The literary echo. (Westerly, R.I.) 1851-1851, 1851-07-24
WESTERLY, R. L, JULY "a, 1851.

she proposed that Tennyson should be the
volume. 1t was new work to Alice, hut
she had heard Frederic speak of it warm
ly, and it was his pleasure she wished to
consult. She rose and brought the book,
and commenced-somewhat trcmously at
first, but gaining courage, with her inter
est in the beautiful thoughts before her,
whose melody her fnely-modulated voice
admirably interpreted.
1t happened that she had opened at
Clocks o. Hall" and tie color Auttered in
her cheek as she found herself, ere she was
aware, upon cne or two passages painfully
appropriate to the thoughts that had occu-
pied her that day. Her face was averted
from the sofa where her brother lay, and
she read on without betraying emotion
but had she glanced that way, she would
have seen that it was not her alone whom
the lines affected Until then, Frederic
had been admiring the beauty and feeling
of Ally's intonation, but when she uttered
the words,
"Cursd be the social wants that sin against the
strength of youth %
the color mounted to his brow, and he be-
came absorbed in thought.
His last nights excess had been to hin
all day bitter remembrance--it was the
first time that he had been led so far, anC
though perhaps it was his refined taste
more than his moral sentiment, that was
wounded, it was nevertheless source Of
chagrin and discomfort. And now he felt
humbled, before his mothers calm, fonC
eyes, and by the sound Of his sisters gen
tie voice, and constant reproach to hin
seemed the sweet peace that pervaded his
home. He felt how the knowledge of his
weakness would have filled them with sor-
row, and he fervently resolved that ii
should never be again. Languid and wea-
ry, he appreciated as he had never before
done, the quiet happiness which always
awaited him here, and contrasting it with
the cold splendor of his friend Canning's
home, felt that he had not his excuse for
yielding to the temptation of a conviyiaI
hour. When Ally's voice ceased, she met
with his thanks for his kindness in thus
soothing and entertaining him, and express
ions of such tenderness as filed her heart
with new hope and love.
And now life grew more beautiful than
ever to Alice. Fred was frequently al
home, the long-talked of readings were
fairly commenced, and when they wearied
of these, he would play to them airs from
the most beautiful operas, or teach them
chess, of which she soon grew to be very
fond. And in her music she was exceed
ng beyond her e1pectations-with hel
natural taste, and eager desire to excel
she made rapid progress. Her friend Ma
ry, the owner Of the guitar, was enth lsias.
tic in her admiration, and protested that
she already played better than herself
Never was Fighter, more hopeful being
than Alice, and had it not been that the oc.
currence of her birth-night had stamped it.
self upon her soul, in lines too deep to be
easily effaced, it might have been almost
obliterated by the pleasant waters that
flowed through her heart from day to day
AS it was, a consciousness Of what had been,
left a nameless fear there, which never
wholly forsook her.
1t was when the home sunshine looked
brightest, that an event occurred, which
seemed to throw a dark shadow over Ally's
new hopes. Her mother became very i'll ;
not dangerously SO, the physician said, but
she would be feeble for some time, and it
was necessary that she should keep her
room, and have quiet, and constant care