The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-02-14


Presently she inquired, with view OF changing
the subject, and suggesting a more agreeable
train of thought
"Do you love Louis Louise7"
Certainly do" replied Louise, wlping her
eyes
81 do not believe it, you little child; you say
it so composedly. Young ladies ought to blush
when such a question is asked them"
"For what 2"
al don't know, but | know that you committed
breach Of etiquette when you omitted to be COW
cred with confusion at my abrupt question.
Therefore, do not believe you love Louis &C
cording TO established rules Say-which do you
love most-me or Louis 2"
"Louis-but love you, too" hastily added the
gentle girl, taking the hand Of her governess
"Lous-or your mother2"
OBJ, my mother"
Tf Thought SO GnmcRy Louise siid Brightly
to herself " The only reason, then, why you are
miserable with your mother, and happy with
I.ouis. is because the former is selfish, proud,
Jealous, and exacting in her affection, and the lat
ter is noble and disinterested Because Mrs
Armstrong constantly suppresses the manifesto
ton of her maternal love, while Louis freely ex-
presses his generous affection"
But, Brightly, what do yo know about love 2"
timidly inquired Miss Armstrong.
Nothing, expermentally, Louise Nothing,
at least, of such love exists or is presumed TO
exist, between a betrothed couple | have sort
of protecting affection for you, and sisterly re-
gard for Susan Someryille and Zoe Dove That
il the growth of time association, and esteem but
for any other love--for the love that poets rave
about know nothing of it, and | am twenty
three wears old | never wish to marry, except
to attain my proper elevation in society, and to
escape the unjust reproaches vented upon old
maids"
"You would make a good nun, Brightly"
@Certainly! that would be way of solving
the problem might thereby attain handsome
establishment, and escape the odium of old maid
enhood-winning the glory of self-sacrifce, in
stead. Yes, Louise think might be persuaded
to take the Will should make very good nun,
provided they would elect me Abbess, and set me
Mt the head of magnificent Abbey-always pro-
yiding that the Abbey should be magnihcent-the
dress of the Abbey dignifed and becoming, and
the ritual of the sisterhood sublime will think
of it, Louise"
Thus Britannia ratified on, to restore the
cheerfulness of her pupil. Louise went to draw
the window curtains, to shut out the full moon
beams that we're flooding the chamber with silver
light
aDoes the moonlight disturb your sleep, Lou
ise7n
"Oh, no-never'
aThep do not shut it out, love; it is churlish
to shut it out. | like, when lying awake, to gaze
through the window at that glorious world float
ing free in space. And sometimes it seems to me
n bright spirit, smiling blessing in upon me-"
Louise left the blinds open and the curtains up
and the two girls retired to bed They occupied
the same couch. Neither fell asleep. Brtannias
thoughts had reverted to the to be, not to be"
of her own possibly brilliant destiny, and Louise
was thinking of her mother. AT last, at the end
of half an hour, she said
Brightly, are you awAke7"
"Yes, my child"
Brightly, | am troubled about my dearest
mother How do you know that she is gloomy
about my MARRIAGE"
Louise, was wrong to say anything to you
upon the subject. My besetting sin is converse
ton; if could not converse, | should have to
scribble. and that would ink my fngers-think
of something else, my dear"
"But, Brightly, you who are so young, and
who have been without family ties of any sort
from your earliest infancy up how is it that you
can enter so deeply into the emotions of mother
parting with her daughter, daughter leaving
her mother; the relative and comparative ma
ture of parents love for their sons and their
daughters-you, who were never mother, and |
was going to say, never daughter -
"You might have said it. | do not remember
my parents
But how do you know parents heart,
them"
A." In small way, as Shakespeare knew mon
archs heart, villains heart, womans heart
he, who was neither king, rascal, nor woman
by INTUITION. You do not know what the idea is
that that very common word pretends to present.
The Lexicons define it by synonyms without ex-
planning it. LlStiaeiUs knowledge knowl.
edge-what is it whence comes it, then, Lou
Use 1t may be the answer, the sum total, of
past experiences-the experiences without the
memory of preexiste Inspiration, Genius
what are they Louise They may be condensed
the pyeaptated wisdom of long chain of many
links of past lives. We sink into a reverie, we
catch the CLEAN of a new ray of light, or the tone
of new prophetic voice; we seek 1t, pursue it
eagerly, to lose sight and sound Of it away down
in the caves OF our inner life, whittier it has
Withdrawn. We watch, aud wait, and listen, for
the voice within TO speak-for the light within
20 shine-in vain 1t has died away in silence
died away in darkness-until some unexpected
sight or sound, some merest triae--the shadow
OF a cloud upon the hills, a cadence in the laugh.
ter Of a child-brings back the ray In = food Of
glorious light-brings back the voice in diana.
son Of sublime harmony We call it inspiration
genius May II not be poetical mVmory, rather
the recovery Of lost knowledge and wisdom, with
out the recollection of its requirement 2" murmur.
ed Brightly, half awake, half asleep, sinking
dreamily into uhconsciousness
F." II is the moon; yes, of course, it is the full
moon, falling on Brighty's head, that keeps her
awake and makes her fanciful,n said Louise step
ping out OF bed and closing the blinds Then
returning to her couch, she changed her pillow
and fell asleep.
The stage left the next morning AFTER An early
breakfast Brightly, on resntering the coach with
Louise and General Stuart Gordon began to put
In practice her resolution Of distant reserve sL.