Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-07-14
CHAPTER FOuRTH.

CHAPTER FOURTH.
Miss Selby had arisen early, and af|eI
hasty but neat toilet, descended |he
breakfast room where she was a1N
to occupy herselfreading until joinea
rest of.the family. But this mofai63
seemed in no reading mood, for after lsa
finishing touches towards the graceful
rangement of the room she approached the
window opening into her flower garden Just
growing redolent with beauty and perfume.
flung it up, exclaiming as she didso-
"'Throw up the window ! lis morn for life
In its most subti luxury. The air
Is like a breathing from a raFer world
And the southwind is like q gentle friend.
Parting the hair SO softly on ing brow.
II has come over gardens, and The flowers
That kissed it are betrayed for as It PARIS
With lis invisible fingers, my loose hair,
| know it bias been trifing with the rose,
And STOPPING TO the violet. There is joy
For all Gods creatures in it. The wet leaves
Are stirring at its touch, and birds are singing,
As if 10 breathe were music, and the grass
Sends upits modest odor with the dew,
Like the small tribute of humility"
And as she stood there with her clasped
hands resting on the window sill, a brighter
light cleaning in her dark eye and the glow
caused by a deep soulstirring appreciation
Of the truth and beauty Of the words she
had just uttered mantling her cheek, she APP
: peared indeed the embodiment of every
thing lovely in woman. Nor are YOU to uD-
: derstand me, dear reader, as wishing for a
; moment to represent her as an unwomanly
character. Had the question been put to
her, why she had so opposed Charles Hor-
> ton at the dinner table Of Walter Ellsby, she
would have answered doubtless, even as you
" have often lightly done-it seemed to annoy
= him, and so | thought to tease him a little.
" But it is against h lskvolity in our sex,
{ this utter disregard Of effects, which, had
! the most gifted pen of the age, would wage
unceasing warfare. Not all that has been
written or said upon the subject ST woman's
= rights or woman's influence has fully awaken
- ed her to the higher, holier mission it is her
duty to fulfil. Without leaving her true
beautiful sphere-without once o~verstep-
ping the bounds of modesty and decorum,
there are still occasions, numerous occasions,
|, where she may act a far deeper character
- CAdu IlIO gay ia VI CuO ~ VI GlS
petted idol of the social circle. She-mayen.
courage the growth of virtue, though found
under the lowliest garb-she may oppose
fashionable vices c~ountenanced by society
and show forth in her daily life that deeply
shrined in her heart is love towards God and
y for her fellow man. But here arises the fear
:; the cringing s%ervile fear, that she may be
denounced as strange-as innovators upon
: established custom-as seeking to be con.
spicuous or admired, that keeps her the de-
pendent creature she really is.
:; Do not let the term alarm you. [ would
by no means disturb or disavow one of hel
81 obligations to the other sex, in each and ev
" cry department Of life-neither would | &C
cuse them of visiting that bondage upon he
=, which is entirely Of her own adoption, but
u still contend that to think deeply and freely
to express those convictions when sh,
feels an abiding confidence in their truth
to act them out in her life, is not only NJ
less a privilege of hers than of mans, bu
:. equally as binding upon her. And do W
~ not often find her, generous, impulsive, high
~ ton Of possessing no irmness Of her own
still swayed by the selfish views of a prizes
! or some other designing person. The NOR
their dictates may conflict with her convie
II tons, and tile more painful their ~executio
"a may be, the greater the victory over her ca
y &c nal nature and it is really her province t
7 submit to so much superiority of wisdom
as if a God, not an erring man, had take
the grave responsibilities Of hef! life into b
-. own keeping. Out upon such s~ersilit,
~ such a vile dissertation Of The moral an
w. christian frmness of character . good Go
designed her to develop.
H. | may be accused of attaching too muc
Importance to the influence of our sex.
10 have heard youths, noble promising youth
assert their inability to refuse the rosy win
cup when presented BY the fair hand al
pressed by the winning smile d beauty. Al
DIN | knew a man in the very meridian Of ii
whose character presented a strange coml
nation of virtue and vice Intimately hlende
,ar. a man Of rich, rare and varied talents j
as destined to be fettered even 81 SIS 81
gFoYeling propensities, assert thai IL Iems
/, society IN which he mingled ii ealIe Iie i
laughed at his f%oliies, as they lights term
OF them, instead of scorning him for them. 8
lear hence he had become what he was. d
ord forgotten those facts never. Heaven IoS
In ever should And yet, in inconsistenI f
pom iousness, our sex are spurned and thu
eed out from society, if the viper Islander !
even dared to squirt one drop of venom
'rly gainst her name. Through woman man /
res from his state Of primeval innocence, a
pert from her first mother she has inherited
so those destinations and influences to lead
tore tray which originally belonged to her. B
the to return.
ices The entrance Of a servant, who laid Il
re- morning paper upon her fathers chair, arou
ara, ed Miss Selby from the extatic revery in
ned which she had fallen. A moment after, S
SER turned from the window, took up the pan
Sell aud ran her eye through its columns. Deaf
,hla -A.a -nonrAoA Tiara mh;oh. hnl Aanll ;.