Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1847-09-02

If there is any act which deserves deep and
bitter condemnation, il is that Of trifiing with
the inestimable gift of woman's Affection
The female heart may be compared TO deli
cate harp, over which the breathing Of earlier
affections wander, until each tender chord is
awakened TO tones OF ipefable sweetness. 1t
is the music Of the soul which is thus called
forth--a music sweeter than the fall Of foun-
tains of the Hour in the Moslem's Paradise.
Blu. wo for the de.icate fashioning ofthat harp,
if chain pass over the love which first called
forth its hidden harmonies. Let neglect and
cold unkndness sweep over its delicate strings,
and they break one after another-slowly per
haps, but surely. Unvisited and unrequied
by the light Of love, the soul like melody will
be hushed in the stricken bosom--like the
mysterious harmony of statute, before the com
ing Of the sunrise | have been wandering a.
mong the graves. love at all times TO do So
feel melancholy not unailied TO pleasure in
communicating with the resting place of those
who have gone before me-to 60 forth among
the thronged tombstones rising from every
grassy unduation like ghosty sen,inels of the
departed. And when kneel above the mar
row mansion of one whom have known and
loved in life, feel a strange assurance that the
spirit of sleeper is near me--a viewless and
phy, which has found its way nnsought for
and mysterously into the silence ofmy hear, ;
and If it only be dream--the unreal image
OF faney---pray God that may never wake
from die beautiful llusior
| have this evening been by the grave OF
Emily. Ii is plain white tombstone, half
hidden by the flowers. and you may read its
epaph, in the clear moonlight, which falls
upon it like the smiles of an angel, through
the opening in the dropping branches. Emf
ly was beaulifui-the iairest Of village maid
ems. | think | see her now, as she looked
when the loved one---ihe idol Of her affections
approached with his smile of conscious tri-
umph and love. She had seen but eighteen
summers, and her whole being seemed woven
of the dream of her first passion. The object
of her love was proud and wayward being,
whose naughty spirit never relaxed from its
habitual sternness, save when he found him
self in the presence OF the young and beauti-
full creature, who had trusted her all on the
overture of her vow," and who loved him
with all the earnestness of a pure and devoted
heart Nature had not deprived him Of the
advantage ofoutward grace and beauty; and
il was the abiding CONSCIOUSNESS OF tins, which
gave TO his intercourse with society charac
ter of pride and sternness. He felt himself in
some degree removed from his fellow men by
partial fashioning OF human nature; and he
scorned TO see near affinity. His mind was
of an exalted bearing. and prodigal of beauty.
The flowers OF poetry Were IN his Imagination
a perpetual blossoming and 1t was 10 This in
teilectual bounty that Emily knelt down
bowling 10 the altar of her ldol-the flower of
her ailection--even as the dark eyed daugh-
tiers of the ancient Gheber spread out their Of
fering from the rich Gardens oil the east upon
the altar of the sun.
There is a surprising strength in love like
that of Emily Sit hath nothing gross nor
low, nor earthly, IN It's aspiring. IL has It's
source in the deeper fountains OF the human
heart-and as such as the redeemed and sane
titled for the earth might feel lo- one another
in the farland ofspirits. Alas that such love
should be unrequited, or turn back in GOODNESS
or darkness upon the crushed heart ofns gIyer.
They parted-Emily and her lover; but
not before they had vowed eternal constancy
to each other The one retired to the quiet OF
her home--to dream over again the scenes of
her early passion. 10 count with untring Gag
eness the hours of separation; and TO weep
over the long interval of ''hope deierred.f--
The other went out with strong heart TO min
gle with the world, girded with pride and i'm
PEELED forward by ambition. lie found the
world cold, and callous, and selfish his own
spirit insensibly took the hue of those around
him. He shut his eyes upon the past; it was
too pure and mildly beautiful for the sterner
gaze of his manhood. He forgot the passion
OF his boyhood. all beautiful and lovely as it
was; he turned not back to the young, and
lovely, and devoted girl, who has poured out
to him, in the confding earnestness OF woman's
confidence, the wealth of her affection. He
came not back to fulfil the vow which he had
plghted.
Slowly and painfully the knowledge of her
lovers iniidelity came over the sensitive heart
Of Emily. She sought for lime 10 shut out
the horrible suspicion from her mind, She
half doubted the evidences Of her own senses
she could not believe that he was traitor
for her memory had treasured every token
of affection. every imprisoned word and ev-
ery endearing smile OF his tenderness. But
the truth came at last; the doubtful scepue
which had long haunted her and from which /,
she had turned away, as ifitwere sin TO look |
upon it, now stood before her, dreadful and |
vision of reality. There was one
burst Of passionate tears, an overthrow of that I
fountain Of affection which qucnches the last !
ray of hope in the desolate bosom and she |
was calm; for the struggle was over, and she |
gazed steadily with awful confidence, as one |
whose hopes are not of earth, upon the dark |
valley OF death, whose shadow was around
her.
IT was a beautiful evening Of summer, that