Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-10-13
Written for the Spirit Of ne Age.
Girlish Dreams Realizels
OR, THE FIVE BRIDALSSSsS
Respectfully inscribed TO the YeRl2g Ladies
Of North Carolina.
BY LORA.
CHApTER THTRD.

II all those agrecdDiS dtlehtloh9 IL j
NO forms which constitute SO much OF al
he substance of fashionable intercourse VI
What need was there then for her surpo- sc
,inp that beneath the unrufied and glitter IN
NO surface. there were shoals and quick al
am "a upon which his future character might Ia
POSSIBLY be so fearfully.wrecked. No such n
doubts mingled with the wreath Of adula- I
ton which her young companions ever e
twined about his name. All it was enough T
for them that he ~copiously ministered to t
their enjoyment. That his presence I'M t
parted fresher life to the evening assembly. a
That his songs commanded the utmost at
tention. His stories were i~ncomparably {
told-his compliments most courteously re-
ceived-his wit the most admired-and the
group where he formed one, was ever the
most joyous one there.
HuPcrt Howard 9 pTominenFs-5 fow
in tsa ssk~-~@ps~Hs UH Ie moNed, anu ICY"
in that circle were restrained even by envy
from rendering admiration and homage suf-
fciont to have affected if not completely
turned a stronger brain than his. True,
there were a few staid and sober ones, as
they were termed, (butit is ever worthy of
note that time and experience arc valuable
agents for temporizing the exuberant fan
cies of thoughtless youth and harmonizing
its irregular aspirations with the quieter
duties Of life,) who dared to assert that he
was deficient in many Of the sterner virtues
of the heart and even insinuated that the
wild flashing Of his dark eye and the super
abundant vivacity of manners which won
for him 50 many laurelsin the gaily wreath
ed and brilliant festive hall, was too often
in part the effect Of the sparkling contents
of the ruddy wine cup he had bat so re-
Gently quaffed and that many timesmore
riotous society and deeper and stronger
draughts from bachanalian goblets divided
the attention of the fastidious f~avorite, with
those fashionable and refned anA~eeN4eHte
IN WHICH he so eminently eXcellcd. Against
all these warnings which were abundantly
sounded in her ear, and against the convic-
ton in her own breast, which she found it
impossible to overcome, that selfshness and
vanity formed much of the back ground in
the drawings of his character, she turned
unmoyed away and refused not, when pres
sed with the ~eloquence he so well knew
how to command, to become his wife.
We will parade no love declaration, fair
readers. No. doubt both considered them
selves supremcly happy, in the first mo-
ments of their young betrothmcnt. Nor
will we linger amid the satins and blondes
wedding fayors, and orange blossoms con-
CALCULATIONS, and repinings, bushes and
tears which are ALMOST n the ian4IEa3EiIaeBB1le g fbt t8a9;
ant and attractive as they may be to the
youthful eye, to the more serious analysis
of the heart.
Rupert Howard had grown weary of thC
fashionable letters with which he had bound
himself tired of the repeated claims up
on his attention which he had once so as
siduously sought. Instead of satisfying
they had satiated and wcaried him. AnC
from them he longed to turn to those more
%congenial with his late growing p~ropensities
and he thought it impossible to do so il
strict conformity with the elevated position
he had attained, except by the brilliancy 0
his marriage. In addition to this, his char
acter was becoming gradually more exten
sively known, and he resolved that hi
final REIMBURSEMENT of the bonds Of fash
.ionable life should be entirely %voluntar
and unaccompained with the mortificatioI
and disgrace of Punishment from its pres
ence. Not once in his selfshness did h
pause to consider himself involving tn
happiness of the fair young girl he profe,
sodto love, by this step. 1t was enough fc
her to bear his name, to be blessed by til
radiance Of his presence, to shine in the n
Elected light of his own glory and indee
he almost doubted if he was not PERSONAL
sacrificing too much in the great honor /
was about bestowing upon her. But /
had fully concluded to marry, and as thel
was no one else he really preferred, or WI
admired him more than she did, upon IL
whole he did not know that any better a
rangement could take place.
And Lcora, poor blinded girl, did 81
know all this? No, surely not all 81
she knew that the fire which consumes IL
incbriate was kindling in his veins; bu
thought she, it will be so easily amothere
ere it burst to a fame. And She felt sa
isfed that under the gloss and artificial pc
ish of manners and appearance, there |;
concealed much deformity which must n
c~essarily develop more fully beneath Il
rays of social and domestic intercourse
Yet she reasoned: these are objections
too trivial a character, when weighed wi
that superiority whichhighly distinguish
him and renders him so c~onspicuously pr
emiuent. Had she paused here and aske
"when?"-common sense, proud ofthe Ii
crty to speak, would have Numbered in Il
ear-"when the laughter and Jest, the m
sic and dance, the fash of bright eyes al
the blaze of rich jewelry faithfully ref,
ted by the huge mirros which adorned t
varied tints from unnumbered prisms pc
ding from the chandeliers which hung
a blaze of %gorgeousness above, all blend
in a mass so varied and rich that the mil
drunk with the brilliancy of the scene a
overcharged with the desire to receive
impart pleasure, was untitled for making
penetrating search into character, and
proved or %disapproyed those around tn,
only in proportion as they contributed to
detracted from the general j~oyousness
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