Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-09-08

moment of rupture placed her trembling hand
in the palm IF Avarice and whispered the
binding vow :" thine, dearest, thine"
The eyes Of Allan sparkIed with JOY and
his face beama with smiles at this, but alas !.
it was not thespure excitement of rapture
that the genuine lover feels in this happy and
ecstatic moment his was the gloating glee
of ayarice and qualification of selfish am
bition.
Ellen looked forward with happiness to the
day when she should be united in the holy
bonds with her cheen one, and anticipated a
life of bliss in the ASSOCIATION with the being she
had lavished the gift of her hearts first gush-
ing treasuresof love hope pointed her finger
to the riches Of thelhappy state she was about
entering Just ahead, and her gentle heart fut-
tered - elI1ht Yhen she contemplated the
z 5STss -Snat was soon TO burst upon
her without Scloud to dim the glowing skies.
She was happy in the prospect! She heard
her chosen o1e name the day when the hap
py consummation should be, she felt herself
pressed to the bosom she loved-close to the
heart she adoEed-close to the fiery volcano
that rolled its lava there, but she knew it not
True, others said there was something mean in
Allan's heart, yet she believed it not; for how
could she believe the being she loved, be so
base as the public voice declared him to be
She could not and she wept that the tongue of
SANDER should hiss after her idol.
Allan had been successful in gaining the
gift in promise of ber hand in marriage, this
he had labored to satisfy his ambition. At first
he felt the hallowed flame Of love for Ellen,
bet because she did not deem it advisable to
rush preclptately into the responsible cohnec-
ton of marriage with him when he fIst men,
toned the subject to her, that generous passion
had become withered, choked and destroyed
by the rank thorns Of arrogance and ambition,
and from that moment he had secretly Swore
that Ellen should be his-he was successful !;
for her hopes of bliss were in his keeping
Tins "a gls->es ambition was satisfied, but
darker, Deeper dye Of malicious sin lurked in
the fiery chambers of his volcanic soul: he
swore to rob the unsuspecting girl Of her
brightest, dearest iewel-her virtue! In this
the malicious wretch found an easy task the
confding nature of Ellen was favorable to the
consummation of his base purposes and before
the fatal engines of high protestatlons and
sounding vows, her honor and virtue fell
sacrifice to the malignant wretch who was low
ed and adored by the gentle one whose heart
and hopes were confdingly submitted to his
keeping. His purpose was now served and
the day of promised bliss was no more men,
toned by him to his betr othed. and when she
ventured to allude to it herself, he answered
her with a scofing laugh. All! how that
laugh shot through her very soul like rank
ling barb! Her trust was betrayed and the
traitor was the only being she had ever loved.
Time rolled on and favorable opportunity
nrase~ ~, she dared to hint to Allan i, the
reproving ltadnt; he reproached her with her
sin He swore harshly upon her-he cursed
her = This blotted out her only star of hope,
her refuge was shattered she felt the misery
and confusion Of shame gathering over her,
she saw the base corruption of the heart she
loved, she saw the truth Of the saying Of the
world that Allan was base at heart, she felt
sickening, dying throes Of JOY and bliss in her
own bosom, she heard the distant rear of the
storm that was gathering its elements for her
she felt the wretched agony Of confding
heart betrayed, she felt hot tears gathering II
her burning eyes, she felt their fervid drop
gush through her fingers that were claspet
over her swollen orbs, she felt the witherin!
curse of injured innocence springing up il
her heart, felt its fiery wrath, sticking in he
throat and in moment her eyes grew dry an
flashed majestic fire, while her hand wa
: turned in derisve contempt upon the wretc
that had blasted the garden of her soul wit
all its cherished flowers and as she towere
aIoft s1,. a ~ ntterance to the fearful ours
upon tfls peTpetrator of her wrongs: Allan
/ Allan base wretch, may Heaven blast an
wither you as ami May you wither as an
{ Allan-As l AM When vengeance is mine
r vile monster, | will repay you tenfold, an
u u mark, vengeance may yet be mine, and the
q you shall be repaid for this-for this. Ma
IS fancies terrible as He'll wither you, Allan
10 Oh! God, for THY vengeance, for THY vel
gence to rain on the corrupted monster Ma
j. yet be avengedl Beneath this witherin
- - curse and the flashing gaze Of the injured on
% :, Allan Wingfeld covered and immediatel
- skulked meanly away, but he could not fr'
-, - himself from the sight Of the avenger, nj
y could he shut his ears against the curse 81
of &c had bestowed upon him; the former was fc
= ever before bis eyes like haunting spect
- and the deep toned voice of the curse was rim
- - ing In his ears to torment and tease him d
- and night. Allan was now unhappy, more
=, the account of the increasing i'll opinion til
~ was being formed of him by those who kne
I'd him than for guilt of being the base wret
IA a. who would dare to rob an innocent female
~ her most precious jewel; for Allan wished
in be considered respectable in society and
Id loss of tHs, or rather the mpossbility of bel
ii so esteemed, was the cause of his unhappine
1;d On every hand the verdict went up that
nd Ian was mean at heart.
Iy Ellen, she too was unhappy, miserably
- and like the flower robbed of its nouriSh
stem, had began to wither, to droop and to {
of She lost her usual vivacity and gaiety and
18th came changed being, wandering alone in
nto forest shades and spending her burden of g
of to the idle winds. Upon mankind she lool
to with suspicious distrust and no more sang
avs glad songs of rapture, but her eyes grew
lied from weeping, and the rose on her once glow
hat cheek dropped its radiant petals one by {
oul ard care and sorrow set its seal and sic
the there. Where smiles once played, the gar
he wrinkles usurped their place and Ellen W
for changed, changed being henceforth. Ow
> to to the circumstance of her being almost
he stantly alone and being heard con thu
ro!d mutterine distracted words to herself. she
5ure ceived the sppellation of crazy Nelly
ling those who knew her.
ons, The widow O'Rara was wounded at hea