Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-07-05
9flistelIaneous Artiflts.
Love and Duty.


sight than Etie May as Ae lay sleeping on
her little couch, that fair SIMMER uiyht-
So thought her moher, as she glded gently
in. 10 give her silent, gbgI-night blessing.
The bright fin>h Of youth .Eansl hope was on
her cheek. Her long dark hair lay in mass
es about her neck and sltnldrrs smile
played upon the red llsl aud the fnolher
bent low 10 catch the in,liainct nurniur.-
She starts. at the whispered name. as If a SER
prnt had s;ung her; and as The little snowy
hand is tossed restlessly upon the covellid,
she sees. ginering in the ,noonbeans, on
that childish ifuger, The golden siguet Of be-
,rothal. Sleep songht in salns,to WOO the
eyes Of the mother That night. RpIroach-
fully she aFkel herself, How could have
been SO blind (hnt then Ellie has seemed
to me only child9 Bnt he oh, no; The
wine-eup will lie my child rival it mnst
not be- Etfie was ~ful, and Mrs. Nav
knew she must be cautiously dealt with; mt
she knew, also. that no mother need despair.
who possesses the affection Of her child.
Eie's violet eyes opened 10 greet the first
ray Of the morning sun. aS h" peeped into her
room. She stood at the little mirror. gather
ed up, with those small hands, the rich treyses
so impatient Of confinement. How could
she fail 10 know that she was fair?--she read
ii in every face she met; but there was one
(and she was Fastening to meet hm) whose
eye had noted, with lovers pride, every
shining ringIet, and azure vein. and fitting
blush; his words were soft and low, and skill
fully chosen, and sweeter than music to her
ear; and so she tied, with a careless grace.
:he little straw hat under her dimpled chin:
and fresh, and swsst, aa<2R-gaileIess, as the
daisy that bent beneath her foot she tripped
lightly on to the old trysting place by the viii
| lows.
Stay hand is laid lightly upon her arm,
and the pleading voice Of mother arrests
that spnnging step.
Etfie dear, sit down with me on this old
garden seat; give up your walk for this morn
ing; slept but indiferently last night, and
morning finds me anguid and depressed"
A shadow passed over Et1ie's face the
little cherry lips pouted, and a rebeIlous
feeling was busy at her heart; bnt one look
in her mothers pale face decided her, and,
untying the strings Of her hat, she leaned
her head caressingly upon her mothers
shoulder.
You are i'll, dear mother; you are trou-
bled;' and she looked inquiringly up into
her face.
Listen to me, Ellie. I have story 10 tell
YOU Of plsse!Gf; G Gsul.en- vas ahep,g
bY the name Of Adolph. He had been but
a short time in The village, but long enough
to win the hearts of half the Young girls,
from their rustic admirers. Handsome, frank
and social, he found himself everywhere a
favotie. lie would sit by me for hours,
reading our favorte authors and side by
side, we rambled through all the lovely paths
with which our village abouLded. NV pa
j; rents knew nothing TO his disadvantage, and
i were equally charmed as myself with bis cul-
: ti.ated refinement of manner, and the inde-
: Unable interest with which he Invested every
topic, grave OF gay which it suited his mood
to discuss. Before knew it. my heart was
: no longer in my own keeping. One after
0 noon, he called to accompany me. on little
e excursion. we had planned together. A he
came up The gravel walk, noticed that his
t tine hair was in disorder: lang. keen as
!, !, death. shot through my heart, when he APP
= = preached me, with reeling unsteady step, and
' ssammerins tongue. conkl not speak
' The chill Of death gathered round my heart
+, | fainted When recovered, he was gone,
e and my mothers face WAS bending over me-
q moist with tears. Her woInans heart knew
y all that was passing in mine. She pressed
" " her lips to my foreead, and only said, God
IS strengthen you 10 choose the right, my child.
IS : could not look upon her sorrowfuI eyes
i or the pleading face Of my gray haired ia
N ,her. and trust myself again 10 the wichery
1e of that voice and smile. 4 letter came L
~ ~ me dared not read it. Alas my hear
~ ~ pleaded too eloqnenllv, even then, for his re
= turn } returned it unopened my fathe
and mother devoted themselves 10 lighter
nd the load that lay upon my heart but tn
l"- perfume of flower, a remembered strain q
III music, a struggling moonbeam, would brin!
back old memories, With crushing bitter
u. ness that swept all before it for the moment
he But my fathers aged hand fingered on N
a head with blessing. and my mothers voic
re, had the sweetness OF an angels, as il fell 0
get my ear !
re- s Time passed on, and had conquere
:. myself Your father saw me, and propose
for my hand my parents left me free t
he choose, and Elie dear, are aCt. not happy
on, :" Oh, mother said Ef6e, (then lookin
ion sorrowfully in her face didyou nevtr Sc
of AdoInh aoain %
as Do You remember my child, the sun
-, mer evening we sat upon the iazza when
md md dusty, trayeI-stained man came up the steT
we and begged for a 9 supper T. DO you re
om- olIect his bloated, disfguted faa, Efhe h
self, soos AdoIph =
! he g Not that screck of m9a, mother
oc- said Efie, Covering her eyes with her hanC
ale, 'aEs as if to shun him out from hef sight.)
ton s i" Yes that was all that rel named Of ii
who glorious intellect, and that for fn made af
, to Gods own image. lookedIaround on
not happy home, then upon yoaf noble father
n to then-upon ham, and" (taking Etfie's lit
vely hand pointing to the ring that encircled
mnst 'o'.. : in your ear, my daughter, Irow brea
con con. my mothers PRAYER for me--ss God help q
rider to chooSe the right I
none The bright head of Effie sank upon
their mothers breast, and with gush of tears
gton drew the golden circlet from her finger,
-h'sp placed it in her mothers hand.
ss tp..a "God bless you, my child" said the h
nd in py mother. as she led her back to their
Ose ct home.