Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-10-27

hat the parents and friends wa have con- 20
ycientiously watched their iEaacV would 81
scarce be guilty Of injustice sbparent to ri
they lay before her, the fatg Which she
can but know will detract from hes happi- il
Aess in this life, perhaps destroy her eter-
is it not rahness, nay madnlss, to I
fling the arms of e~ttreaty they seek to lay If
about her aside, aid step onward obedient II,
to her own waywyd and impulsive will? II
A few month"; and the silvery folds of
the bridal veil gracefully fell over the queen
ly figure of Imily Morton; and never
turned a HAPPIER bride from the nuptial
altar than the air girl who leaned with the
confidence andloYe of a truthful heart on
the arm Of EdEar Morton, the spendthrift
and gambler, 5 well as bridegroom. That
there were finer touches penciled ia his
character, we freely admit; and when for
the first time hebrew his young wife to his
bosom and pressed a husbands kiss upon !
her soft warm cheek, he vowed within him.
self that her HAPPINESS should constitute
his LIES study. HAS! the odor of bis
resolutions, ike the balmy fragrance flbbm
crushed flowers, arose after years to con
ltrst the brightness Of what had been, with
Ten1usc not niger too loS- amid inter
vening scene !; perhaps We lave already
loitered by the way too much. No one him
ted he was ever unkind, for the world looks
upon the qualifications of wealth and the
constant semblance of affection in public,
as indurable proofs of happiness. Had they
looked beneath the glitter of that wealth
and the semblance of that love, they would
have discovered lonely hours, domestic in
difference, withered aspirations and clouded
hopes. But as they did not, these facts for
med no part Of the worlds thoughts where
fore should we introduce them here?
Within a few years, discerning eyes per-
ceived a gradual change in Morton's style
of living. At first it was confined to the in
creasing ~plainness Of his wife's dress and
the absence Of luxuries most expensive from
their table. Soon after, the circle in which
they moved were thrown into CONSERVATION
by the announcement That the Mortons
had given up their carriage and livery
And not long after, the rumaErOA-nntha
breeze, that her health was visibly- failing.
Had they known her, in all the freshness
and truth of her love as [ have endeavored
to present her to you, fairreader, and those
influences debasing to the heart which she
| had chosen an intimate association with
! there might have been no surprise NANTES
, ted. For the very depth Of that love which
: had 50 blindly led her on, made herrealizt
; more fully the moral depravity of that lovec
| ones course, and her mind could not con
! t~inually prey upon itself in such bitterness
of reflection, without a physical sympath7
/ that wasted the lovely form. Slowly bu
surely the loss of her husbands tempora
e possessions went on, until by the maste
. stroke of one of his own villainous assC
:, c%iates, he was imprisoned for debt. W
!, will leave him to his own reflections, upbr;
ding and bitter as they must have been, an
J turn our ear to the voice of eager, earnes
e entrcety, which ;~~"~eAAA:5 49,
II partment in which this chapter opened
emily, my darling ehild,p, returne
D. that uncle, who had so faithfully warne
her Of his evil habits before marriage, in al
n swer to an earnest request Just made-"wi
s lingly, for your sake, would | procure h
r release, if [ had the slightest hope of h
I'd reformation"
l. "He will reform, uncle [ know, I fe
ID he will"
C. "You do not know it, Emily and f
On hin. again to cause you the suffering yc
Id have SO meekly borne, crushing Ill you Low
6, ly an~ticipations, wrecking yourevery brig
er young dream Of happiness, is more han
ell can forgive or even contemplate calmly
to "But he will not, uncle /; I know he wi
eir not DO so again. The lesson has been t,
he severely learned, and I am cerain he W
nd do differently in future. Oh ny him, f
us my sake, my good kind UNCLE and the b
ost ly glance of wronged woman4GQ4iEene
ed and trust stole down into the depths of t
he cid mans heart, even as the unseen dew
is the burstingfoWer, audit sent up a ffragrran
LOT far sweeter than ever did blossom in
ill %sunniest hour to the grief stricken one.
all She bore to him the glad tidings Of ]
ent release, and as he wound his arm arou
the fragile form, attenuated thus throu
fl suffering for him, and bowed his head up
the his breast, subdued and humbled as a W
hat child, he vowed afresh, that the remaini
adj energies Of his life should be a sacrifice
hat make atonement for his past conduct. H
'er- her usually pale cheek burned with JOY a
can renewed hope. But even when the glow
excitement had subsidized there still rema
or ed in the place it had occupied, a che
9Th spot, which caught the husbands eve
pom with a new, strange, chilly sensation tn
ling through his heart-strings, he drew
life cloak more closely about her and they st
ow- ped forth together.
and The kind uncle had procured him an h
up orable situation, every way desirable,
to beneath his kindly roof was absent no
our fitting comfort or luxury. Nobly, indie
ICES now did Edgar Morton endeavor to rede
ong the promise his wife had so confder
Iced made for him. Nor did a fond moth
her watchfulness over her first born e'er exc
d is the u%ntiring affection he bestowed upon
ell wife. Love and wealth now poured Il
|, SO treasured streams at her feet and she fl
hid, ly felt that the realization of her girlho
vate dreams were beginning to be complete
iris But alas those long wears Of misery h;