Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1852-05-08
Beautiful Sketch.


have worshipped blue eyes, and their is no
radiance so heavenly as that which CLEANS from
them But black are more bewildering and
when shadow of melancholy falls ever the fore
head, it softens their beauty hl+ it does not dim
them. = If you will 90 with ne now
to glen in the Highlands and willow shaded
nook, l will point out to you TIE very spot where
years ago, there stood rude bench, on which
many times | have seen the fair girl | write Of
sitting, and by which l once saw her kneeling.--
The cottage under TIE hill is occupied By stran-
gers, and its broad hall and large rooms now ring
to the laughter of those that know not whose gen
tie spirit haunts their very chambers.
She ewas beautiful as dream. Never was ho-
lier forehead shaded by raven tresses; never were
tresses so glorious as those. If | tell you that
loved Sarah D, you will call me an cnthusi-
asst, and ascribe my admiration to my passion
did love her, but only as boy worships being
very far above him. | used to lie at her feet on
the grass, and gaze into her face, and watch the
play Of her exquisite features. 1t was there l
learned first how high, and pure, and worshipful
may be.
She was young and beautiful What need to
add that she was loved, for such as she lives on
affection, and die for lack of it Her father de-
voted his fortune an his life to her and she was
heiress to large estate. As might. be expected
she had numberless suitors of every rank and
although kept the of them tolerably we'll
But of all there were only two that appeared to
have any prospect of success and the village
gossips were occupied in discussing their relative
chances.
Frank R was the gayest, best hearted fell
low in the world, and had you seem him on his
horse by the side of Sarah D, you would
have said that he was made for her. so wild was
his laugh, and so Joyous her response. Yet, had
bsa b,l,i tba olo .,ftI ,-i-
dow in front of the large white house on the hill,
as they rode by and had YOU there watched the
compressed lip, the broad, calm forehead, the pale
face and the sparkling eye of Joseph s., as he
saw them passing you would have prayed to God
that that fair girl might belong to that noble man,
even as l. a boy, then prayed.
God has answered my prayers When The long
way was travelled over, and the rugged and diff
cult steep surmounted-when her fairy foot was
pressed on the rock at the summit of the hill OF
1 life, and her eyes gazed into the deep blue sky,
with longing gaze, there, even there, beyond
the blue, his sout-stretched arms received her.
and his embrace was heaven!
Go preach TO blocks and stones ye who believe
that love is of the clay Go preach to the dead,
ye who deny the Immortality of the affections
Go reason with trees, or images of wood, or with
your own motionless, ieless, icy souls, ye who
believe that, because there is no marrying
cause, we may not the gentle words g my
wife," we may not clasp these sanctiEed forms
into our own holy arms 1 tell you man that
mm Mortality would be glorious cheat, if with
our clay died all our first affections. / tell YOU
that annihilation would be heaven, if | believed
that when my head at length rests on its cof1ined
pillow, and my lips sink to the silence and repose
of death, these loving eyes will never look into
mine again, this pure clasp never be around my
neck, this holy never bless more !
But see how l hasten in advance of my story
And yet, like Canning's knife grinder, l remem-
Der now that have no story to tell, or at best il
is simple story.
She loved joe His calm and earnest way o
loving her, won her whole soul. He did not say
: much in her company, nor of her but when
they were alone, or only some of the children
near, his low voice would be musical, and she sa
f entranced with his eloquence. l have seen then
: seated bench by the side of the stream, anC
have heard him lead her gentl soul, step by step
with him from earth to stars, and then from stsl
to star, until she seemed to be in heaven with him
5 and listening to the praises of the angels.
am unable to tell how it happened. JOSEPH
t s. left his profession (Which had been thu
law) and entered the ministry nor am l able t.
state though l might guess at the causes opera
/ ting in his mind, The father of Sarah D
r was not religious man, and | am sorry to say
I
deny the truths of our most holy creed, but TAXI
( every opportunity to cast ridicule rs teachers
1t was, therefore, with great pain that his daugh
5 ter observed his codness and rudeness to Josepl
+, s., and was not surprised, however much sht
0 was greyed, when an open rupture rendered tht
t suspension of his visits at the house absolutel,
: necessary.
| They had never spoken of love. Each knew
: the secret of the others affection and what neet
of words to tell it :? 1t would have been but a re
d petition of hacknied phrases. And yet there
S no music in the world so sweet those thre
a words, q love you, y from the lips we love t
d kiss. But the father of gentle friend ha
e feared the existence of some bond between them
n and peremptorily required his daughter to brea
If if it did exist.
n She replied to him, relating the simple truth
and be desired her to refuse thenceforward to Sc
| or speak to Joseph
n A month of deeper pain than can well be mag
: ined succeeded this command, during which the
h did not meet.
1t It was en- moonlight night in August that sh
e walked out with me, then a boy three years he
IS Junior, and sat on the bench by the side of til
h stream. The air vas clear, the sky serene an
t. no sound disturbed, but the soft voice of the win
e. among the tree-tops made pleasant music; an
i we listened and were silent. The stiffness wa
/ broken by the voice Of Joseph s..
IL You will pardon me if pass that scene
i | dare not attempt description of it. 1t wa
/ my first lesson in human suffering, and though
n have learned it over and over since then, thous
J the iron has entered my soul, and scared an
I scared it. yet have never seen, and | do NJ