Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-03-10

PIo'as, anu Wllnal mysterious persCnaCe.-
Her time was devoted to her household du-
ties and to the service Of her God; at NOR
hng hight her matin prayer was heard, and
a evehing the vesper song of thanks rang
through The Mansion halls. She was kind
70 her servants and was beloved bv all her
house. 1t 7as conjectured, with great de-
gree Of FEASIBILITY, that she had left her ma
tive home after the death Of her husband
and had resolved to mingle no more with
the gay circles Of fashionable life, but had
made it her chosen part to enter the Morton
Mansion, and convert it into sacred monas-
terry, there to spend the remaining portion Of
her allotted days. She was evidently of high
birth her inheritance of the Mansion was
sProof Of that. She was well educated, and
a large portion of her time was devoted to
training the youthful mind of Juliet, whose
education and training she would risk With
no one, but chose to perform that task her.
self.
When Mrs. Meredith took charge Of the
Mansion, Juliet was quite a child; gentle,
gdileless infant; and at the period when she
is introduced to the reader, she has not lost
the last beam of the infants smile, although
she has just past her teens - so secluded
has been the past, she has never learned the
first lessons Of stern and busy life-she is
happily ignorant of it all. She has grown
up within the Mansion walls, with no asso-
ciates other than the Inhabitants of that place.
and of the fashionable chmeras of the world,
she is almost as ignorant as if she had been
reared in the wild palaces Of the mountains,
with birds and fawns for her associates, and
running brooks and flowers for her books Of
ducation-with the stars and the storms for
her communing spirits, and the sun for her
God-she was child of guiIeless nature
She was beautiful and tender lis the shaded
flower, and as thoughtless of the ills of stern
and eager life as the linnet that warbled its
gushing song in the leafy grove. OF all this
she had not been taught her seclusion shiel-
ded her from all this-all this ; she had only
been taught the bright pictures of life's fit
ting panorama the dark storm-clouds had
been hid from her eyes--only the pictures Of
the sunbeam's ray had been hers--these she
had aptly learned and had been taught to
look aloft to fairer meadows and fields, and
skies in the celestial world, towards which
she had learned she was fast journeying. At
the age of twenty, she was an accomplished
scholar and the rich library of the Mansion
offered her choice means Of entertainment,
) and with her chosen Authors she held sweet
| communion-books were her companions
taid. from their rich fnines her youthful mind
had garnered priceless treasures.
4 What knew she of Love? Nothing Her
heart had never been warmed with its hal
lowed fame; no heart had ever bowed to
! the commanding shrine Of her beauty her
smiles, her frowns had never been the por-
ton of any. Loves sunbeams and its clouds
had never been hers she loved no one
except that pure being who had filled her
soul with knowledge, who had led her wary
steps through youth, who had instilled into
her mind the truths of a sublime and holy
Religion, and whose name her infant lips had
learned to lisp MOTHER
: Although Juliet had no one with whom
her spirit could hold the communion that
her nature instinctively yearned for, yet she
felt the need Of such an one. 1t was her
custom Of an evening to go with book in
hand to little green arboIu at the north
ern end of the Mansion grounds natural
aIcove, called the 'Kelpie's Bower owing to
Scotch tradition respecting its being the
resort of the Fairies in ages past There it
was her custom to sit and read for hours to-
gether.
8 One evening she was in the Bower as
usual, and had been reading favorite poet
cal Author until she had become weary
She had laid aside her book and had given
up to reflections. The hum Of the busy vii
! layers fell upon her ear, the gay laugh and
the song of the JOYOUS greeted her in her
solitude-the warbling melody of hun
dred forest birds and the mild chorus chant
: Of nature, came floating to her on the eve
: ming breeze and stirred the passive strings
: Of her own souls gentle harp. There was
. awakened in lrer bosom spirit yearning for
! a communion with the hum Of busy life she
! heard in swelling strains without the Morton
: walls. She listened eargerly TO the glad
: music of the villagers gay voices-she lis
i tened eargerly to the gushing glee of the
! peasants youthful song as it came warbling
\ in happy notes down the verdant vale Of
= silver Creek, and she asked herself if they
Il were not more happy than She Are they
=. not more happy than 2
II She bad nothing to wish for; every wish
rs had thus far been gratifed-the harsh roc
er and the bitter cup had always been spared
as her-the thorny cares that affiict earth's pill
= grims had not been visited upon her vet :
Z all, all had been spared-had been passed
= and thus far her life had been an easy, pleas
as ing scene Of unsullied bliss. The voice o.
or happy ones Of the earth had allured her
be and discontent's first thorn had visited her.
l. 1t was thus in Eden.
'Whyr asked she, oh! why have l no on'
ch with whom might hold sweet communion
Ter as hear from the voices yonder, there is t.
-as be enioved 2 That is bliss | have neve
nd vet tasted. o! why am thus alone? 2
IN Would that knew one gentle heart to com
nd mune in happiness with. But alas bar