Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1853-09-07
O1fgiuul 5tutg.
wk<t.n Tor he Spirit Of ~ Age
oTHE STRANGE WOMAN
ny WILL. wILLowILE.

Are wo not mixd like streams of melting rivers, Z
Whose blended waters are no more distinguish'a,
But roll into the sea one common food ROVE.
Within the mansion walls of Il nobl4hihn
CAV throngs Of rich German families were
gathered, all joyous in the reigning hour of
mirth. The merry strains of the violin, the
%arbling voice Of the reed, the swelling tones
of the harp, the treble pipe and the tanbor-
inc gave forth their richest melody to enliven \
the scene, and to make the air merry with
their song as it hoated and died on the gale,
sweeping across the well titled fields Of, Ger
many on which the gray mantle of twilight
had fallen.
The ringing laugh Of the young the low
t~ittering Of the sire as he played with his
~crand-child the merry hon Of voices the
rich, silken robes that swept across the pal
nee hall ; the wild song Of gIee; the brilliant
glare Of lights struggling through the flower
clad easements ; the youth and beauty gath
cred in happy groups; the patriarchal look
ing Priest, old father Joseph-all or any
would have told a stranger thst & marriage
would have told him that, the paragon of
beauty, reclining on the soft divan, with the
white veil floating arotnd her, and the shceny
diamonds braided in her raven like hair and
flashing in bracelets around her exquisitely
moulded arms, was the bride-the happy Flor
ence-the nobleman's daughter.
And you would have guessed rightly in h
moment, kind reader mine, that the young
naval officer " of noble mien" the renowned
Adolph Kalapsa, was the happy man who.
was soon to call the fair Florence his wife.
The young Lieutenant of His Maicsty's
navy had won, not only one of the faircst
daughters Of the realm, but had won living
renown in the archives ofFane; his courage
=. "a. AL ,rrnotI,oH biS Irovy v.%;t b tkn chnn-
let Of honor, and his name had tcen herald
cd With h clarion blnst rs one Of imperisha.-
bic distinction.
The appointed hour arrived for the solem =
nisation Of the marriage ceremony, when q
vow was to be pledecd ard craven BY the An
gels recording pen in the tables Of stone
when the two shotld become one ""joined of
Heaven" and sec the, glad gates of n blissful
life pilgrimage invitin ely open a. their APP.
proach, or see their path sown with the seeds
Of bitter sorrow and the grim clouds of disap
pointed hopes gathering their elements away
TO the windward. "a .,.
They stood .trcrnblingtY before pll father
Joseph and spoke the vows of a lifelong f
deity to be loving and faithful to each other
It was q scene of deep solemnity and they
felt in their hearts thatthe VOW they had mad,
claimed the smiles Of Providence while ob
served, and Heavens ~ticrccst curse ifbroken
A grave-like silence reigned in the palace
and the bony hands ofthe old Priest trcmblec
when he raised them above the heads of tn,
children, andhis bosom hGaved with the emo
ton his heart felt as he implored heaven
blessings to rest in their pathway.
1hc prayer ofthc Priest was finished, an,
it found u responsive "Ainen" in the bosom
of many. TIE silence was broken with tn
outburst of happiness and again the vii
minstrclsy of joy rang in gladness throug
the palace halls the song of cheerful mel
riment and the voice Of the .wartling rec
camo floating in circles en- the soft higE
breeze in more 'melodiocs strains, and Il
voice Of the music-fctst was wilder with I'll
transport of its nnbounded glG5. ,
Days passed and the revcl was over eaC
merry guest had sought his quiet home, ar
n silence reigncd in the palace where the re
ell and the feast had held the vigils of mirt
The impressive prayer of the Priest SCENE
to to answered, Tor the beams of the glad ST
of Happiness shed a joyous radiance upt
the bride and her mate in each others S
ciety they enjoyed n rapture too Pure itseer
cd for earth, they were to each other d pa
of life when separated for an hour a sha
ow of sadness rested upon the disconsola
spirit, shrouding it in the pail of sorrow b
when together, kindly suns seemed to ev
DGili III NAhSAA lHbh "hAN nv NOAfA
hearts grew tremulous with q thrill,
deep, so wild was their natural delight.
Their happiness, like the leeting glare
the meteor, was too violent to last long So
a day of darkness was upon them, and t
shadow of it's clouds eclipsedthe sun in who
beams they had so ~joyfully reveled. SorrC
was the sore penancc for their fond bliss
and deep agony of soul was given for t
wild gush Of delight that had throbbed
their hearts for a fcw-feU short days
pleasure. Almost Ike d SUMMONS TO
scaGold5 bloody block catho the order to
dolph to be in readiness to 60 into service
gath on the. Ocean wave on the morrow. I
American Colonies HAD caught the fame
liberty-had asserted their Independence
the King, who swaycd the sccptre over the
and his Majesty had called his troops and
fcers to sail over the waters, and beat
rebels into subsection again. Adolph v
a reliable cfEcer and he was ordered by
Majesty to give battle to the disloyal suEje
across the atlantic.
ooh! Adolph," said the weeping wife
she chung to her husband, "ho& can ! b
to be separated from you solong? OH t
heart that beats SO wildly will surely br,
with anguish even at the prospect of such
separation, but alas the reality! the reali
Insupportable y
MY ueaF FLORENCE, Salu DCr nuSD;
caress{ngiy, Ct must go h superior po'
my Majesty, whom to disobey would t
hngrant deed ofdisloyalty, has ordered tt
must away to tho kela Of honor to reap I
~laureis that shah be a common chapIe,
wreathe oor brow hust away to the
onics, dearest"
"Ah! / know it too we'll" WIS the re
" and yet this bleeding heart bids me c
to you and follow you through the fiery 81
of the battle field"
THAT cannot be, Florence the ba
plain is too clam6rous for you-t0o full
strife and blood for sotr gentle presence,
I will greet you in an early letter that S
breathe the burning love-whispcr Of this h
that is forever thine. Thine BY the SAT
vows We have spoken-thihc by the holy
we have cnjoyed-thinc in Il strange lar
thine mid the battle-strife I! As cterna
the Heavens let my VOW remain: 1hir
Gine-forever thine ! Adieu %
And he tore himself away from the ar
embrace that held him closely to the h
that knew no guilSor trcachery-knew +
ing save the pure emotions of awoman's