The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1852-04-07

dramatic justice was done TO everybody's
toibles. remember that she made me
laugh more than liked; for was, at that
time, an eager scholar Of ethics, and had
tasted the sweets of solitude and stoiclsm,
and found something profane in the
hours of amusing gossip into which she
drew me, and, when returned to my
library, had much to think oi the crack,
ling of thorns under pot. Margaret,
who had stuffed me out as a phloso-
pher,in her own fancy was too intent on
establishing good footing between us,
TO omit any ar, Of winning. She stud
led my tastes, piqued and amused me,
challenged frankness by frankness, and
did not conceal the good opinion of me
she brought with her, nor her wish to
please. She was curious 10 know my
Opinions and experiences. OF course it
was impossible long to hold out against
such urgen assault. She had an incred-
ibe variety Of anecdotes, and the read
lest wit TO give an absurd turn to what
ever passed and the eyes, which were
so plain at first soon swan with fun and
drolleries, and the very tides OF Joy and
superabundant lic.
The rumor was much spread abroad,
that she was sneering, scolling, critical,
disdainful Of humble people and OF all
but the intellectual. had feard ii
whenever she was named. It was su-
perfcial judgment. Her satire was on
y the pastime and necessity Of her tall
ent, the play of superabundant animal
spirits. And it will be seen in the Sc
quel, that her mind presently disclosed
many moods and powers, in successive
platforms or terraces, each above each,
that quite eTaced this first impression, in
the opulence of the following pictures.
Let us hear what she has herself 10
say on the subjec, Of tea-table talk, in
a letter TO young lady, TO whom she
was already much attached:
81 am repeled by your account of
your party. 1t is beneath you to anuse
Yourself with active satire, with what is
vulgarly called quizzing. When such
person as--chooses TO throw himself
in YOUR way, | sympalhize with your
keen perception of his ridiculous points.
Blu, to laugh whole evening at vulgar
nondescripts is that an employment
for one who was born passionately ia
love, to admire, TO sustain truth This
ould he much more excusable III cha>
meeon like me. Yet whatever may be
the vulgar view Of my character, ] can
truly say, know lot the hour in which
! ever looked for the ridiculous. 1t has
always been forced upon me, and is The
accident Of my existence. would no
want the sense of il when il comes, for
that would show an obtuseness of men
tai organization but, on peril of my
soul, | would not move all eyelash to
look for it,"
When she came 10 Concord, she wa
, already rich in friends, rich in exper
fences, rich in culture. She was wei
read in French, Italian, and German lii
era,ure. She had learned Latin and
little Greek. But her English reading
!, was incomplete and, while she kne,
Moiere, aud Rousseau, and any quaint
ty Of French letters, memoirs, aud nov
sand was dear student Of Dante an
Petrarch, and knew German books NOR
cordially than any other person, she Wa
, little read in Shakespeare; aud | belev
had the pleasure Of making her ac
quain.ed with Chaucer, with Ben Jon
son, with Herbert. Chapman, Ford
Beaumont and Fletcher, with Bacor
- >, and Sir Thomas Browne. was seve
years her senior, aud had the hab
Of idle reading in old English books, an
though not much versed yet quit
y enough TO give me the rgh, to lead he
She fancied that her sympathy and tasl
~ had led her TO exclusive culture of soull
'' ern European books.
,. She had large experiences. She ha
:, been precocious scholar at DR.. Park
~ school good in mathematics and lar
guages. Her father, whom she had II
rs Gently lost, had been proud of her. all
a, petted her. She had drawn. at Can
of bridge. number of lively young men
le bout her. She had had a circle of youn
n women who were devoted 10 her, an
|. who described her as a wonder of il
q. tellect, who had yet no religion" 81
II had drawn TO her every superior youn
10 man or young woman she had met, All
s. whole romances Of life and love ha
ID been con6ded, counselled, thought, an
,e lived through, in her cognizance at
d sympathy.
is These histories are rapid, so that 81
a had already beheld many times Il
ST youth, meridian. and old age Of passion