Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-01-04
? Y.
A Leaf from the Autobiography Of Jacque
81. Clair.


A Leaf from the autobiography Of Jacques
81. Clair.
My father was q ship-master, and by rigid
economy, managed to accumulate a nice
fortune. Myself and brother, Nicholas, sew
eral years my senior, were the only children.
We were both given an education in accord
ance with my fathers wealth. Nicholas was
of q brave, daring, impetuous nature, always
in search of some excitement, and depending
on his own judgement in every underta-
king-despising the eOunsels of those more
advanced in years and more experienced than
himself. When l was but a youth, l remem-
Der to nave heard my brother speak of the
wars and Frances glory, of the shedding of
big streams of blood-of dying soldiers, and
the wild clangor of battle plains, with a pc
culiar relish, and | shuddered at my broth
er's daring. And as early in life | heard
my brother say he loved q little brunette with
black eyes and raven ~tresses, whose name
was Martha De Whence, and lived with her
widowed mother, near my fathers residence.
/ wondered what my brother meant by love,
and time wore on, We both growing older
with it.
Martha De Vivonee was a beautiful and a
loving child. l learned to play with her in
viz AAAso NhO eShAOhS VIZ w "a IhdiCOS
and in my childish games with her l Learned
to love her. At first, it was a simple, child
ish love, but as | grew older | began to feel
the fires of a perfect, full-grown love burning
in my breast for the little brunette. Then il
was that l learned what pure and unadulter-
ated love was. My brother was not long in
becoming aware of the existence of my pas
sion, and he Immediately felt aroused in his
bosom the consuming fires of jealousy. We
were at once unknown to each other as broth.
ers he was now my enemy, sworn for re.
venge, and his hand was against me. His
love for Martha had not grown cold, but in
the possession of his new passion it became
more intense, and more sordid. | felt that
it was my duty to resign my claim to the
brunette's hand to my brother, but how
could / think of it? l was im2elled forward
in the course | was pursuing by an inherent
power-it must have been my destiny Ny
brother was not idle he used, for months
all the powers of his nature to win her Owe
to his favor-all his arts of persuasion in
trigue-cupidity and detraction to disIodg,
me from q place in her affections.
We were now fully grown, and my fathe
saw the estrangement that was arising be
tween his only children, and with a father
prayers and a fathers tears he cndeayore,
10 recOncllc us again. L IeIt tna6 L Woul(
gladly resign all to my brother if it had beer
in my power, but | could Woodward to tn
prize, all my energies were bent, it seemed
against my own will. Maddened by the tw,
master passions of love and jealousy, m,
brother was almost crazed he sought th
overthrow Of my happiness; he forgot l wa
his brother, and he secretly reviled my char
acter in an hundred ways he sought m
destruction, bus a power above happil
thwarted them ALL felt reconciled to m
lot, and believed it was our destiny.
Martha learned to hate my brother, an
at length gave me her hand, and plighte
her trOth to me. l was q happy man! I
the insanity of my pleasure, l tainted m
brother with his loss and my gainl Isurel
did not know what l was doing or saying
was a moment of madness and folly broRgh