak but raising my exhaust
ed body, ] sat beneath the tree, and turned
my eyes enquiringly up to his. He under
stood me, and replied: 81 found you, sir,
lying beneath the tree, as suppose asleep,
ard would not disturb you but as was
about to depart, you awoke.n My voice
came to me, and in answer, told him had
not been asleep but had swooned. His face
Instantly assumed an expression of interest;
and taking seat by my side, he question
ed me as to the cause. There was that in
his manner which won upon me; so, sooth-
ed by the quiet gentleness Of the night, and
weary of nursing the thoughts which prey
ed so heavily upon my spirits---thoughts
which, like the. pent-up torrent, were heav-
ing and swelling to burst unrestrained-I
told him ofsmy passion, and the why had
fled TO this wood.
To be continued