Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-11-01
P V


"I an very penitent; can 1 be forgiven? And
may 1 escort you in a ride on horseback this glorious
morning ?-W. laurence"
So ran the note which was handed Mary
by her maid on the following morning, ere
she had concluded her toilet. She smiled as
she perused it, for a nights refreshing slum-
Der had d~issipated her last evenings excite
ment then draping back the snowy folds of
her curtain she looked out and the smile
deepened, until her whole face was radiant
with pleasure. The sun was Just coming up
gloriously, as he had said, with his drapery
of FURNISHED gold about him, and the dewy
world was growing sparklingly beautiful and
bright beneath his warm genial beams
Her admiring gaze fingered a moment on the
fair scene, then hastily snatching a pencil
from her toilet case she wrote beneath his
own lines: "This glorious morning and the
prospect of q ride constrains me to write
forgiUeR."
In this simple act we might style Mary
vacillating, and forgetful of the dignity she
had assumed on the last evening. But we
arc to remember that the overstrained ten
sion of her mind, and the irritated state of
her nervous system, far more than anger,
had operated in the severity of her replies
Not that she could have spared him in her
calmest moods, or listed with the least de-
gree of allowance to the sentiments he had
advanced, but she had been borne on so i'm
petuously, and her head had been in such a
whirl, that she could not but think her words
had been more bitter than the occasion JUST.
fed. And even had she been seriously angry
with those who had opposed her, hers was
a nature to forgive a fault even graver in
its personal character than this. Moreover
she did not forget that if her mission was tC
l. - - nnrlA avn hn nn61auaI hn ~
arrogant air and in this case she was desi
rous to renew the conversation with Mr.. Law
renee, which had been so abruptly termina
ted. Neither was the concession made by th,
gentleman, at variance with his own dignity
for he was heartily ashamed of the part b
had intended to play, for he had visited he
voluntarily, it is true, yet lmost as q deput,
from the party hostile to her conduct, to Sc
if he could not influence her course wher
then had so signally failed. The adulatio
that had been bestowed upon him by the ft
male members of the little village of E.
had rendered him excessively vain, and Their
was a lurking disposition to discover how ia
his powers of facination could control her ser
timents and conduct. Had he INDUCED In
serious bitter thought, he would have repro
hated his own course and despised his ow
folly ; but thoughtlessness was the p~revailin
feature In MS SOctdl cnardCG6FS uuu lTOm Gui
her words aroused him more fully than b
had ever been before. His own pasentage
a distant State had been lowly, but hone
through all their humility, and her earne
defence of the class awoke an admiration Fl
the girl who so unfalteringly administers
; the rebuke and called forth powers of thougl
and appreciate IN which he had never admi
ted before. From the interchange of sent
meRts which took place between them tn
/ morning, both could acknowledge themselv
wiser and better, and nov far she hi
changed his views may be guessed from h
request as he assisted her to alight on the
, return.
4 shall still doubt your entire forgiveness
Miss Alton, if you do not allow me to CT
with yeu and be introduced to Miss Gale
some early day.
Very we'll; tomorrow evening, if it sui
your pleasure