Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-12-06
A Story with a Moral.
RACHEL: OR, AUTUMN LOVE.

In an carly season Of life saw Rhch.
el; when my eyes frs fell upon her
countenance its beauty seemed day.
light dream. She was as Grace in her
lather's home. In my mcm'fy she is
still pictur,d; slight, delicate, fair, but
flushed with fitting tin,s OF cafnatlon.
Her figure was moulded TO realize the
soft dignity Of her dcmeanor; her head,
classical in shape, wore with its dawn
bright tresscs in Grecian bralds, ami air
Of gentle pride; and in her eyes-mlId
as the eyes of young saint wishing for
beaven-all her mailenly emotions
were expressed. loved Rachel soon;
il was TO me The best JOY Of life to be
with her, sweetcr to hear her voice than
to listen to the saddest music. for it came
to my ear charged with holier melo ly.
In her there was not alone the beauty OF
iha, scu |! ptured Eve. The painters glo.
nv was truly on her iace,-the faith OF
Guido's Mary, the meekness Of Salvi's
nun. I would have Tlian's golden pen
ell to fix her ncc,ing smile, and Carlo
NDolci to immortalize her tears. But
stu lions and thoughtful, she had search
ed the wisdom of many days; she knew
books and gathered their worth in her
mind; she was no liaht, fanciful beauty,
blown like May blossom along the
banks Of time, but posscssor OF that Sc
cond providence of thought, which is do
Gle 20 the greater providence OF Ma
turc.
When knew that loved Rachel, |
was candid to myself. looked through
long future. and confled in my own
faith. Hope lai'k many seeds in the
ground, and expected them all to How
cr. But long hill those thoughts. A.
lone | connted over my visionary joys.
Without willing it, was more aPpar'
emily Indifferent to Rachel than to most
other friends. seldom spoke, except
on common topics, to her; she. however,
con, ersed much with me. AMI we were
often together. know she was kindly
disposed towarl me-, for her manners
were friendly, and for a time SIC rather
sought than avoidc lmy society. Gfndu'
ally, however, MS began to find express
sion Tor my affection, saw tn It at hfsl
it was misunderstood then it was doubt
cd, then it was thought an alluslon, and
then it was repcllcd. When she dis
coverc my fon lncss, her first feeling
was Of anger; but anger softened into
perpexcI pity, AMI that saddene INTO
sorrow. What never with plain words
desired, she coull not in words deny;
but as my love was known without
being told, so her rejection of i! was
kindly but unequvocally clear.
Still, buoyant as | was in heart, Tree
in spirit with an Imagination colorins
all things brilliantly, was not bsgsar.
ell in hope. sorrowel, but deSpon 'e |
never | vainly, in |cel, rep'ncd over
the past. but vaguely coun'el on the
future. At last, wi,hou, a confession IN
1orm. expressed the sentiments which
ruleI NE. Rachel, whose thoughts all
moved on the high level of virtue, deslr'
ed to spare mr more grlet, but scarcely
knew how. No one knew Of my love
ror her. The intercourse of our families
vas so constant that they almost seem.
combined into one. She coull not
20 from me, and woull not stay from
her. When she spoke of parting as the
best, begged her so sorrow'ully to let
me remain among her common friends,
tba. she consented. She even believed
that this would be my cure; for such
Youthful (crvcncy, So impctuoLs and SO
.u lLcn, would undoubtedly waste llsel
away. Time, variety, the interests OF the
world, would, she confidently thoush
AS she sincerely desrel-wear out a!
affection which was never tempted by
her, never beckoncd to be forbidden
but wandered ever in desert, shelter
less, without place to lay its head.
Yet loved her with an incrcasin?
love. Many saw with beauty, ant
youth, and brightness of demeanor, on'
many with innocence and gentle wis
dom; but none like Rachel, who was a
lone in her shrine. and sacred still.
was unhappy. secluded myself in tho
darkness of my own thoughts. made
dcsolation, and dwelt in it. Unreason
able and bitter were tho complaints o
my despair. The flowers Of many sum
mers, the plumber Of many springs la,
at my feet; but one snowdrop, one VIC
let, one vnlley.li!ly, was all wante'
and that one could not have.
What was the use Of laying out gar
dens ofhope if Rachel was not to be tn
sweetest blossom there? What was tn
glory Of a whole Corinth of palaces
Rachel would not he theil queen! Wha
was the delight Of prosperity if it ros
like a harvest on an unpeoPIcd isle
What was the promises OF fame if it
prophecies sounded hollow TO desolat
heart? Rachel knew this now. Wit
her kindness and gracious sistery aifec
ton, sweetly offered, but. refused M
famished love, she again asked ME earn
estly to leave her. | wished, for a mo
men,, that she would then peremp'oril.
forbid me to see her, but | would not
could not, go uncompelled. | Nigh
then have bent my head upon my hands
and gone blind from her sight. But he
}. cntreaty was not command; and as
, was, she said, for my sake, not for hers
that she desired, if, | felt no power to
! hey. From that time she was studious
= ly guarded in her manners. Sometime
an impulse of grateful fondness rose i
her heart. but she chez ked it, lest sh