Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-09-02
BY ELLEN wARBURToN.


curtains we're drawn around them. How could |
they think of sleep when rich music was poured
forth in many gay saloon, and the flashing OF
numberess lamps seemed to vie with the bril-
fancy of the stars abovel Twas the hour for
mirth and gaiety. Who could be weary when |
the music Of happy voices, and the tripping OF
light feet in the dance, lent their aid to the en-
chantment of the hour? A brilliant evening
was this in the gay saloons Of Saratoga. The |
well-nigh suifocating heat Of a sultry day in Jul
ly had yielded to the influence of the cool breeze |
and gentle dews of evening" and those who had
dropped like fading flowers under the languld |
influence of the day, now seemed revlvifed by |
the change of the temperature. A more brill |
liant company than that which graced the saloons
of the United States hotel that evening, is rarely
assembled, They were gathered there from va
rlous parts of the Union. The fair blondes Of
the north We'd with the dark-eyed daughters Of
the sunny south, while blended, as in one broth
erhood, were those whose homes were scattered
here and there, from the Atlantic to the Misss-
sippi. Wealth. genius and talent had their vo-
taries there, and forgetful Of local distinctions,
all joined in the same object, the pursuit Of plea
sure.
Seated on an ottoman near an open window,
was a lady Of striking Leauty, while gentleman
stood leaning upon an open window recess by
her side, and bending over her in earnest con-
versation A shadow of evident dissatisfaction
clouded his fine countenance, which deepened
as the following conversation ensued,
And now, lady WlllulI, you shall listen to
my opinion Of your charming self You are
beautiful as Houri, graceful as a Peri, lascn-
ating as venus, intellectual as Minerva and yet
there is one trait Of your character which forbds
men of sense to love or respect you. You are
heartess coquete.'
Admirable, Sir Fretful Pray tell me how
can duly express my gratitude for your high es-
tlmation of my worth, prelaced as it was by a
compliment glowing enough to have turned the
heads of score of boarding school girls |
trust, however, that after the artillery of your
displeasure has been so fully discharged you
will retain your present position with less COM
Functions of conscience than before. My only
wonder is that you should have wasted your
brilliant powers of pleasing upon such an insig-
nIfcant object as myself, and then given as your
finale, such an effort of vengeance
And so you are disappointed not to receive
the usual tribute to your vanity, which has been
fostered until it has nearly ruined one of the no
best works Of heaven. [ might have known
that one who had so long fed upon sickening
adullation would turn in disgust from truth
that vanity was inseparable from the nature of a
regnng bell as thorns are from a rose, and that
no womans mind could rise above the homage
rendered to her beauty by the vain and trihing
of our sex. You are so accustomed to subdue
our hearts into humble worship of your attrac-
tons, and even of your faults, that you look up
on one who refuses to yield this homage, as an
anomaly in nature, or revoIted SUBJECT
Gently, gently, Sir Philosopher; l am far
from deporing the absence of your alteration,
and feel highly hattered that have drawn one
of your temperament into such display of ora
tory with no other subject than myself You
admit that nature has been liberal of her gifts to
me, but that they have been perverted by faulty
education. cannot say much for your gaantry
nor very much for your penetration, but will
give you credit for an unusual degree of frank
ness
"A truce to this badinage, said Henry Percy
tor this was the name Of the speaker. 'The
years that have passed since we parted ought moi
so thoroughly to have estranged u.s. We have
met for the last few days as if we had hereto
fore been strangers, and have been so disap
pointed in your appearance that perhaps | have
spoken too hlrshIy. But let me tell you, in thu
same spirit in which | have ever reproved YOU
childish foes, that you are planting thorns tc
wound you in after life, and that so long as you
have no ambition above this contemplate wish
OF subdung all hearts to worship your beauty o,
your briliancy, you will leave the richest gift,
of heaven to wither for want of culture The
brightest jewel Of woman's estate, the warm af
tectons OF her nature will be subdued anC
crushed beneath the growth of overwhelming
vanity, and the wealth of genius desecrated anc
poured out wastefulIy in an inordnate desire tt
please the heartless multitude. When lel
you, three years ago, you were warm-heared
though somewhat Maynard girl, and dreame,
that with coming years | should see you all tina
is beautiful or loveabe in woman Time ha
flown and perfected the loneliness of form an
feature of which your childhood gave such rar
promise. Your mind is stored with rich an,
varied lore, but your heart is dark, frigd ant
desolate as the night Of polar regions
shadow fitted over the face of the prou,
beauty, she answered nothing, but turned ava
aud mingled with gayer circle, leaving he
companion to his musings.
We will leave the group for few minutes
kind reader and introduce some of the princi
pal personages who will appear in our tale
Laura Gray, our heroine, was the orphan nice
of Mrs Percy, who had been adopted by hel
and was, at the time our tale commences, wit
her and her son on visit to Saratoga. 1t wa
as we have before said, in the very midst of tn
gay season, and the United States Hotel wa
thronged with the choice spirits of the Union
Among others, Henry Percy, his mother, an
L.lnra GraV ware not 1ha l..