Republican vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1857, 1849-03-12
MISCELLAN EOUS.
From the New Orleans Crescent City.
THE EsEARgss HARP.


"7he mind can make substances, and people
planets of its OWN with beings brighter than have
been and give a breath to forms which eau out
live all flesh
Do you believe in fairies, kind reader, or have
you no sympathy for those who people the air,
trees flowers, aye, even the sparkling rivulet,
with invisible spirits who kindly smile upon
the beautiful and good, and sigh and weep DER
aarth's fahen onsss Well, am sorry for YOU
if you do not indulge in these pleasant fancies;
sorry, if when you wander forth to view the
young earth i'll May, you see not the tiny wing
OF the fairy that nestles In the torgetmenot, and
hear not their music, mingled as it is with the
anthem ascending to God from the myriads of
His creatures who revel in the JOY Of existence.
Twere sad thing to lose so much of that which
is most beautiful in life
Have you never, when seated III some seclud-
ed arbor, all canopied with roses and festooned
with morning glorPs, fancied that you could
hear the rustllng OF their wings. Nay, have you
not seen them In clusters on some spot favored
by the morris bright rays, while the silver bells
Of their elfn orchestra filled your ears with nu-
sic more exquisite than mortals may produce
Mayhap these fancies are but the visions Of
one who dwells too much in the fantastic realms
Of imagination The clusters of fairies might
(by the test of reason) be resolved into the sl1ad-
ows of rose buds and convolyulus.
But choose not to dispel these pleasant llu-
sions, for my fairies are all good and beautiful.
They whisper to me OF things so pure, as kneel
at their shrine, that would fain style them my
good angels. Then lay aside pray thee, that
sober mantle of utIlitarianism sit with me be-
meath the shadow OF this noble oak, and as the
sweet zephyrs play around thy brow, I'll tell thee
A FAIRY TALE.
In one Of the most beautiful regions of our
State there lived, not many years ago. widow
of wealth and standing, whose only child was a
daughter. 1t YOU are anxious about her age land
pardon me il say that this interest which we
feel in each others ages is one of the character
istics OF our saN) have no desire to conceal the
fact that Laura M - was just sixteen when
the incident which am about to relate occur
red. Talented; beautiful and wealthy, it seemed
that her happiness was incapable of increase.
Well might her fond mothers eyes sparkle with
pride and pleasure as she saw her child, the cy-
nosure of every brilliant assembly, .graced by
her presence. Nor was the interior of this fair
temple, before which knelt so many worshippers
unworthy its interior The purity Of her ski
was rivalled by that of her heart. The spark
ling brightness of her clear brilliant eyes was
but the reflection Of a gem more brilliant still
And yet Laura (ior who is perfect y had one
Wednesday,, one decided bIesnish of clarac-
ter. She was passionately fond of admiration.
To be beloved, and It not loved, admired con
stituted the source of her highest happiness
And TO fault is so apt to be overlooked by ones
immediate friends as this--since it leads to that
course OF conduct calculated to win their appro-
val. and love Is as blind in the domestic circle as
elsew here.
Kept within its legitimate bounds. the love of
appreciation is a virtue, iis abuSe becomes rice
You may smile that | should speak thus of "a
fault so common to our sex. A simple example
will Illustrate my meaning. The little girl re-
signs her iayorite plaything to her baby brother;
mamma calls her darling child,n and she is re-
compensed for the sacri6ce--marnnas approx
ING smile suflices for the child But with the
dawn. Of girlhood, comes the desire to be the dar-
ling or I'm more fashionable parlance) belle of a
wider circle and too often, when from the other
sey She wants but admiration she finds herself
the object OF q passion which she has as thought
lessly ELECTED as she is incapable OF reciprocal
ing. Then the belle becomes laughter
A girl of good mind and well disciplined char
acter, will control this weak desire when once
aware that its influence is detrimental to happi-
ness and vet how many Of the loveliest of our
sex do we see Under It's dominion Why does
the mother leave her little ones TO the uncertain
care Of hirelinas, While she basks for few brief
hours in the glare OF the ball room, permitting
the arm OF the empty-brained coxcomb to encir-
Gle the waist that should be sacred to her hus-
band ! Her white arms, never so beautiful as
when pilowing the head of sleeping innocence,
are blazing with jewels---not such as the rnatrons
of Rome gloried ill---tor the sake of our land,
would they We're.
Laura was iilst made conscious of the exist
ence her ruling passion by an event which
caused her so much pain that it made an indeli-
bic impression upon her mind. It was pas
sionate ayowal OF love from Young man whose
assiduous attentions she had encouraged. He
ministered to her love OF .aaniratiQn, and her
feminine pride relolced m 50 rare a conquest
But When his words of fond devoted love fell up
on her ear and found no response in her breast;
when, trembling with the consciousness of hay
ing wronged one who had lavished upon her the
rich incense OF her first love, she laid her cold
hand upon his and met his earnest beseechlng
glance with eyes in which the tears that glis-
tened We're those OF sorrow only, she felt that ii
were better to be unknown, unadmired, than the
Icause ofsuch anguish as this