The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1849-09-20
M I s o e L "A N e o U S
Ellen Gray;
OR, THE SCHOOL MISTRESS.
BY JOSEPH BOUGHTON.

Scenes of interest and of beauty are
daily being shadowed forth in real life.
very many Of which fail of being enioyed,
or even noted, by the careless or superb
cial observer. A sickly and morbid senti-
ment pervades great number of minds,
whose appetites for the unreal are go strong
as to destroy all relish for the common and
every day incidents which fill up the mea-
sure of human lile-and yet that mind
must be a wretched one indeed on which
simple pleasures pail, and whose antidotes
against ei,nui are made to consist of some
wild and unnatural excitement, some high
wrought fiction, or some monstrosity, oc-
curing in the world, to bread the monoto-
ny of the wheels of time. Let such an
individual cut loose at once the fetters
which enslave the mind-let him 70 out
into the world, and saunter amid the Sc
questered vales' of private life, and watch
aud not the various incidents of Joy and
happiness which spring from homely oc-
cupations and simple pleasures, and he
will then learn what it is sto live and to
enjoy
My friend NED HANSON, was young
gentleman in independent circumstances.
He had graduated at college and was both
talented and well informed. Upon his
return to his native village, he took up the
study of the lava profession in which it
was predicted he could not fail of becom-
ing eminent. During his minority, how
ever, he had acquired notions and tastes
which were constantly rendering him mis-
erable. Much of his reading had been of
that stamp of fiction that spoke of heroes
and mobiles, of puisant statesmen, learned
sages and wreathed crowned poets-of
high-born ladies', lovely danes, angelic
flces, fairy forms, and such other attributes
as novelists are wont to ascribe to their
characters. These, and the like, had be-
come the attendants of his sleeping and
waking dreams, and, while they excited
him to emulation and admiration, the inn
possibility that seemed to exist III his case
Of ever reaching such excellence, frequent
ly filled him with despair. Could he ever
hope TO wear the statesman's gown, or the
poets wreath, or the, ,hero's garland! All
where could he expect even TO find the
female purity and excellence which had
so long been the subjects of his day-dreams
and night lucubrations' These and kin
dred thoughts would fill him. at one hour
with enthusiastic aspirations, and at the
next would plunge him into deep melan
choly.
Ned was my constant companion IL
society,", and it afforded me not little
amusement to watch his efforts at discov
ering among numerous female acquain
tance the divinity his mind had so long
worshipped. 1t was sometime before h
made that discovery, but at length it wa
made, in the form, face, and person, o
Miss ANGELICA LOUISA M. UpoI
our return from an evening party, it wa
that Ned communicated to me his rapture
at having at last found a maiden suited II
his fancy. Long and eloquent were ths
strains in which he sounded her praises
and perceiving at the end of his rigmarole
canincredulouss smile upon my ceuntenance
j. only made him the more earnest an,
energetic, and he added,
Remember what l say to you, TON
shes all soul, all feeling, all beauty!
III remember replied /.
'Ah, Tom,' he exclaimed, 'it is reall,
so. lndeed,l fear such excellence is nev
er destined to become mine.'
'Shall | remember that, tool asked.
Ned turned upon his heel with back
ward look, that would seem to say, ~ our
heartless, trifling fellow, Tom. and
won't talk with you any more about it
A few DAYS afterward / saw him again
and found him more extravagant than eve
inlpraise of his damsel. Matters had a
ready proceeded somewhat smoothly, too
happeared. Ned had taken tea thrice f;