Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1847-10-08
COMMUNICATIONS.
For the Wilmington Journal"
TO r. Il. F., ESQ,

Love is a SInOkG EdlScu VIII Iuu'O Va 0A6~~t
Being purged, fire spark ing ia lovers eyes,
Being vexed, a sea nourshed with lovers tearsS
What is il else a madness most discreet,
A choking gall and preserving sweet
SHAKsPEAnE.
IT was on a soft sunny morning in the
genial month of May" that as we strolled
leisurely down the main road on our way 10
the little village of Cordova, my guide touched
me upon the arm, and at the came time point
ed to an old cite near by, which seemeq 10 Oe
the mouldeTing relics of an old town Ane"
his meaning, and | was always iona OF
Witnessing new scenes, ana learning SAahse
characters, | accompanied MIN. he had oeeh
nv constant companion since the tlme Visl-
ted that part of Spain, and as | had discover |
cd that his mind was well stored with many
strange wonders of legendary lore, | found
him Jy no means unnterestlng-hls CONVEX
saton being profusely lnterspersed with events
of marvel GUS and strange story.
But although he had long since past the
merylian of lie, and had, in a great degree,
Lost the vigor of manhood, yet 1.-THE dreary win
ter of old age had not entirely damped the ar
doroof his earlier days, for he seemed to pos
SCSS ll olIIp lC clISllC vi pCCulIol " ~ AH 49,
humor with which he always ingeniOusly
managed to beguile the dull hours OF languor
and fatigue.
We struck off into by-path that led to the
old ruin, and as silently followed his tOtter-
ing footsteps, watching his long locks as they
odangled over his neck and floated in ring
let beauty around his aged form, " | begun
10 muse upon past scenes and early friends
on those who were distant. and those who
were dead and indulg Ill that kind OF mel
anchOlv, fancying which has in it something
swpeter even than pleasure" All indeed IS
vanity, thought |, as beheld my old guide,
who had already well nigh reached the out
side limit OF human existence, and yet with
eager grasp he still clings fondly to the pal
try pleasures of life. A few more short years
and in all probability that head, which is now
so venerably marked with the silvery traces
Of departed years, will sink down to the dust
and the last living chronicle of this old pile
from which the careless traveller might CLEAN
an interesting item, will moulder into the ash
es of Oblivion. Thus far we continued our
course in silence, and few moments longer
would have buried me in dream OF qulet re-
very had not the old man begun TO murmur
his oft told narrative of the old town.
He said it was a sacred spot in the annals
OF old Spanish record, and had gained kind
of Immortality from the facts that the causes
of its downfall were not only supposed to have
come from the agency of some supernatural
hand but that they were placed beyond the
reach of human recollection, and had even
faded from the pages of history. The melan-
ChOly incidents with which he favored his
little narrative excited my interest, and lis
tened TO him with degree of attention until
was almost overcome by that painful sting
of sad reflection which one is so apt 10 feel
when visiting the antique ruins of those ages
which have been long buried beneath the
wave of time, and treading the silent walks
of an old grave-y yard where no one had been
inferred for SO many years that the ghosts OF
the dead and even the memory of friendship
had long since fOrsaken it.
We soon reached the old cathedral, large
graniteobuilding, and the only one that retain
ed much OF its original form. 1t was a beau
tiful scenery. The bright charms that nature
had spread in sllvan beauty around the old ru-
in, with the myriads of little wild flowers that
clustered up through the green sward, gave il
an air of simplicity and rural quiet, and made
1t more solitary, as it stood buried alone in the
centre Of thick wood that skirted the Dor.
ders of the Gaudalquiver, while in tranquil
bCdulS II SCuLJ (uIf ca ITO DCIiuIllS UdHhSs dIlu
slowly wound it's way like stream of liquid
silver trolling on in solemn silence to the
ocean,"
We sauntered about this sequestered spot
coming the various inscriptions upon the old
tomb stones, and thus whiled away severa
hours, when, as we were about to depart, the
old Spanard drew my attention, with short
though thrilling story, connected with large
tomb which he pointed out near one of the
portals of the old building, in which young
couple were buried who died shortly afel
their marriage
1t was story Of love and romance, and
discovered, from the many little appendage:
that lay scattered around it, that it had beer
made the object of interest and curiosity
Several wild vines had grown up and had mat
ted over ii with profuse foliage, while her
and there might be seen a whitening garlanc
and sprig of dry myrtle and ivy. Thes
were the fading monuments that had been pill
ed there with the tender care of girlish sim
plicity, to single from the Wondering many
and raise above the crumbling ruins of neglect
that Which they thought deserved to be pro
lOnged, al leastin the memory of the young
And indeed | have often observed, that Their
is nothing so apt to touch the heart of youn
female as the story of love or wounded affec
ton; they are themes that cannot fail to reac1
her observation, and when they do. the
arouse, at once, all the ardor of her nature in
TO feelings OF the most deep and fervent syn,
pathy. If she loves, it is with the most cal
nest and watchful soIicitude that she guard
the object of her affections, and should he
heart be robbed of its idol, O! how bitter tn
tears that are shed DER the ruins of her peace
! saw many entabIaturcs upon which tn
hand of art had vainly lavished all its skill t
mark some spot where affection had once lin
gered, but there were none that reached S
deeply into my soul as the perishing little rel
les that innocence and beauty had strewn d
round this tomb.
In few simple words my old companio
related the whole story. 1t was strange, an
one that is not often told
lnez, he began was lovely girl, she wa
the pride and only child of her father, and ha
7een brought up at home in the simplicity
rural lte. He watched over her young SCI
win the tender soIicitude of a fathers affe,
u"h; and only sought to make her worthy
tne hlgh and noble name thai she had inheri
Ell from proud and iustrious ancestry. A
she was naturally gay and fond of all mirt
and innocent merry making, she was not III
frequently led into the haunts Of nomn ar
pleasure; and even there, aIthouqh she h.,
scarcely passed the years of her chidhooI
her dawning beauty, and the fragile loyelne.
81 her graceful form, rendered her the unr
vailed object of universal admiration
She had many admirers, but none succeed
IN UalOlDO her aHonfiOpe hat Ante CGcl