Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-07-21

planting bis shrinking footsteps upon the g
busy platform of life. You may silence /
the promptings OF the infdel by a firm, I
unfaltering reverence for the God he de- q
rides. You may teach the libertine that i
there are flowers bright and beautiful
yet strong in %yirtuous truth, which his
foul touch mo Pollute. You may
prove TO the railing misanthrope that all
good and generous deeds proceed not
from foul ignoble motives. You may
impress upon the poverty-siricken that
circumstances can impose no real barrier
between your heart and theirs. Nay, in
a thousand ways, may little words and
little deeds 90 down into the crushed or
Ignorant heart like the unseen deWfall
into the wilted flower, reviving and beau
tifying afresb. | would not have your
voices ring out in The wide halls of leg
islation. | would not have your slender
form exposed in public efforts BETTING
the rostIum-nor would | ave you seek
f with the loud volatility attending igno-
rance to impress yonr views and opinions
upon the minds of others. Yet never
should we receive silently or parry lightly,
thereby sanctioning their farther prog
; ress, opinions dangerous to the holier
interests Of mankind. There is work for
: all to do in the grand field of moral re-
form, but it is by no sudden descent,
: no bold stroke Of arms that victory may
be won. From the out door world we
may learn a patient and unwearied les
e son. The dew drop and the sunshine
work silently, but the result is none the
less glorious. Their work is not all &C
d complished in a day, a week, a month;
but they falter not, stealing gently, ST.
lently, imperceptibly into natures heart,
a until, with a quickened pulsation, she
d awakes to a new life, starts up draped
with flowers, crowned with fruits, fes-
$ TONED with verdure, and giving back in
turn all the sweet influences which are
wreathed together by her fragrance anC
&c her melody, her beauty and her love,
,e There is work for all, and woman, brigh
d in the panoply other youth and beauty
J. may do much. Whether in the humble
h. walks Of life, when day after day find.
+ her bending over her needle that sh,
may thereby ministerto the body's crav
~ ings, or whether she treads with a queen
Iy step the halls of grandeur and Of ease
there are obligations resting upon her
high, holy, Heaven -riveted obligations
er which she may not lay aside. And es
m pecially TO the young woman I woul
appeal; those bright rosebudinth wreat
it of our country's hope, as termed by Mrs
" Sigourney's gifted pen, TO elevate highe
and still higher the beautiful banner
od moral and religious truth. Bush wit
ne a firm and steady hand every debasin
in stain with which the worlds fingers ma
ne seek to soil its snowy folds, and whene7
nv er ii floats in the breeze, strengthens
| and upheld by the purity Of your exau
,ed pie as well as precept, there will
voices to encourage, the approval Of yot
concience to sustain, and the smile
your God-to bless
The remorse which filed the breast
Ich Ida Lisle was hearty and sincere; an
e. not even an acquaintance with tie d
e. ception which had been practised upc
Az her could remove from its stronghold ii
impression that she had acted wrong
SOL in denouncing an institution which 81
an knew had accomplished so much GOO
she She had learned a lesson, a stern lesst
Ill IllG utjDI dluIII2S Vi HtI COICIGDCG. Il
FoF ring those few hours when she regard,
Inc herself as the instrument Of the downf
uio of a highly gifted youth. She knew
nus loved the wine-cup; she knew strenuo
she exertions had been made by his frien
tai to save him, and yet she had ~thoughtle.
Ken ~ sought to foil them all, and might ha
my succeeded but for the kind watchfulne
I'VE which had thwarted her. Added
aeo these reflections, in themselves by
lhe means pleasant. was the humiliating fl
ofu- that be could presume to play such
Ing, farce with her; that she had so sunk
IAN in his esteem that he could feel and
oes- %ercise the liberty of ~feigning himself
10 Il toxicated in her presence. View it
soar every light she possibly could, vexat
ioil- and remorse were lis constant attendar
oy We will not say her conclusions w,
why over-strained, but there was certai
I'M connected with them il the extreme S
lotal sibility Of her feelings, a degree of NOR
Tue censuIe, which no examination into
nlng motives could entirely remove. I'M
ana nation. bitter. burning indignation
why wards him, was the irst.black temp
anu wing that swept over her soul; then
! fury of the storm-cloud turned upon
! luil own head alone; but reflection and pra
oeau- made an opening in the sombre Gle
nuoe drift, revealing a bluer sky and a bri:
lows er sun beyond. Under the first elias
give influences she hao twice refused
ho@ admittance to her presence; bat the p
way of duty grew more distinct and
) ask calmness conseonent unon . knowle
: his of that dutv and her detarm;Doto
Oliity pursue il rested upon her so that W
his name was announced to her the t
urage time, she descended the stairway
rVlie' entered the room where he awaited
with an unfalteriDg step and a quiet
were nifty of manner which became her /,
;taole In truth, it had settled unconsciously
on her, as the vagaries Of her girlish
me. cY had merped infn a raalizafinn &c