The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1847-12-21

childhood, the ralnbOw-llghted period OF life
was to her clouded and joyless. Her father
stern and morose, secluded her from playmate
of her own age-her mother seldom greetin,
her with word of affection or a smile of en-
couragement-her caresses met by both witt
GOODNESS; any all the winning graces of child
hood frowned down with disfavor Her edu
cation, however, went on as though her frame
were formed of iron. There was a stiff gov
erness. whose cold gray eye was ever on her
to watch that she did not oll in sitting or stool
in walking-that her toes turned out and he
elbows turned in-that she neither spoiled hel
mouth by laughing Qittle dangerD nor hel
eyes by crying. Then came the music master
with commands for six hours daily practice fol
those little fngers-and the dancing-master
saying "Ma'amsclie, you must be very gay
you cannot never learn de dance ven you dc
look so vat you call tat-i-sued," Then came
the drawing master, and the professor of Ian
guages; nor were these all to which her mind
was tasked, for besides, were those branches
which her governeSs professed to teach-he1
govcrness, Miss Pinchcm, with whom in COM
parison AIisa Blimber of Blimber Hall would
have shrunk into insignifcance
Poor Little Louisa
She would sometimes wonder if the little
children she read of in TIM Bible had to learn
all such things to make them good-for Miss
Pinchem was great on goodness always be-
ginning and ending her celebrations with,
Now, Miss Louisa, you must be good, and not
raise YOUR eyes from your book"-"You must
play tina: tune with more scientific grace, Miss
Louisa, or you will not be gO0d"-"You must
turn out your toes if you want to be gOOd'-
''You will never be good if you don't pro-
nounce better in short there was a great
deal of goodness on Miss Pinchem's wiry tongue
let people say what they would, and tho Lou
lisa often wondered ,chat made Mss Pinchem
gOod."'
No sooner had Mr. Oakly accomplished his
object in Kidding his sight Of the poor defor-
med than he wonld fain have held himself ex-
cused from all obligations to the widow-but
he dare not act out his wishes, fearful in such
cases that she would claim her own, and thus
betray his disgraceful secret. When he re-
ccived Mrs. Oakley's letter, informing him of
her intended marriage, his apprehensions were
anew awakened. Could it be possible she
would keep the secret from her husband
Doubtless she would scorn the imputation that
Agatha wa; her own offspring, and thus to
o thorny pillow was that Mr.. Oakly pres
the pale corpse of his injured brother rise up
before him, and even in its feshless arms it
bore the shrunken form of Agatha But as
month after month rolled on, swelling finally
to years, and hearing nothing further from the
late Mrs. Oakly, he felt more at ease, so much
so that he entirely forgot her request relative
to the future advantage Of his discharged
child; an oversight very natural to such a
man
Louisa reached her seventeenth year, and
as the bud gave promise so proved the flower,
beautiful and lovely Mr. Oakly was really
proud of this He mentally contrasted her
light elegant figure with the probable appear
ancc of Agatha, and congratulated himself
that he had not to bear about the shame of ac-
knowedgeing the latter Still, he did not lore
Louisa strange that he had almost hated her
for possessing those very attributes of loneliness
for which he had preferred her above his own
offspring
When Louisa emerged from the seclusion
of the school-room to the brilliant circles Of
fashion. she was caressed, fattered, adored.
Wealth and beauty tripping hand in hand sell
dom fail to win favor, and brought thfong of
admirers to the feet of the heiress, who, how
ever, did not seem easily moved; and many
were the srlitors TO her hand who met with a
kind but firm refusal But, beware, Louisa,
YOUR affections will be held by your tyrant IA
Their Just us much enslaved as your person; and
now, woe to YOU, should they centre where he
does notapprove.
Moonlight, golden, twinkling stars, fragrant
zephyrs, sweet from the lip Of the lily soft mu-
sic from tinkling leaves, a mur1nur from rip
al civ, hl,orx
slowly along the path tresclated by the NOON
beams, which CLINT through the leaty curtains,
Louisa is staying-but not alOne.A youth is by
her side, one whose arm her own encircles,
who clasps her willing hand in his; one whose
whispers are of love, and to whom her own
voice, gentle and low, speaks of hope and hap
pineSs in return.
All foolish, foolish louisa what are you
thinking of? Only poor painter-and you
in love! True, he has talent, worth, grace,
refinement but-no money! And you, unfor-
tunate youth, why did you love this unfortu-
nate maiden. Know you not that man Of
heartlessness and pride, her father, would glad
" crush YOU to the earth for lifting your eyes
heavenward to his daughter; that he would
sonner buy her winding sheet than that she
should don her wedding robe for thee. And
vet, even now, closer are you rivetlng the
chain, drawing heart to heart, which no hand
but death can loose.
1t was die second summer after Louisa's IN
itiation into the gay world that the Oakly fam
ily were once more assembled at Oak Villa,
their annual resort during the warm months of
July and August. With no taste for reading,
a mind not attuned for meditation, and the
ouarrelousness of an ungrateful old age gradu-
ally stealing upon him, Mr.. Oakly found the
time drag most YEARLY on amid those quiet
groves. In his extremity an idea suddenly
flashed across his MUD, which he eagerly
caught at, as it promised to relieve somewhat
ofthat tedious vacuum between those hours
when such man and happiness may alone be
said to look each other in the face: viz, the
hour of meales-and this was to summon an ar
list to the villa, for the purpose of decorating
the walls of the saloon with the portraits OF Its
inmates. He had not thought oft before, but,
quite luckily. it now occurred to him that he
had the address of Young artist in his pocket,