Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-01-11

And all over the great city, luXuries were
laid out, as if the slaves of Aladdin's lamp
had been called upon for universal feast.
Door-bells rung servant men and maids,
answering them, received large packages
and small, all eloquent with compliments
and gifts.
Flies we're played drums were beaten,
trumpets made their loud alarum through
the nurseries of all homes, where baby-boys
played war with their new toys and Won
derful was the birth of waxen beauties, with
marvellous blue eyes-out of order soon
from constant usinr-whch made the hearts
of baby-girls bound with the embryo emo
tons of motherly JOY.
Some young ladies' hearts were dancing,
some trembling hopefully. Some young
mems hearts were delightfully."- calm aud
firm, some dreadfulIy undetermined by diff
fidence and doubt. But all had hope! ALL !
There was no rich table spread in the
close room called Corinne's home. No tot
lette received her thought-no gift came,
with IFS voice of love or friendly Interest,"
She listened to no footstep, for there was
none but would pass by. She waited for no
fond kiss, for the lips of brother and sister
in the wide worlds family were to her as if
they had been ofice they were deadly cold
to the stranger in the low dwelling
Alone upon the sea of life with no star
in the heaven of hope-no voice on the
dreary waste ofdeep, dark water, to soothe
to bear, compared to that dread poverty the
one object of her life. She freely gave her
youth and strength to it; but it made her
eye dim sometimes.
Her mother, beautiful but weak, had, az
ter her first wdowhood, been bought by an
old mans gold. The wealth which had
bribed her to forget the dead, was lost and
she soon after sank into languor of the
heart and mind, that made her childs life a
constant sacrifice.
I he husband, stunned by the fall from
affluence to poverty, and with no heart of
! youth to win back by patience his lost rich
es, became morose aud suilen, leaving to
his step-daughter the miserable effort to gain
their daily bread
Was this a home to break Young spirit
down. No comfort in her mothers smile,
| for there was scarce ray of reason in it
and the shadow of that old man, stranger
| as it were, ever on her hearth She must
| not leave her to die, him to starve, and
so she poured the wealth of her gifted in
tellect out lavishly for their sakes, coming
her lofty thoughts for food.
- n few months ago, they mad lived u, a
sunny land, land of poetry; had looked
upon landscape of vineyard, stream, aud
wood, which they could call their own. And
now they were the tenants of low, mean
dwelling, across the waters, over which they
had fled in pride and poverty. The mother
slckened with the change, and became as
helpless as a child but the old mans ma.
ture turned to hate, for the beautiful CORN
ne had been, nnocently, the ruin Of his
house.
A young Italian Count, wanting in al
thugs honorable, had offered the noble Cir
indlgnitles, which she resented so proudly,
with such calling contempt, that his evil ma
ture was excited almost to frenzy and he
determined to bring her down to poverty, il
not to shame. 1t was an important crisis
in the stcp-iather's affairs, when this bad
purpose was resolved upon; and It's accom-.
plishmenl brought bitter trial to the vrtu
Gus Cornne. The old man cursed her of
ten as the destroyer of his fortunes-tht
dark shadow upon his life.
al
up the hearth
: Before the noon of that New Years day
/ a clearer paieness stole over the mother
| face-a stranger brightness filled the wand
-erlng eye. What can it mean % wins
: pered Corinne's heart.
1t means, poor orphan child, that the Au
thor of the life, to you burdensome, is near
, ing her reward-that the old man broodin!
} selfishly will soon be left griehess widow
er, the solitary sharer of your unhappy DIES
tiny-that while you gaze, the spirit Of on
that has been mortal is filling with immor
r tality--v it'll visions all too wonderful 70
r speech!
And gently, peacefully, the spirit passet
from the earthly TO the heavenly. Corrin
ne stood by the bed Of death, moved by it
sanctIty, but more envying than grieving
as she saw the calmness settling on thos,
features, so lately troubled with the expires
sion OF fading minds unquiet When he
+ father left for his better home, Corinne hat
needed every consolation; for to him sht
! owed all the cultivation of her intellect
5 the best Affections of her heart. But he
e mothers beauty had been h5i- -99inly dover
and when disease came to her, the weakness
= of her mind became more distinct with ia
c ding loneliness. Alas that one who ha
d received the precious gift of an immorta
n child, should ever neglect devotion to it, 70
L fond attentions to charms not half so beau
J. tiful as mothers love
r, Yet as Corinne gazed on her beautiful
II parent, no longer restless with life, she tru;
n ted that the weakness she had mourned owe
h would be most mercilully dealt with in tn
S, great judgment court for her mother ha
y been petted, darling child, and the sin
5, selfish vanity must fall more heavily ON otl
Sc er heads than hers.
Until sunset the orphan was busy roun
<. the dead, who slept so peacefully. The Of
in man made no sign that lie was moved, 81
g ting, as he always sat, and his voice mute
r ing, as it always muttered, dark words
lie galnst the virtue whose keeping had ca
lie him from his place of honor down--dow
IN to the wretched fortunes of that hour.
Id The beauty which he had sought wi
I'd childish eagerness to win, was like the low
on illness of the child whose purity had ruin,
ng him, aud SO it became hateful to him.
afl Al. IL 4