The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-06-20

BOOK THIRD.
Ill
MARGARET.
lis dswn-xithin ourtained room,
Filled to faintness with perfume,
A lady lies at point Of doom.
IT'S morn-a child hath the light;
But for the lady, fair and bright,
She SORROWS In a rayless night
Anonymous.
Several months passed away, and winter gave
Mace to spring. Again the scenery in the neigh
borhood Of Mont Crystal bloomed out in the per-
feet glory Of beauty. Again the Isle OF Rays
seemed terrestrial paradise. But still Louise
faded in the light of Mont Crys,al-still Louis
withered in the sunshine Of the Isle Of Rays.
.n 4 ve'efvatsI1 49, Issss t-,s sag prolsss,
fondy attached to each other, placing implicit
faith in each other, united by the hottest tie, as
they had been, were still kept separated by the
implacable will of one determined woman? The
neighborhood had exhausted conjecture as to the
cause of the separation. Some said that Mrs.
Armstrong was incensed at the marriage Of the
General some said that prior attachment had
been discovered to have existed between Louis
and Susan Someryille some thought it was from
dissatisfaction about the settlement of the prop
erty. AS usual, there were few grains Of truth
mixed up with much falsehood At last, however,
the facts of the case crept out, and it was gene
rally known that this state Of affairs existed by
the simple will of the mother-in.law and then
the whole party on both sides was condemned by
public sentiment; for although the weight Of pub
lie censure fell heaviest upon Mrs. Armstrong
and her daughter, yet the family at the Isle of
Rays did not escape the charge of weakness. l
both arraigned and judged with great severity,
and as think with gross injustice. The full
force of public reprobaton fell most heavily of all
upon Louise In this che was cruelty wronged
No one considered her extreme youth, (barely
sixteen years) her natural weakness Of will and
gentleness of temper, and the almost omnipotent
sway Of her mother over her-nor her peculiar
as q religion, ready as she was to sacrifice to
that flial sentiment her hearts most natural in
stiucts and warmest affeotions-nor her physical
dslicacy of organization, through which she would
have perished in any violent conflict No one
considered these things but Louis Stuart Gordon,
who for her peace denied himself the society Of
his wife, refrained from opposing the influence of
Mrs. Armstrong or importuning Louise - thus
exposing himself to the animadversions Of neigh
borhood incapable of understanding his motives
of action have heard Louis called sueak, tim,id
Nothing could be more stupid or unjust than
this opinion. Ola heightened sense Of honor, of
fine susceptiblities of warm temperament, Louis
Stuart Gordon yet suffered this long estrange-
ment from young and lovely wife, to whom he
was fondly attached and braved the scorn of soci-
ETY. rather than give her pain by conflict with
her inscriptions mother. Louis was brave TO
d,fy and strong to endure suffering in his own
person and reputation. Louis was not weak or
timid, except in giving pain or causing misery to
Others. No. have always wished to vindi-
cate the motives of Louis, whose lovely character
approached the angelic.
Four months had passed away since the ball of
the Princes school. Every letter written from
the Isle Of Rays to Mont Crystal had been cast
into the fire without being read Az has been
said, Louis had at last ceased TO importune them
with letters Many times indeed poor Louise had
rebelled, as the evening of the ball but IL was
always under nervous excitement, which, subsi-
ding, left her weaker and more enslaved than
before. They were mere spasms Of courage and
resolution, ending in apathy-sbortive struggles
Of her feeble will, always to be repented Of and
atoned for as sin.
IL was early in April that Louise, then nearly
seventeen years old, became the mother of little
girl--a fine, hearty child, of firm muscle, brilliant
eyes, and strong lungs-who persisted in living,
despite all Mrs. Armstrong; diabolical machina.
tions to the contrary. Let us be exactly just
Under existing circumstances, the expected ma
ternity Of her daughter had been source of great
grief and modification to Mrs. Armstrong - 20
much so that the fact had been kept profound
secret in the neighborhood, up TO the very day
that the babe was born. Nevertheless, nom, that
the infant was laid living on her lap, she no longer
wished to smother IT, BY law of nature acting
Unexpectedly upon heart like hers, she felt the
appeal Of this helpless and beautiful being,
young babies are all beautiful male opinion to
the contrary notwithstanding and Mrs. Arm.
strong was surprised to find in her own heart a
possibility of loving this child. This sentiment,
however, instead Of softening her heart towards
Its father, only gave additional force to her jeal
ousy OF Louis, as she wondered whether he might
not wish to deprive her Of the care Of the babe
The reader has already seen that the maternal
tkau
Mrs Armstrong.
boon, mamma, a boon, ~ cried Lou;,s /. ssv
moments afs"r the birth Of her child still pale and
paipitating with her recent agony; "a boon /.
boon
Well, WELL my daughter, what il u ~ a,
quired the lady, disturbed with tho fear ,h,,
Louise was about to make some request Of which
Louis Stuart Gordon might be the object.
THIS, mamma; that may name this little cir
myselfn
Certainly, Louise; certainly, my daughter
that Is the one thing with which will not inter
fere-a mothers control over her own child sale
the astuts woman, adding mentally, she canno
name her Louis, or Henry Cartwright; she will
not call her Britannia, and any other name |,
Indifferent to me. Yes Louise" she repeated
aloud, that is the one thing in which win moi
zee. 70 control you-yoar disposal Of your OWL
childp
she Is all mine, then, mother, all mine,D said
Louise with Frightening eyes.
AZ much - you are mine, Louise rsmembs,
that The tie be. sssa q mother and oh,la 1. ,