The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-12-08

heard it from his lips, and therefore it must
be true.
He il not alone; there is one who talks and
walks and reads with him, and with whom be
thinks it no harm to talk, to walk, and read
for she only wishes for intellectual companion
ship. Her weeds, which are very becoming. con
C. asst strikipgly with her delicate complexion
but he has not learned to read those dark eyes
or he would see something more than intellec
in their uuhallowed glances She knows he hai
left his heart far away in a northern cline
and talks to him freely Of his beloved one, and
ALEC Of her own desolation-her heart is in TIT
grave!
All, man is not alone the seducer--womar
is not alone the victim
He has fallen but her family are among the
proud and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS must not fall
on them. He has sipned and wronged, enC
must make the only reparation now left to re
deem the daughter of the house from infamy
For Amelia there was no longer the prs
trnce Of affection the letters ceased, but with
out explanation and at length hope died bu'
love could only cease with life. No censure
passed her lips and no murmur was heard from
her sinking spirit
Day by day the bloom faded from her cheeks
knew she would die, for her mind was not one
that could be diverted by amusement, or FIND
employment by concentration of mental energy
When there was no longer any object for her
affections, life was without interest, and there
was nothing to preserve even physical siren < h.
She could not endure the thought Of min
Cling again with the thoughtless for her deli
cate nature would shrink from the look of pity,
Il IL. IL Al Ill e.
and well she knew that both would be directed
towards her-desertion being almost as sure a
mark of degradation rs sin and shame, in vul-
gar minds-the envious would rejoice, and the
malicious triumph.
| knew that she had only little while to
live, and | wrote to Robert 5 a reproach-
full letter. such as thought one deserved who
had thus trifed with and trampled upon such
a heart
He answered it; but he did not try to palli-
ate his guilt He was married, and silence was
his duty, now; and any expression of sympa-
thy or regret would be only mockery.
prepared the way for conveying this intel
ligenoe to Amelia, as well As could, knowing
that could not soften it in any way, so that it
would not prove the death-blOw, yet still think
ing it best not to withhold the stroke.
The fountain of her tears had long been dry,
and | hoped this would bid them gush forth
again. even dared to hope that something
like seorn and hatred might be fostered in her
bosom This can be done when only fancy or
passion has existed but anything like revenge,
or wish to injure, can never occupy the place
true love has once usurped in noble heart.
She had fingered through the summer, and
faded with the flowers yet she was not confined
to her bed; and every day read to her, and
brought her garlsnds from the wood-those
wild vines and blossoms which che had 80 loved
in health-and tried to cheer her with the
hope of again enjoying the pleasures Of life
But this she did not desire; she had put her
trust in Heaven, and would talk Of being rec
onciled to live, and the hope of being useful, if
God saw fit to keep her yet little longer in
the world but death was the messenger she
longed to meet aud she did not Doubt nf han
piness IN Heaven.
The iron had entered too deep for the wound
to heal-she could not recover from such q
shock. But had no idea she was so near her
end and day after day put off repeating what
knew must break the last link that bound
her to earth. If had reflected little more
deeply, should have withheld it.
Ii was one of those delicious Indian summer
evenings, when even the invalid needed not to
shun the open window, though the golden tinge
of Autumn was over all the hills, when she sat
with Der wasted hand in mine, and both were
resting on the Bible, that [, for the first time
for many weeks, alluded to him who had thus
wrecked her hopes and crushed her heart
There was no bitterness in her words-some
mystery, she said she could not believe it was
deliberate wrong.
showed her the letter; she read it through
folded it, and laid it upon the window sill, and
said she would like to answer it, if | would
write what she wished to say
They were few words, expressive Of conf.
dence in his truth; for by inspiration she seem.
cd to understand what no one e'se had family
conjectured. She spoke of suffering, and OF
forgveness--she should soon be in her grave
but whilst she lived her heart would remain
true and in death there would be no change
She had ceased to speak, and the shadows OF
evening were gathering around w. A cold
shuddeT passed over her frame, r. single flush
crossed her pallid cheek, and then a dark
shadow seemed to settle for moment upon her
brow. ! soon saw il covered with the clammy
dews which gather there only when the icy
hand of death is upon the heart few hurried
and scarcely audible respirations followed, and
her spirit had fled, "where sorrow, wrong and
trouble, can never torture more"
was Left alone with the clay, and could not
mourn that it was no longer tenanted pressed
the lids upon those eyes which had so often
beam,d upon me with affection left the sad
Office of watcher to another and sought the
solitude Of my room, to weep in agony that
would not be controlled mot that she had
gone-oh, no; it was mercful to take her
away but wept for the suferings Of fallen
world. This is the history of many-oh, how
many-hearts!
To the majority Of women, love Is life--it is
all they have to live for and when il is taken
away they have not, like men, n profession
business, travel, and pleasure, to divert aud
occupy their minds. 1t is a sorrow they can
never tell, to seek the healing balm of sympa
thy-they have only to sit down and endure.
Oh, the sin and wrong it is to trihe with af
fection-the purest, Aoliest, noblest gift which
our Heavenly Father has bestowed. Ii is the
redeeming element in fallen world. But the
nature which is base enough to deliberately
plan the ruin Of trusting, loving heart, or sc
lost as TO look with indifference upon the wreck
which falsehood and betrayal have effected is
only fit for the companionship of fends aud the
prince of darkness.
But Robert $ was not one Of these.
had scarcely returned from tho solemn cere-
mony Of consiguing "dast to dust, and ashes To
ashes" when was startled by the entrance Of
him whom Amelia bad hoped TO see once more
and she was scarcely more changed in the last
days before her death than no seemed as he
stood before me.
could not welcome him, and shrunk from
the grasp Of his hand but he was not a cub,
ject Of envy rs he listened to the story of her
suffering, and felt in every nerve the story Of
her wrong.
He besought me to spare my reproaches, for
he needed pity more than blame; and | could
not withhold my compassion, as | heard the
confirmation of the words Of the wise man, writ.
ten NO MANY ages ago that MANY stronp