Semi-weekly Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1851-1852, 1851-12-16
From the Anderson Gazette.
NINA MELVILLE,
AnLis nnt love in vain


-. . BYRON.
Now neversmore, Oh never in the worth
Gifts pure cause, let sorrowing love on earth,
Trust fondy-never more the hope is crush'd
That,lit my iife the voice within me hush'd
That spoke sweet oracles; and | return
To lay my youth, as in burial urn,
Where sunshine may not find it.
a1 Mrs. HEMANs.
'Ir was gloomy evening in the month OF
October. All day the rain had descended
IN torrents, and the heavy clouds wore dull
Ieaden appearance. Alone in her elegantly
furnished parlor sat the proud, the gifted,
bat unhappy Mrs. Melville. CarclessIy fell
the bright golden curls around her pale fair
brow. The costly robe and splendid jew
els that she wore, seemed in strange CON
,rast with her livid face. and the dcspondIng
altitude of her slight form. Aye, that child
ofbeautv-that star of passion, was alone,
and-.mlscrab All that wealth and lnxu>
rv and pride could give, could not bring
peace to the troubled spirit. She was alone
and thought was busy among the winding
labyrinths ofthc dreary past; and ever and
anon. ghastIv and half-forgotten shadow
from the easket of memory. would rise IN
ideal presence before her, making her start
and shuddcr with dread.
Long had she followed IN gay Plcansnrc's
laughing train; but she had in sorrow learn
ed, that revelry and real happiness arc sran'
gers. She had .whirle d in the ciddy dance
she had echoed the festive song. and join
ed in the gay sallcs of wit-'twas Icthc that
she sought-these could give It not, nor
still the workings Of wild melancholy
thought -
Beware ofthoughts. They whisper 10 the heavens.
Tho mute to thee, they prompt the diamond pen
OF the recording angel.
Nina, was the only daughter of once
wealthy parents and though repeated loss
es had vcrv much reduced their worldly for
tune, they still lived in elegance and splcn-
dor, and moved in tie highest circles Of So
cietv. In early youth she was woocd by.
and without the knowledge OF her proud
parents, betrothcd TO, a young man-thc
playmate of her infancy, and tho realization
of her girlhoods most romantic Dreams
Happy were The hours that the gentle and
aifcclionalc Henry Lindsay spent with his
adored Nina. Always al the pcnsivc hours
Of evening with hcr soft hand cIaspcd in
bis, he wandered BY tic purling stream, or
rested beneath the shade Of the stately trees
that adorned her fathers lawn |, was
during such hours as these, when his large
dark eyes were lit with the holy light of
love, that his face seemed 10 Nina. radiant,
as an angels with beauty. il was dsrng
such hours as these, that in tones more soft
and musical than the murmnr OF falling Wa
ters, he poured the wild poetry Of his soul
INTO her listening ear--bIndlng her as with
spe--a spell that would not break.
Bnt those blisstul meetings, like all else
that VIC enjoy, were of shoit duration. For
soon the suspicious of Nina's worldly y.minded
parents were aroused Henry Lindsay
possessed not the magic charm OF gofd; ana
for the lack of few palrv dniaIs, the
bright hopes and sweet dreams Of those fond
Young hearts. were beh,cd forever. Nina
was sent to boarding school, tn complete
her education; and Henry was driven with
launis and threats, from her fathers house.
and forbidden ever again to cross lis tlllcsh-
old
lsDarklv fell the shadow of grief upon the
soul of the poet lover. Sensitive and shrink
ing IN his nature, he was almost crashed by
the crne! treatment he rcrciyed: hul no,
until he heard his dnum from Nna'S own
lips, did the svrcn Hope. cn1irclv desert
him. Twas then deep scnsc of wrong,
and drcary feeling Of loneliness, settled
down like death np1n his soul. lie felt him.
self aonc--in The vast world. a wamdcrcr,
and--0lonc
Years glided away, and Nina returned to
her parental roof, u beautiful and ACCOM-
pshcd lady. And though she was far from
having forgotten her frs, love, she either re-
membered it with less anguish, or had learn
cd to concea! under a gay and careless cx-
terror, the pangs of a wounded heart.
Years passed away, and she was married
10 Mr. Melville, literally husband Of her
fathers choice, and in the phrase of the
world, a "monIcd man'--onc far hcr supc.
rior in age, who had spent the hcy,lay of lie
in heaplng up the ilceing treasures of earth,
and crushing all the tender and elevated
emotions of his soul--onc with whom she
could have no sympathy Of taste or feel
ing.
Brightly shonc the lamps that lit the gor-
geous halls Of her fathers stately mansion.
on the night that Nna'S strange nup'Iais
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