American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-07-06
From Morris National Press.
THE RETRIBUTION.
BY ELIZA s. PRATT

ais all said?" inquired Eugene Reybun.
".4Hr' replied Margaret.
"TAen adieu forever, and may heaven for
rive you as do!'' and the young man uttered
hese words, drew his hat over his eyes, and
with flushed brow and burning cheek, rush
I'D from the apartment. But his foot was yet
upon the threshold and his hand upon the
door lock- when low, scarcely heard voice
ELL upon his ear, yet so deep and passionate
hat he stopped as if spell-bound to the place
Stay! Eugene; there is yet one condition on
which my hand is yours; on which have not,
hnd burst not name to you, yet-perhaps you
can bear it now; and the blue eyes of the young
yirl were raised 10 his with an expression not
4 easy to define, combining, as it did, both, sub
Lefty and frankness, passion, perhaps inditfer-
bnce.
The youth re-closed the door, and drew near
The beautiful speaker-beautiiul she was, if
Utmost perfect features and fautless form
combined can constitute beauty-and listened
" it'll parted lips, and dilating eye, as she went
on.
"You do not know, perhaps, what it is to
FELL as | do, thirst for power-a desire com
bined with the very essence of your. being, and
growing up, from day to day, till it has become
b mighty and unconquerable passion, terrible
thirst, to which every thing else is as nothing;
& you do not know, perhaps, what # is to look
upon your fellow men-those who now in their
might look down upon you-and to feel that
you must, and will have dominion over them,
fto know that the day shall come, in which those
who now tower above you, shall crnge and
a fawn at your feet-fawn for the least favors
that now they dare deny you;you know not this,
perhaps" (and the colour sank gradually from
the cheek of the girl, leaving it of an ashy
paleness as she went on,) "but | have known
it, and felt it from my earliest childhood
Ever since have known what it was to think
or feel, | have thirsted for dominion over
others, and have felt that the time would come,
knew not when, or how, that this passion OF
nv life would find its reality. The hopes grew
to palpabiIity; and now, | ask, must this pas
sion have nurtured from infancy, be crushed
forever"
The youth recoied from her touch, as in the
IS eloquence of the moment she approached him,
and laid her slender fingers upon his arm, and
his eyes, for perhaps the first time in his life,
s dropped beneath the almost burning gaze OF her
whom he had so loved, while a slight culver
crept over his frame as he replied.
600 OIL do not as yet perfectly comPre-
bend you.n
"No. you cannot; but know you not that
woman seldom arrives at this power, unless
through another"
"Ha!" he exclaimed, drawing pace back
ward and shading his brow with his hand, che
whom you marry, then, must possess this
power-this talsman of might is it sol"
''You have rightly divined-he must have
it, in some way or other, or he can never fully
possess my heart.'
"And you have called me, Margaret, to tell
me this, to put new and unconquerable bar
rier between US. Why did you not suffer me
to leave the house and you forever, without
this new burden upon my heart.
"I called you, Eugene, to give you hope; the
only hope could give you-and to show you
the way to the realization of your dreams Ge
possession of this tallsman-be above Others
and am yours, heart and hand, forever!" anc
as she ceased speaking, she threw herself INTO
.faateauI, and calmly watched the effect OF th
dangerous revelation.
There was long pause, i'll which strang'
variety of emotions were futtering in thu
breast of Eugene Reyburn. If ever man loved
purely, and deeply, he had loved the girl be
fore him; but until now he had not penetrated
her real character, nor would he have believed
than an exterior so gentle could conceal poi
sons Of SO deep nature. But the charm hat
not been broken, nor lessened perhaps, though
it was changed in haracter-though he say
something to dread, he still worshipped.
eThis power is rarely given to men," SAT-
he, at length slowly raising his eyes, with
deep sigh-''the mighty of cath are but feV
and far between. Genius may claim domin
ion, and talent, and learning, honor; but
Margaret, have neither of these, you wei
know, and may never hope for either.-Wh
tantalize me thus?"
81 would not tantalize you, Eagene, but
would give you hope. Is there, then, no tails
man 10 which men bow, even mlghtier thai
genius"
A sudden light flashed from the eye of tn
young man, as he recoiled beneath her gaze
while his fingers were clenched convulsivel
together.
"Gold!" exclaimed he, in deep passionat
tone. "Gold!"
For an instant Eugene held his breath, an
the very blood seemed clrdling about his hear
but the next, he drew his cloak ughtl
around him and rushed from the house.
With feverish impotence, the youth hurr
ed homeward over the pavement. Strang
thoughts were in his heart; new hopes and ne'
desires were holding unbidden councils there
vet he crushed them within him, or strove to
so; but the word 'tgold' seemed forever ringin
in his ears He was what the world woul
term "mora and upright YOUTH" conscier
tious in all his dealings with others, and, unit
this moment, had put no value upon money
farther than it was necessary to the comforts
or perhaps luxuries of life. But now it sudden
ly possessed new value in his eyes. The Il
gc, and passion Of Margaret, were like slsctr