Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-01-26

who passed the house, and felt that death
that dread presence-was an inmate there,
dealing with the mortal part of sweet Grace
Stanton.
The lawyer satin his wife S darkened room,
beside the physician, gazing with fearless
eyes and rigid features at the motionless form
of the dear being-so doubly dear in this
trying hour. Grace was just alive she
knew not that she was a mother; she laid
near unto DEATH
A glorious sun shone through the mist Of
the early morning; the dew, unbrushed
from the rose, melted into its bosom the
birds twttered under the caves; but the
muffie was replaced upon the knocker by a
broad band of Grape and while, the carts
EFsalea 2eisily onward to the mart, and the
hui q oIhan1an, happy voices filed the busy
street, Herman Stanton knelt by the bed up
on which his wife slept, alas ! too deeply.
His arms were thrown across hecold, beau
tifu body, and the groans that sweled from
his wounded heart were at times SO fearful,
50 loud, that they filed the passers-by with
dread.
Sorely was he stricken /; he felt more an
guish for this bereavement than for his sir.
Grace was cofhned-borne to the little
graveyard, and the stricken husband return
ed changed being, to his desolate house,
there to gaze upon the features of his moth
erless child.
My dear little Grace he murmured, as
the tenderlove of father swelled his bosom
AS the first tears he had shed in his great
sorrow, fell upon the infants brow, dear lit
tie lonely one, you shall be named after the
gentle being that bore you-precious child!
he exclaimed, with fresh gush of feeling
1 have something yet to live for
But what thought darkened his brow
what wild shadow did weird memory beck
~ from her silent home, that deathly pale
ness gathered over his face, as he bent te
kiss the babe ? Why did he stare-anG
writhe, and clench his lip till the teeth lef
almost the mark of blood upon it?
That siness cherub lying so passive anc
beautiful across his strong arms, its swee
blue eyes looking within his own, with din
undeveloped recognition-that child was
ah how unfortunate
And the presence was with him-tht
dark, wrathful presence, whispering in his ear
in accents that rung upon his conscience Fkc
the steel upon an anvil, Your child shal
bear the burden of your SIM
With wild start, groan, in which hate
remorse, contrtion, were blended, fearful, in
tense, he gave his babe back to her nurse
and seaLinos h;e chamber ell .,1,nn his lsnnas
and a frantic prayer winged It's way up t(
the Eternal, which we may not record.
After the death of his wife, Stanton be
came a reserved, taciturn man. His eyes
remarkable for the quick flashes Of light
that in some happy moment gave uncom
mon brilliancy to his noble countenance
grew hard and cold, like those of man VIII
; wraps his love in the close folds of his sol
: row. But he grew in fame every day h
held mighty balance of power in the com
munitY nearly every mans heart was i
his hand, and with his facile, wonderful elC
quence, he moulded them to his will tn
!, most implicit trust was reposed in him. Il
was pitied because he seemed unhappy, II
vered for his blameless life, his stern morals
his undertaking honesty, idolized for his e
MUS, the versatility of which made him tn
: peoples idol.
Grey haired men looked up ohim for ac
:, vice and council. Fair maidens threw dow
their gauzy wells over their blushing faces,
: his stern eyes by chance were fixed upo
e them, for it seemed to them as if that strang
d cold being Of another sphere, read the vel
u depths Of their souls, scanning their inn'
: and most sacred thoughts.
: How easily might lie have chosen anon
y = the fair coterie of maidens around him.
y y Many beautiful girl would have been prov
Il to winthe love of the stately lawyer-b,
no he strictly avoided all female society
. and it was well known-for nurses al
, housekeepers have busy tongues, and de
sometimes in scandaI-that he invariab
. took his meals by himself, and that his chi
- - was carried to him at stated periods, al
- - left alone with him. 1t was also motto
= that at church, when the venerable and sol
- " stricken father of his deceased wife, W
: flltering forth his labored sermons, Herm
woul44. sit sit all through the services with
u :. gIoved hand shading his eyes, and thou
y the dark eyed belle Of the community :
= y nearly opposite, he never SO much as gls
u. - ced at her, and always staid after church |
10 til all the women had left.
IL Thus there was romance thrown arou
Is him, which served to heighten the inter
=. shared on his account, making him M
20 sought for, more admired.
NJ TO EE CONTINUED.
wv -
or, THE DEAD OF 1852.-The list of the dt
iy for the past year includes such names as D.
iel Webster, Henry Clay, John Sergea
% Prince Schwartzenberg, David Graham, R
~ ert Rantoul, Roger Jones, Arthur Welesl
hu John EIcKinly, William Ware Thomas Moo