Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-10-06
The Deaf Beauty.
BY MRS. SARAH ]. HALE.

uC UGul DUuuII'
BY MRS. SARAH ]. HALE.
Mariana Willis, when beheld in an atti-
tude of meditation, was as beautiful human
being as imagination ever drew. Brow,
cheek, lips, just such as young poet would
delight to describe, and burn to kiss, and
her eyelash, with It's long, dark fringe, sha-
ded an eve that merited whole Petrarch
sonnet; and then her graceful forn1 round
arm, and delicate hand each deserved its
euIogium. But beauty who cannot speak,
is no more to our intellectual beaux than a
statue. And yet, where is the great advan-
tagein having the faculty Of speech, fit be
only employed in lisping nonsense. Perhaps
the subject has never been considered. [
wish it might be proposed for theme, at
some of our colleges; it would doubtless
elicit as many new ideas from the young
students, as dissertation on the compara-
tive advantages Of Greek and Roman itera-
ture.'
Mariana was called the deaf beauty,
and she was the only beauty | ever knew
who always turned deaf ear to her own
praises. Yet she was not sensible to the adj
miration she raised; the ardent, admiring
gaze of those who, for the first time especial
! ly, beheld her, always called deeper glow
on her cheek, and she would cast down
her bright eyes, ard turn away, exhibiting
that modesty Of feeling which IS SO truly in
i dicative of the purity Of the female heart.
A person born blind, raises, in the behold
er, few emotions save pity. We feel, at a
glance, the pelpEessness Of the case. 1t is
P1rnaIo, "V1rSs -es1e
in the countenance Of such an one, than
in that Of person who can speak There
is, too, hilarity in the smile of the deaf that
seems to ask amusement, not sympathy
And then the oddity of their gestures, the
quickness of their motions, the restlessness
Of their glances, are apt to inspire a cores
ponding viyacity in the mind Of the behold
er. In short, we feel that the spirit of the
deaf one is awake, and can hold converse
with ours, and thus it is much less painful to
contemplate a deaf than blind person
But it was always positive pleasure to
look on Marianne, or rather to have her look
on you; she was SO lovely, and her features
t always 50 lighted up with mirth-it was no
} till she turned away, and you lost the inspi
ration Of her soul-beaming smile, that thc
darkness in which that soul must be shroud
! ed came over yours. The melancholy trutl
then fell 50 sorrowfully, that tears, even from
firm men, were often tho tribute Of grief 70
: her misfortune. Tears-one glance from he
n laughing eyes in moment dispelled then
d She was as happy as she seemed, as lfapp
? as she was innocent; she had never know
s. a single sorrow or privation. She had bee
u u tended and watched over from the hour
: her birth, by the untiring, vigilant, and a
# fectionate care of parents who loved her
7e thousand times better for the misfortur
that made their watchfulness SO necessary
ID They had taught her everything she cou
ID be made to comprehend concerning ht
Il Il duties, and scrupulously did she perfor
- them; especial in adhering to truth, 81
ns was so strict that never, even in hsr gaye
in moments. did sign or gesture, intending
lis deceive, escape her.
This charming creature, much more d
IN serving the epithet angelic than the fine al
lse fashionable bellies to whom it is SO often a
- - piled, lived in the retirement, then almC
5o solitude, Of one Of the western counties
ON the State of New York. Till she was ely
int teen, she had never been out of sight OF
-er house in which she was born. About Il
led time, Mananna, to the oft-repeated and urg'
'as requestof her aunt, was permitted to visit b
~, 9u' and spend few weeks in Albany. T
of beauty. ard the naiUete Of her air, were
red exquisite. that Mrs Drew, in the pride
vas her heart, could not resist the temptation
i've introducing the sweet girl to society, :
n n a accompanying her to places Of amusemt
me although Mrs. Drew had promised she wo
= '.n do neither. Mrs. Willis had enjoiued it
the her sister not to indulge Mariana in pl'
lost ure, which, as she did not know existed,
pom did not require to make her happy;
ned should she once taste them, the rem
lent brance might give her disreIish for Il
lcns simple enioyments that had hitherto IN
ion her bliss.
arm, Perhaps it Will be thought her parents
t of wrong TO allow her to 60 TO Albany, and
it in the family of a fashionable lady. 1
any always blamed themselves. And yet
nd should they? When people act from a
e III cere motive of doing what, on the wi
VIZ VIZ they deem right and expedient, and cali
cold ted to give happiness to others ortheinse
.ture should disappointment of these exp
rap tions involve selfreproaeh? 1 think
ith We may regret misfortune-we should
Grip remorse only for guilt.
the Mrs. Drew should have felt remorse
ound :a:c'i she was guilty of violating her word
1orn 1el.u she always excused herself from all bl