The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-03-24
NO. 325.


had often fondly prevised-not with a faithful.
loving clasp strengthening his hands-not with
fervent, inspiring gaze imparting courage
and energy to his sOul--not with approval and
sympathy, and faithful. cordial concurrence
confirming his fath--arming him for any con
flict-strengthening him for any sacrifice Oh
no, no; far otherwise. She had heard him
with repelling hand and ayerted eve, and scorn
and losthing and repulsion. that had left him
bitterly disappointed, humbled, weakened pros
trated, pdraly=ed, by selfdoubt!
Was she right Was he a mailman
Oh it were far less agonizing to believe
himself weak, deluded fanatic, than her a
false and shallow egotist There had been an
element of worship and of aspiration in his
love for India. And was this idol mere duh
stone, upon which he had broken himself in
vain He could not bear to think so. He was
willing TO believe himself fool or a mailman.
10 that her image remained undimmed, unspot-
ted, unchanged in ts shrine-so that she was
still a perfect woman, angel, goddess
And was this not truly so? Was her decL
sion not really just and was he not indeed
fanatic!
To believe this, would end the struggle and
the agony at once. To confess this, would re-
store harmony and happiness to the grievously
disturbed family circle, and peace and Joy 70
himself and his India How easy to step down
from his pedestal Of principle, frankly confess
it tohave been q false position, taken ia fit
Of generous, youthful enthusiasm to Jest over
it with his friends-friends recovered bv Mat
step to call himself Don Quixotte the younger,
laugh ut the matter and dismiss it 10 oblivion
And then, India This beautiful bewidering
girl would be his own in FIVE days That vision
whelmed him in vague, intense delirium.
Would 1t be so easy to step from his post, to
adjure his principles, TO silence his conscience?
Mo- Even amid the intoxicating dream of
his beautiful midas love, his stern soul IN
swered, No!
He knew that he had not taken a false posi-
tion-the Tempter could not persuade him that
he had done 80 He knew himself to be right
| He knew that he was not sclfdeceived Not
even now in this hour of bitter trial, would his
moral sense be 10 confused Ia his conscience,
the dividing line between right and wrong was
too clearly, distinctly, sharply defined, and
there was no possibility of confusing or mis-
taking the boundary. And so the mental
sophistry of the temptation ended. And now
for the moral conflict Admitted that his CON
victions were those of pure rational duty, why
should he sacrifice so much to them Did
others around him do so Did any one live up to
his or her high idea of rights On the contrary
trho did not silence the voice of conscience
every day of their lives2 Who around him was
not. in their turn and in their way, more or
less unjust, selfish rapacious, oppressive, cruel
And did they not, the best of them, compound
for all this by going to church and confessing
themselves 81 lost and ruined sinners and re
turning with clean conscience, like fair
tablet newly sponged over and prepared to be
inscribed all over again with the same SINS to
be efaced in the same manner? Now, why
could not he also do his pleasure enjoy his ill
gotten wealth, hold to this world, and secure
Heaven-all on these easy terms? 1t was only
to make profession.
1t would not do. His heart, it is true had
not been touched by the spirit of Christianity,
yet his mind was too clear and right to deceive
itself 30 delightfully."- about this matter. That
grace of God which hath appeared unto M
men, taught him that Christ was not the min
ister of sin-not one who gave out patents
comforting impunity in SHINING, and signed with
his own lfe.blood--not one Who wiped ont tho
sins of the soul, as men sponge out marks from
a ote-book, to make room for more of the
same sort of matter-not one to make his own
righteousness the shield for our wilful I'M
righteousness In word, ne felt and knew
that Christ was not the minister of sin.
This sorely tried and tempted man had made
no professions, had used no cant, but he never
theless possessed large portion OF natural
conscientiousness and he had a frank light
hearted manner of doing right, bordering on
| ievity and nonchalance--a manner tending to
mislead superficial observers into making too
shallow an estimate of the depth and earnest
ness of his convictions and principles.
All his family, from the cold hearted, clear
headed Clement Sutherland down to the ar
dent and impulsve India, had mscalcuated
the strength OF his character and the frmness
of his purpose. And hence the comparative
| Indifference with which they had hitherto re-
ceived the communication of his intentions.
| say comparative indifference for though indeed
the family were much disturbed that he should
for n moment entertain such purposes rs he
had revealed yet none of them had doubted
that the influences which should be brought to
bear upon him would compel him to abandon
his project. And thus agitation ut this time
was calmness perfect halcyon peace, in com
parison with the excitement, the confusion, the
chaos the tremendous storm of Indignation,
opposition, and persecution, that afterwards
arose and hurtled around him. There are no
wars 30 bloody as civil wars there are no
feuds 80 deadly Ak family feuds there are no
those Of our own blood when they are enc
mics Others may spare, but they will never
spare! Others may in time become stated with
vengeance but heynever while their victim
has one faculty of mind left uncrazed, or ono
heartstring unwrung. Others may in time
DO touched by some sense Of justice; they
never they hold to and defend their cruelty.
Others may repent they never. IL would seem
that fatal blindness OF sight and hardness
Of heart fell upon them as judgment from
Heaven for their unnatural sin.
Perhaps you think that the days of mar
tyrdom have been passed ever since the stake
and the iagot went into disrepute; aud
that the spirit of persecution went out with
the fires Of Smthfeld. IL you do, may you
never have more reason for thinking otherwise
than is contained in the simple narrative before
you. | am not going to enter infinitely into
the details Of all the scenes that followed that
last interview between Mark and India. /
have all this time gone around and about the
subject fearing or dislking to approach it. 1t
is too---too revolving In real life evil malg-
nant passion is not really the graceful and
dignifed and all but too fascinating thing that
we see it represented upon the stage; for in
stance, in the toga and buskins Of Brutus and
Cassius, or the train and plumes Of Blanca
Fazio. Nor has it stately, measured gait u
sonorous utterance, or grand gesture. 1t il
a humilating fact but it as fact, that it looks
and behaves very much more like an excited
Terry or Judy at a fair. II shakes it, fists and
strides, and vociferates, and chokes, and slut
ters. Fierce anger, hatred, and vengeance,
are of no rank. They show just as hideous,
revolving and vulgar, in the prince or princess
as in the meanest peasant. And all this has
been suggested by the recollection Of the man
ner in which Mark Sutherland was treated by
tho high-born ladies and gentlemen OF his fam
lily
He had made one more attempt to obtain an
other interview with India, by addressing to