Daily evening star. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1852-1854, 1853-06-10

and Irving met at party. Irving escor-
ted her to the tables and requested he
pleasure Of drinking glsss with her. She
politely, yet firmly, declined. Irving in
sisted On the ground Of custom and friend
ship.
''Neither custom nor friendship. Mr..
Irving, has the right to demand sacrifice
Of principle" said Emma, "and | should
deem myself unworthy the name of wo-
man or friend should I grant such re-
quest, and lure you on in the utter ruin Of
body and soul.''
Why, Miss Carson, I am really sur
priscd to hear you speak with so much
earnestncss in this matter, and more es-
pecially at what I must consider al I'm
necessary reflection.
Mr.. Irving, any young man who in
dulges in ardent. spirits even to a moder-
ate degree, and that restricted to the fash
ionable circle, is, in my opinion, in danger
of ruin; and [ assure you [ will never
knowingly, directly or indirectly, coun-
tenance the evil and furthermore. no
one, especially young man, whose habits
are confirmed, can retain my esteem and
his wine"
But instances can beaddUced in which
your rigid discipline has defeated its own
ends by driving to DESPERATION
"Granted, that there are such isolated
cases, what do they prove-thc evils ofan
illiberal morality, or the reckless deprav-
ity of the human heart 1t is on such
occasions as the present, that vice too Of
ten receives the approving smile ofwealth,
fashion and influence, and virtue her deep
est wounds"
"Miss Carson, [ fear YOU place more
stress on the influence Of your sex than
the subject will Justly warrant"
"Not at all, sir. Tell me, ifany the
present company Of young men shall be
laid in drunkard's grave, to whose infu-
ence may it in reason be attributed VIII
You tell me the influence Of her VINO fills
his glass to night will not add weight and
speed to his descent 2"
Irving and Emma were standing apart
from the company. Their conversation
being in low tone Of voice, was not
overheard among the general confusion OF
tongues and dishes.
A couple of ladies passed over to them
and chided them for being unsociable.-
Irving had put the wine untasttd Oh the
Window-scat, which, one of the ladies OBJ
serving, inquired why their glasses were
not empty. Irving laughinglv remarked
that he had just discovered Miss Carson
had conscientious scruples, when one said,
wait till get another glass, and Kate
and [ will drink with vou."
The glass was brought and the three
drank with great glee, twitting Emma on
her puritanis,n." The conversation
hanged, and nothing further was said on
the subject that night. Enough had been
said to awaken Irving from his dream OF
happiness and reveal to him g barrier to
The consummation Of his hopes.
Could he yield Emma without struc-
Gle with his enemy-ruthlessly demolish
hat bright structure of the future on
which he loved 10 gaze-wantonly crush
the blossoms OF hope strcwn along his
pathway, and which, if kindly nourished,
would return harvest of sweet Joys?
His better feeling turned with proud
contempt from such picture, and met
the cold sneer, the taunts and ridicule Of
his evil genius-Hawkins How tue j;
is that
There is time-we know not when,
A point--we know not where,
That marks the destiny of men.
And leads to glory or despair"
Henry 1rving's destiny was poised on
such point. His moral integrity had
become partially deadened under the in
tuonce of vicious associations, and now
when the hour had come in which he was
10 choose his future, he was wanting in
that strength of soul that would have
enabled him to rise above those influences
that hung like an incubus about him.
If he had then possessed what every
Young man so much needs in the hour Of
rial and temptation-the counsel and
sympathy of virtuous friendship, how
differently would have been his fate, but
he did not He sought counsel and SYM
pathy from Hawkins.
"Whv Irving said Hawkins one even
ing as they sat in their room talking the
matter over, 1T ism t possible you II make
such ID fool of yourself as to give up
to the whining Of a school girle A pretty
how-dy'e do, indeed, when wan must
renounce his manhood, acknowledge his