Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-07-27
g88DAT READING,
mo GOD"

This day year. said Frank ALLEY, 4 shall be
n happy man.
As the wind lifted his brown curls from a
brow of perfect moulding, thought never
gazed upon a %prouder, brighter, more beaInlng
i have seen Pari1 and my future wife he
added. lauohinrly; two eras from which one
may fairly, date his existence. One yearfrom
tonight, | promise TO show you as fine a house
and rs beautiful a bride, as any other man 10
this fair country
God willing!' i
Frank Alley turned with a toss of his proud
head and bent his flushing eye on the pale
speaker.
sMgself willingl' he exclaimed, with angry
emphasis-'Ik now no God!!
'fhe.e was Il look of almost mortal anguish
on that white face as the Younger brother tur-
ned Gromthe little group. He heard not Franks
impious wager, with his gay friend, that If ne
failed to appear on the very night designated,
In high health, and with MS young Partisan
wife, he was to forfeit City thousand dollars!
Alas! poor Alley. the model Of everything
in a man generous, heroic, and princely, had re-
turned from his European tour-a1 atheist.
IkaeU ne God"
Night after night woke up with tnat fright
ful sentence ringing in my ears. The sneel
that darkened Alleys handsome face with The
stormy hate of a friend, seemed to float palpa
bly, before me in the darkness.
a note or invitation TO Frank Alleys bridal
shall gop
Vari-colored lights bIazod along the avenu,
fronting the %princely mansion, and through TIL
old trees whose lr inches the soft south wine
stirred not, rang strains of inspiring melody
The bride was more lovely than Frank haC
rt,fprnJ bnr IIor rpIou uyurn oIu,Ost ROYAL II
their shining and costly beauty. A rich vel
fell half way from her tresses of gold. Tht
orange wreath, braided with jewels, gave
beautiful lustre to her white, happy brow. Blu
when she looked up with such childish conf
dencc in those deep loving eyes-trusting 81
wholly in tile man who kneURo God,'-hurro
thrilled all my veins.
Won my wager p exclaimed Frank, %exulting
", when the guests were departing.-'Yol
might as well translix lighting, as tie my mine
down to these old, orthodox notions. Her,
you see / am in my own ~house-yonder is M,
wife, my CiU would have it so, and I tell yol
there is no God bit will. Come over and he'll
me drink my first bottle ina social way. Brin!
Mary, and Wen compare brides. English AM
French beauties are quite djssimilar, you know,
and bidding his friend good bye, Frank vanish
cd.
l HcdIa IS IHcTy 'd6Sl rs L ISII, mlngIln
with the silyery strains of Van Auber's las
waltz.
I was about retiring, when the startling shou
Of fire! fire ? broke the Stiffness of the nigh
l sprang to the window. The whole hei
vsns were kind|ed TO flame. On, on rolled til
red light until every object seemed dyed
blood-for a while it hung with a quiverin
glow, as If its heated wings were tired-the
faded and sunk with ftfDl flashes into glooi
again.
In the morning, almost before daylight,
received the fearful intelligence that Frank A
ley's new mansion was a heap of burning ii
ders-and moe horrible than all, his wife h;
persisted in the flames, and he was a ravir
maniac.
No consolation for the b~ereaved husband
no penitence for his awful boast-no altar HI
he; no star ofmercy to lead him out of t
sloud.
o.! it is a fearful thing TO 'know no Coo