Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-07-14
Origin nj 5tnru.
WoMAN'S INFLUEACE; OR

North Carolina.
In THREE PARTs-BY LoRA.
PART SECOND-CHAPTER THIRD.
1t was the morning after the conversation
detailed in the last chapter, and the one of
the duel. The hour as already stated was
an early one, vet the last we would suppose
that man could SO recklessly p%rofane. Not
a dew.drop had been swept by the early
peasant from the waving grass-not 4 sun
ray had dried up its pendant jewels from the
quivering leaf. Birds were filing the arr
with their morning song Of praise, and the
sweet scented zephyr fingered to bear with
its offering of fragrant incense the melody
which gushed from their tiny Threats to the
golden gates Of Jehoyah's kingdom. Oh
it was an hour meet for man to 60 forth and
indulge in higher, holier dreams than usual
w filed his brain-to fling from his burden
ed soul the earth-chains which fetter it, and
drink IN deeper, fuller, sublimer ideas Of
Gods intention in creating him in his own
image. 1t was an hour to feelthe bitterness
Of earthly cares and v~anities, to find the gros-
ser part ofour natures dissolving before the
reflections upon the immaterial, the incom-
prehensible Architect of so much loneliness.
Reader, have you not often felt the sweet
influences afoat upon the new born morn
ing's wings. '~peryading and spiritualizing
your very being and bearing you upward
and onward, even until lost in a monetary
realization of the glories Of Heaven ? And
from that v%oiceless fancy flight did you not
deeper feel the mystery of that spirit which
pervades all space yet lives within the heart
Hour of fragrance, and freshness, and beauty!
fit to lead our thoughts alone, oh God to
thee-to thee.
Did such thoughts fill the mind of Frank
Egbert, as he slowly rode to the spot appoin-
ted for the meeting 2 We know not. for his
manner was collected and digniied vet we
may be pardoncd for supposing a mangled
corpse or a shattered limb foated with more
distiuctness athwart lis mental vision, thar
those purer emotions called up by referring
the visible beauty back to an invisible God
A short distance from the ground he wa
Joined by Hudson, and after the mornin.
salutations were over pursued their way il
silence together. The other party had no
arrived. Five, ten, nearly fifteen minutes h
bad impatiently paced the smooth greer
sward and an angry exclamation had just ros
to his lips, when the turning Of asudden an
gle in the road brought a rider at full speeC
to view. A moment longer and a servan
stood by his side with-'A letter from mas
ter Richard, SIR With a hasty ejaculation
Of anger he tore open the letter but bette
feelings began to stir his heart during it
perusal. 1t ran as follows
Is it possible, Frank Egbert,you could d
me the injustice in your W heart to sup
pose ! would stand your opponent in a duel
Have not long years found us porting j
unison Of spirit over the same pages, drink
ing with hearts equally entranced the will
thrilling measures Of the Poets brain or tn
spirit lulling harmony which ebbed from th
same fruitful source Have we not gon
forth together inthe fragrant hour Of earl
morn-strayed into the leafy forest where w
could defy the day monarch's beams in b
meridian glory-and has not the gorgeou
hour of his kingship'S departure-the husI
ed and mellow season Of prayerful twilight
and the gradual bursting of star after star o
Heavens azure robe, found us hand claspedi
hand, and heart ~throhbing with heart, unit
one spirit seemed to animate each ? Ho
often have we employed ourselves with til
aid of imagination's fingers in sketching tn
probabilities of our future life-and do vo
remember how through it all, whether dan
or bright, constancv was to have been a II
ling star Never 4! Never {! What pa
sed that night is to me a kind Of balf-drear
a confused and indistinct vision. | know
vexed you, and you struck me the rest
all chaos. did not even remember a cha
lenge. How ! was surprised, then, you ms
Judge, when I received Robins letter la
evening, detailing all the arrangements of
meeting as agreed upon by him and Hu
son. And | was still more surprised "
could allow so foolish an affair to distu
your Owl equanimity, or that you could fiji
room in your heart for any such thoughts
me. I withdraw my challenge, Egbert
retract every thing l said d~isrespectful
Miss Selby, and YOU know the opinion | e
terrain of her worth and if this does n
satisfy you, proclaim me coward if you WI
III my letter reads too efeminate for yo
mood, remember it requires but a short t
ition in q silent darkened room, where t
stealthy tread and subdued voice tells of t
mortal illness of a dear one, to tempori
youths wilder fancies-whilst the conte,
plation Of robust and sinewy manhood stri,
en- from the zenith ofglorious strength to t
imbecility of childhood, is a new fount'
from which I have largely drank. God bl
you, Egbert Go to Miss Selby at once.
trust this foul affair will not reach her e
and remember me in no other light but
the loved friend and companion of forT
days. RICHARD ALTON.
The hope expressed in the latter part
the letter, that his bctrothed would not b
of their difficulty, stirred an answering Oh,
in Egbert's heart, and hastily crushing it
his pocket without a Ssrd, he sprang W
his steed and was soon on his way full sp,
back to town. The sun had risen gloriou