Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-11-07
Written for the Spirit of the Age.
ARROW DELL. IT. N. '55.

DEAR GlRLs: It's such a glorious Indian
summer day, full of golden sunshine, and
LIQUID azure, that | can't help sitting right
down here by this window-sill, that has wit
messed many a pen-struggle of mine-to
have a pleasant shat with you, and dear
Mollie, in particular.
1 needn't try to tell you, Mollie, dear, how
gladly Ismiled over your kindly welcome to the
'Circle ; but one thing | will say, as I never
had a sister to link her little warm arm
around my neck, and look love into my eyes,
you just crept right into a vacant nook in
my hearts castle, where a sister ought to be.
1 dare say the Major didn't love you half
so we'll, as Florence, after reading that letter,
Mollie but who cares? l reckon you didn't
lose mach, by sending q lance through his
vest, and letting ont the contents Of his bo-
som-urn not / because he who hurls vine
gar-cruets at his mothers relations, never
keeps bottled up in his constitution any
thing but what bears a very strong affinity
to the liquid for which that casio appurte-
nance was originally designed.
I sincerely hope the Major will pardon
my suspicious, but I'm strongly inclined to
question if he ever, in reality, wore an
epaulet, or sported a feather in his cap; for
I never, yet, knew a member of that of
fetal body " with which he ~pretends to fra
ternize, that didn't have more galiantry and
~"gunaption than to apply the opprobrious
epithet old maid J" to one of mother's Ewes
fair daughters, who had never been blind
enough to stumble into the tottomless pit y
Of matrimony, no matter when she made
her advent in this cline; or who didn't ex
press it, as his polite and complimentary
opinion on every public occasion, that thu
sun of youth would stand still for her, til
A. 6,kt1o-,P ooo0,ock o,oH ooptnro woc on
ded-as in Joshua's day just as though
it were not enough to try, and fail signally
but they must have their memories nudge'
occasionally, and lie riculed for defeat!
Were it not for the Majors marvellou
beauty, l should be his decided adversary
but theremembrance of that gl0wuag portrait
lignifes the iceberg floating around the mort
pole of feminine. Indignation, and the pur
white buds of C6arity-that Queen of chris
tan graces-expand as speedily as delicat
primroses in the tropical sunbeams of az
miration! I'm an enthusiastic worshippt
!, of beauty, In sea, air, earth or sky, and / '
, pecially IN masculine physiognomy, and as
! was not a member of the Circle at the tim
of the Majors onslaught, | take it for graz
ted he didn't mean me, and of course b
E physical charms haven't diminished or
a whit, on that score, in my estimation Fl
: though possessing a deeply sympathetic
heart, l never feel disposed to abuse a blu
: glar for flching my neighbours valuables ar
DR.. Clark says, he " always found it an ea'
matter to bury other peoples children !"
if the Major ever comes North, | hope he
"drop in " at the Dell, and make his a
acknowledgements, for my generous defence,
i prOpria persona. To him who begs to becor
an : honorary member y Of the "Circle,"
far as | am concerned, Issay emphatical
=" "YES," for I always liked Robert, that
since our first acquaintance, and as Imsb
a young member myself, and too modest
assume the liberty of handing him a cha
J in our cosy domicil, if the older and me
= privileged of the sisterhood don't feel d
posed to perform that act Of courtesy a
hospitality Though | haven't adoubt of tn
perfect a%miability and nobleness of sol
why he may just have half Of mine! Broth
Robert we bid you welcome, and hope
have many a merry chat with you, the
ne ing winds are chasing the crimson leav
H. in wild glce, through the gusty forest aisl
ns and beating a tattoo upon the trembli
10 window-panes, and the cricket chirps on
warm hearth, in the curling blaze of
cracking 0 k fire.
OF Oh, we'll | love the solemn time, when !
'h ture holds its breath, in awe, before the 4
IS jesty of imperial Night, and "our Fathe
ne floats up, like incense, from the reverent S
of universal silence when the clear st
~ throw their %silvery rays down into the du;
,ny temple of humanity, and reveal the writ
- scroll Of life-deeds, good and evil!
ne meant to have told you, dear girls, sol
y thing of the loneliness of this distant no
~ place of mine, glowing and glittering in
~ crimson and gold Of autumn grandeu
IT, Queen Season Of the year land of our 81
national Forum, where we've been stayi
u naoa 10 fun &c ,otL;aa 81 +ho low I'LL.
lot aronnd the bo.r $500. s;nr &c {. t;rod
Inn tnra,s swoo. ras+ononv h,+ nox+ +;mo
= will send you a Leaf from the Capitol.
MS nui. FLORENCE FAY
as