The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-01-31
tcaPv-RtsHr sEcuKEpl
THE MEDITERRANEAN.
A STORY OF THE ISLAND ESTATE
BY MRS, EMMA b. =. souruwoRrM
NV.-CoNTlNUFD.

BY MRS. EMMA D. . soUrHwoRIH.
XV.-CoNuNUFp.
In the very next room TO this, but separated by
wall so thick AZ 10 prevent the passage Of the
sound of conversation, another confidential inter
view was held between parent and child. Mrs
Armstrong aud Louise were alone in their bed
chamber, for Louise had always shared the sleep
ing apartment Of her mother. Mrs Armstrong
had sunk into an easy chair, and Louise had seat
ed herself on u low cushion ~ her side With 49,
head resting upon her mothers lap Mrs Arm
srOnS ice-iIRe face hah almost'thswed, ner mar
bic like features were almost flexible as here in
the privacy of her bed-chamber, she conyersed
with her daughter, seeking-alas it was almost
| too late-to win the confidence Of the child whose
innocent revelations of herself had been repulsed
and driven hack, until all her thoughts and feel
ings were closely, tmdly enclosed in brain and
heart There was too much fear and dread blend
ell with the love in Louise's idoatry of her moth
err to admit of perfect sympathy and confidence
Mrs Armstrong; favorite maxim was, that " ia
miliarity breeds contempt )" and so she had
EudTutu stThHEtutss All bul 'uu ouNtcro-
fully. Now, as she sat there, with the head OF
Louise for the first time since infancy laid upon
her knees, and while she ran her fingers through
the pale hair, she would have given much for an
hour of the warm, free full intercourse Of mother
and daughter, but the natural flow Of confdinP
and is not so easily Embossed by the sunshine OF
sympathy as the ce-bound waters are by spring.
my daughter, it appeared to me that your man
ner was cold to Louis D.
"Was wrong, mamma Indeed wished to
do right
"You pere wrong, Louise"
81 wish | ever knew what to do Dear moth
err, am not stupidl try to do well, and am al.
ways doing i'll. How is that 2 ] was wrong in
conversing with Louis on the grounds some weeks
since, and | am wrong in MOI conversing with
him now. am afraid, mother, that ! have very
| feeble understanding--hnv not ?"
1t was just now, in this exigenoy, that Mrs
Armstrong OWNED the difficulty of making n ra-
tonal and responsible moral agent of one, out OF
whom she had crushed all freedom of thought and
feeling
any daughter % she replied, in a slightly sub
dued tone, my daughter, circumstances alter
cases. Miss Armstrong in her own halls must
display a courteous hospitality TO Mr. Stuart
Gordon as her guest And" continued the lady,
sinking her voice to still lower and more conf
dental key, Louise must console Louis-must
win him from the melancholy that still 80 darkIy
cotnrq his inn md
terp
My dear motherH
You did not reply to me- Understand, Miss
Armstrong that wish you TO be omiable to Mr..
Louis Stuart Gordon
Louise bowed her head, in reply
Now, my love, ring the bell for Kate that she
may come and put your hair in curln
Louise obeyed
This act of commanding a girl to be sympa-
thetic was in perfect keeping with Mrs. Arm
strong, who did not understand sympathy But
in the course of few days the astute lady, per.
ceiving that her presence imposed the greatest
possible restraint upon the manners of her daugh-
ter, gradually withdrew herself as much as
possible from her neighborhood and covertly
watched the progress Of her drama. She with
drew herself and into herself and dark shadow
Of gloom, bitterness, and reserve, settled upon her
conntenance Her soul was an instance of king
dom divided against itself The destiny she had
designed for her daughter was certainly approach
ing Yet, as il drew on aud on towards its con-
summation, the cloud dsrkened blacker and black
err upon the brow Of the mother
XVI
SUSAN SOMERVIIIE