Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-09-27
SEPE8MBER az.
4aOies' Department,
THK FRATERNAI HEARTHsTDE.
70 INEE IRVING.
~0o~~NO~
f0h rhr srtnrr Oh rnE Ace.

DEAR INEg Don't you remember when
YOU and /, and Beta, aud Gamma, and Del
IA, aud the facctious Major Original, and
some others We're together at a friends
house, last spring, aHd promised that we
would all unite aud hold pleasant converse
together through the sAGEY lis time
we had commenced, say you not SO! And
The maternal communion would have long
since been in progress bad we not each wait
ed for the other, aud all Of US waited for
the Major to give the word of command
(out Of respect to his age); but verify be-
Iieve, Inez, that the Major will never begin.
BY the way, do you know what has become
Of him / have seen or heard nothing OF
him since that morning we all parted-per
haps he is on a { march with a bit of char
coal to sketch off men and things. lie
does worry me sometimes with his NUNS
But IL is his way, and hope he will not
become offended at me and charcoal that
serape some Of us fcll. into down at the pond
last July. Don't give him u hint of the
facts, for the world
Oh, Inez, this is such a lovely day! lis
beauties carry me back over the pages of
menory to where is written the happiness
of our girlhood days; aud of the time when
we studied Grammar, Geography, Mathe-
matics and a dozen other troubles under
good Miss Milford at the old school-house
under the hill. How those days rush upon
me now Eyery scene with which- we
were then acquaint is pictured before me
non as wildly as then. There is the alder
meadow where we gathered wild fowevs in
ttfe spr1 gtimewFed6 Eke Sumner green
bushes toiffl up the wide chimney place
withal. There is the rocky stream winding
down from the hills, bubbliug, and singing,
and foaming over the rocks. Obi how l
wouldlove TO sit with you again on its messy
banks and listen to the low hum and splash
Of its pure waters ! But a tear dims the
eve when I think Of the deep hole below
the foot bridge, and it dims thine too, Inez;
for that brings back the memory Of sweet
little Willie who wandered away from the
Fairgrounds and fell IN and was drowned.
How pitiful his blue eyes looked up to
heaven when Che strong men lifted him
from the water and laid him on the green
bank, and how bad his golden locks looked
matted together aud clogged with the sand.
We all loved Willie. May the rose bush
We planted long bloom over his little green
grave! Then there is the old mill with its
wide hume and great lazy wheel. We
once loved to stand OH the hill and listen to
its %tireless clatter as il crushed the plump
grains into snowy -four. And then our
little tea parties in our play house. How
many digni6ed visits we have paid each
other! Would you believe that [ yet have
that coy little tea set my brother gave mC
for a christmas present? They are among
my valuables. A thousand sacred memo
ries cluster about them. We were youny
then, my dear Inez, and knew nothing 0
the stern realities of life. You were olde
than /, and a thousand times told me tina
the roses had thorns and the green place
of earth had its pits. You warned me an
l loved you. / begin to realize the trut
Of your blessed teachings ; [ have found
a truth that ''tis not all gold that glitters
There are shadows as we'll as sunbeams
the path Of life, and tits we'll that it is thu
/ have heard it whispered, Inez, that yC
were going to change your name, (don
BLUSH but | can't believe it is so; for | a
sure you would have told me almost as 500
as you told the unknown him! Some sla
derous tongue set the reportin motion wit
out o doubt. The world seems to THU
that girls have no other thought than th
of marriage. This | know is a mistak
there are high and holy impulses ever
work that leads the soul to the contempt
tion Of objects above the sordid world.
We have talked this matter over and oy
again with the unrestrained confidence
friendship. j know you will never chan
your name, dnoz, unless you are prompt
by the impulses of a high and noble To-
L should weep 20 think that you gave yc
hand away without the deep and pure
fections Of your heart with it. Alas b
many sacrifices Of happiness are made
CRAFTY a selfish ambition and to realize
phantom Of wealth Thousands, to d
mourn in a bondage of golden letters,
moregalling because of their hooking spl
dor. You remember the once f%ascinat
A***%. Her life History should be a wa
ing TO all who would sell heart and haI
ness for gold. l saw her recently. {.
bloom has faded from her cheek, her 0
proudwak is faltering, and hopeless mis-
is blanched upon her once smiling face.
must forbear, pity for her error starts
sympathetic tear.
/ have tried hard, dear Inez, to W
something worthy of the AGE but |
that / have failed-it is SO wandering,
/ could not help it my pen almost 7
where it listeth. / do hope the Ed
will publish it. / have no fear but they
ifit passes ~throughthe hands of the SEM
but X q is resigned to the ordealof the
soCIATE's goggles, woe be to my poor sc
blingl / know he would call it a foo
girls trash and tear it in shreds. BY
way, Lnez, did you ever see him If
ever did, pray tell ne what for looking
ture he is. / have fancied he is just
that old frosty beard man that used to {
down the hill singing a sea song tt
school girls. l know he must be like
But didn't LoRA draw his Likeness anC
him ever the shoulders with a good lee
Lora has my thanks; for he well desc
it. tHen pecked husband austere
appoiated, old bachelOrlP Honied phi
hate bachelors. They all seem to
that girls have no intellect-no wit
sentiment-lo nothing but rings and
tars. The old bachelor in question,
is not hopeessly disappointed will
less TO say in ridicule Of us than herett
Couldn't Lora be Induced tojoin our c
and give us musings for our Hearths