Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-11-08

Ike an active character, when you command
le to stand by an honorable man whom L
o not love at the bridal altar, then indeed 1t
time for me to say it is an act l cannot,
iii not dor
But you have not tried to love him yet
Nor will l. / am satisfied with the object
lpon whom my first affections have been be-
towed. and though ] respect your demands SO
ar as not to marry him against your VIII,
yet without some palpable reason on your
BART, l never will try to withdraw them
You deal very extensively in posltlves.
Excuse me, Father, you surprised me SO
much, SO very much, l scarce know what
lid say
Then you will carry out my wishes, that
a dear, good girl, wont you?
IF they are for me to marry Mr.. Brandon,
again I say emphatically, no sir! l am calm
now, father indeed l am, and very, very
shall / be if you cast me out from your
heart and home but really l can do no such
deed as that. You allowed Harry's visits,
you treated him both before and since his
rejection with perfect kindness, yet you say
I cannot marry him, and give not the shadow
of a'reason for the decree. So far l obeyed
you. | Gained the whirl of angry passions
and redoubled all my interest and affection
that you might perceive no change. l put
by all his proposals, and far more, subdned
the evil spirit within, ysbisI ~ sEga~ IA
l could not bear to cave you in your lonely
home. | will bear all this still, if you will
it, for / shrink from drawing on his head and
mine a parents curse but you must not
command me to marry another. Rather than
do that, | will go out to earn the daily bread
| require, or take that clandestine step which
l promise never to do unless to save myself
from a baser fate.'
Mary listen to me !! You are young
your life has been passed amid amuence and
wealth. Harry has but his profession to de-
pend upon, whilst Brandon is already the
owner of a vast estate. Wealth is power,
there is no mistake about that, however much
we denounce it; and perhaps if you reject
this alliance for IN humble one, the time
may conn when you will sigh for the splen-
dor, influence and position you now fling
away
Mary listened very calmly to this speech,
then raised her eyes, which had been bent
on the floor, to her Fathers face, as if to as
sure herselfhe had finished before she replied:
Now listen to me, Father. True, I am
young and been nurtured amid comfort and
luxury, but you forget to state in connection
with that fact, another equally as important,
which is, during all my life there has been
good, wise friends about me to form and
strengthen all those better principles that
live to some extent in every youthful heart.
They taught me gold could bring no real hap
piness, splendor no actual Joy, and position
no positive good. They taughtmereal worth,
manly integrity and christian virtue were
not necessarily associated with it's grandeur /;
but on the contrary, that the dependence re-
posed on its gorgeous ~trappings oft subver-
ted that purer and better foundation from
which a proper character was to be erected.
You yourself educated me that | might bat
tie with the universities of life, when they
came and | feel conscious if a kind Heaven
DEGREES them to my lot, it will also endow
me with strength to struggle and endure. II
? you have nothing farther to allege against
Harry Talbot, l have chosen
But Brandon's character, Mary, is equal
ia every respect to Harry's. Moral integrity
1 strict manly principle has never deserted
!; him.
I tStil. Father. I have laarnedtn lore Harnu
ali the subtil s~ympathies of my nature ara
! interviewer with his, and if all the principal
: tiles and powers of the world lay at my feet
? l would still feel content in my preference tx
' turn away from them, place my hand in his
and start out on the pilgrimage of life, will
. him for my counsellor and guide. If you
> have other objection say on but indeed tn,
: evils you have as yet depicted | do not fea
. to meet.
U Il have nothing farther to urge just now
I Leave me, Mary; but he did not lift hi
head from the hand upon which it had DROP
ped, nor did he heed her though she LITE,
. the whitening locks from his brow and left
4 long warm kiss thereon, ere she glided iron
the room. AS the door closed he raised hi
% head, dashed his hand across his eyes, for
moisture was cleaning in each, but a smil
illumined his face as he exclaimed" 1t wa
an unkind test all around, perhaps; but sh
stood it nobly'
Il wish you would make me a glass of hC
d lemonade, DEAR said Mr.. Alton to Mar
h that evening, and even as he made the reques
ia Harry Talbot's ring echoed throughout tt
building. Glad to escape for a time with h.
n tumultuous feelings from his presence, 81
hastily left the room by an opposite door
" he entered from the hall. She did not see
of to be long preparing the luscious draugh
but Mr.. Alton might have thought so, for
came out to look for her and met her just
she was issuing from the dining room, wi
the trimming goblet in her hand. He I
ve tered no word, but taking the glass from h
II; grasp he stepped back placed it upon tt
sideboard, then drew her hand in his arr
"a nor paused until reaching Harry's side
laid her hand in his, with a fervent-' G.
bless you God in Heaven forever bless y
both land turned and left the room.
od There was no eye to behold the exsta'
,of that flashed Thoroughbred souls and illumin
their faces-no ear to list to the words
love they uttered, but the young and enth
Ter siastic hearts that have perused thus far tt
III simplenarrative can easily supply both. 7,
,,ly hours later Mr.. Alton returned, but he foul
no WEAKNESS upon the part of either.
snt And now, Father dear Father do t
me why you served as so p and Mary i
her seat by Harry's side and threw hers,
upon a f~ootstool at her fathers feet.
Humility is BETTING a pleader,' he repli
son gaily, stroking the brown curls caressine
did back from her brow and looking afectiona
ly in her upturned face; but seriously, /
child, he resumed had no idea of carryi
the whatI intended asa simple jest so far. VII
vas you asserted with so much self confder
re- your determination to be guided by AL
ing Glare, after Emma's wedding, the idea fla
the ed across my brain that | would put that
i'm sertion to the test, when Harry asked
ex- your hand. He did so In a few DAYS, a
you know the result. Ihad intended rem
ne, ing the interdict in a short time but sor
how postponed it until your cheerful acqui
DRY cence awoke another fear, namely: that J
did not love Harry as you should the m
you stood pledged to marry. Your cal
irst passive manner deceived me | could
rds fathom the feeling that could submit to 81
his injustice so tamely. Brandon's address
gave me an opportunity to test your affecti,
nea bu trying tn onnUInco Won he yUaa n ohni