Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-07-03
LITERARY MISCELLANY.
For the National Era.
H 0LLY-W 0 0 D +.
CHAP. /
BY ALICE CAREY.

way he went but presently tho shadows cioae
together--closc silently, and all traces OF him
are lost
.But tho many stars fiao and set and few
are the eyes ubseryant OF their glory, or at
their fading and going down. Millions arc
struggling ior the high places Of tho world
shouting to be heard Of the ages; but across
how many fiat and forgotten graves, sound the
few echoes which are immortal
aYet how hard il 10 to feel the world could
do az well without us--to know how little and
how unworthy We are; how hard to believe
the great tnmults Of action are ess than a quiet
and well-ordered life, and that little things at.
ter ALL fulfill our moods.
"The liDnet must not mate itself with tho
steady winged eagle, nor must the milkmaid
wiring the dew from her hair, because Ct the
golden flowers about the foreheads Of princess
es these things we learn too late, many Of M,
and, from the downhill Of life, see what green
and pleasant places we have passed unnoticed.
As look back from this descent, zee ono
eheltering nook, where my hair would not have
faded IA it ia faded now, where the heat would
have fallen less oppressively, and where the la.
bors that have borne alone might have been
shared. IL is too late--these reflections can
not benefit me now---and yet it pcases mo to
recount the little story OF my life--its large
hope and little powsr-the fever, the fret, the
subsiding calm.
"There is no dark mystery to unfold it is a
simple, commonplace narrative; and if you
expect anything exciting and adventurous
anything ut all romantio--it werc better to
amuse your leisure in some other way than In
listening to me-
In the foregoing, is the substance Of what
Mary Halstead said to me, when asked her
why she was never married.
We were sitting in her elegantly Furnished
parlor, alone--a quiet, hazy, October day was
past and the last sunset light fell across a fine
picture Of the Magdalen, when she hears tho
Neither do i condemn thee, = and pushes back
little tho heavy masses of her hair, TO steal
one look Of Him who was without SIM Our
faces we're toward the painters beautiful crea.
tion, and till the lessening light was quite gone,
we remained still--tears gathering to the us,l-
ally cold eyes Of my fricnd--ior Genius, when
it will, can reach it's hand out of the grave, and
touch the heart. And then it was that, rath-
er to break up the sad feeling which was COM
ing down with the night, than from any idle
curiosity, | inquired how it happened shs was
never married. We are iriends--she calls me,
indeed, her best iriend-and yet till that even
ing had never seen her in mood that would
have warranted such question. She pointed
to stool at her feet and, sitting there, | laid
my head on her knees; and putting her arm
across my neck rather AZ q resting place for
it than from any love OF me, as it seemed, che
told me the story which follows, introducing it
with the half sohloquy which opens this chap
ter.
Mary Halstcad is rich beautiful, proud, and
an actress. She - followed, flattered, enyied,
and dislked; for to most persons, if not cold
and naughty she is at least distant and incom-
municative. There are no illustrious names in
the background of the picture where her state
~ beauty shines 80 peerless from the knees Of
sg0od but supplemented mother, she descend
ed, and, pushing aside her wondering brothers
and sisters, took the bright and lonesome path
that runs close along the borders OF fame
There, dissatisfied, unloved cold, glittering, she
stands With all her strength and all her
daring, there are SUBMITS that battle her. Be-
fore the footLghts she hears shouts Of admra-
t.on, and stands among tributes Of flowers; but
she ieeis, after all, that the buffoon who sue
ceeds her will receive the same applause, and
that her gorgeous trains are but poor SEM
blanoes Of q real splendor.
Ia her style Of living she is profuse, but not
truly elegant, FIR early habits are not thrown
aside like garment and no subsequent train
ing can atone for neglect in childhood.
In dress she is extravagant and careless in
manner as nearly conformed to polite requisi-
tons N her haughtIness will permit but the
formula Of society i'll becomes her, and on the
boards she Is, perhaps lees an actress than else
where. There, she Is refined back to nature
end rises at once to the sublimest heights Of
womanhood heights, from the basis Of which
the eager multitude look mp and worship. But
the sdmiration seldom reaches beyond the ace.
mic display and IL il dces is surely destined to
be wou3dcd against some sharp angle Of her
character; for, though she stood in the way Of
the earth'd motor, she would not turn aside.
10 person che Is tall, majestlcally straight, and
apparently sound Us the oak sapling Her
compltx ~ pale, "a IL were sicklied with the
hue Of sme oppressive thought, and on either
check there IL always bright flush, seeming
rather the burning outward Of an inward fire.
than the fresh, open blossom Of health Her
forehead IN low end smooth the nose straight
and lips thin, showing but seldom tho even
white teeth
Her hair is black, blacker than coal or Jet
and, though she calls il faded, and fading, a.
may have been noticed, not white thread il
visible. Heavily and simply, but tastefully
worn, IL IL, perhaps her greatest crown Of beau
ty. In color her eyes are Of a deep blue, and
10 expression rather speculative than affection
ate Bat in her smile, and she smiles often,
there IN fascination almost irresistible despite
the repelling eyes and the upright and selfsni-
6cieDt bearing Past the hey day of youth, she
rs yet within Tho precincts OF blooming woman
hood, and though she speaks Of herself as in
the downhill Of life, she is old rather by expe-
Renee than years.
J said We werc alone; but Hetty, Marys
hnnchback lister, sat little apart from us,
knitting purse, and scarcely lifting her eyes
from her work. She saw not the sunset, nor
the MagdaIen, nor the white moon wading up
through the haze che had, hapy, some pic
tnre in her heart
So there We were, in the 6ne parlor Of the
popular actress - homo comforts and homo
splendors all about rs, and a little way Of the
great busy city, with it's Thousands Of interests
end plcasures; ard she who could command
tho sab<erviency Of any or all of these, turned
rarrakfullY 70 tho hard and homelY life which