Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-02-21
Spirit Of tbt 9gr, RaItigb, gortb Gu

ing. And vet all this gay dressing and fond Il
dreaming is far removed from the searching Il
gaze into his soul lit eyes, whether they be v
blue or black, hazel or grey, and reallsing !,
the stupendous fact tina. an immortal spirit "
is committed to your care, and that even now, '
chords are thrilling beneath your careless S
fingers which will swell out in cadences OF y
euphony or discord through all the wide |
arches Of a fathomless eternity.
Do YOU love any one The betrothed maiden
falls into u delicious ~reverie, wondering how
any one living upon this glorious earth can
dare ask it Of her. And straightway che is
wandering far away among the sunny bowers
Of the past, or revelling in the ecstacy OF the
present, or travelling on in negotiations ra-
pid car to the completion of all her hopes
when she shall have nought to do but study
dear Herbert's wishes-how she will sing
or read to him when he is weary-lure him
by gentle words and winning caresses from
discomfort with the world or the vexatiOns
Of business-how his dinners shall always be
ordered with an eye single to his taste-his
clothing properly arranged, whilst no frown
shall lay like u shadow upon her brow, or
tear glcam up from the depths of her eye
to fright him away from her side. And Her
bert himself SMILES sarcasticaliy rs herepeats
do / love any one? Wonder if Lora would1
nsk that ifshe knew no v oft by day and highs
the eyes Of Alice Lane are beaming in all
their gentle purity upon my soul. How L
am nerpetually recurring to the time when l
shall cherish, sustain and support her alone
e e9Ep lsass I Nsa pgsy ysSs f Ssa pleasures hssaSss. for her
of her voice, q lifting her dark eyes to my
own, thrills me with bliss inexpressible, but
still complete. Aye fond ~dreamers, but do
We pause and ask bow this constant ~associa-
ton of character will tend to the improve
meht and perfecting Of each other? How
when adversity's black storms are upon We
in their might, and friends fail, and worldly
joys grow spsrse-or when sickness lays its
wan fingers upon blooming cheek or noble
brow, will those beacon lights of the soul
which first lured your bark, idly drifting
upon the current of life, to its side, fash up
clear and bright above them all, still infus-
ing into the failing heart Of each, strength
and faith to live, and hope and struggle on,
conscious that a God of love rules high over
all? The toiiing matron lays her sewing for
q moment by, and in reviewing her daily life
of care and watchfulness and never sleeping
interest through pain and WEAKNESS, thinks
from her it needs ne ether answer. She re
members how often she wishes to exchange
the noise Of romping children, and perpet
ual espionage over unruly servants, for tn,
gentle breeze in it's freedom and FRESHNESS.
which comes whispering through the Opcr
easement, of odorous flowers and purlins
streams, and joyous birdliRgs, and shady
messy paths her girlish feet so loved to tread
still satisfied and rejoicing in her lot so lonj
as she can win for herself an occasional smil
or kindly word. And yet, allow me to ask
may not all these duties, imperative in them
selves, be faithfully discharged without tn
higher, holler, purer character of their mn
tive cause being understood Has she stri
ven to correct her husbands f~ailings, not al
rogantIy, not presumptuously, but in tn
loving spirit of one erring herself, yet true t
the instincts of q rational nature in her e
forts to grow better with each days gent
ebb, and to awake similar aspirations in othe
hearts which girdle her pathway throug
life? Does she bear, nay, even solicit an
profit by like effort upon his own part to rel
der her pathway one where no conflicting ell
ments idly play, but pointed out by the FL
ger of true conscientious duty and e~nlivene
by the prospect of no earthly reward, no pea
! o fhuman praise but the smile of her &c
i and the promised home of the blest2
Do you love any oae? Should think I d
m EaSEea, IS i tAst hf9s1thdfrned through the c6illi1
blast and driving sleet, from his patients
or puzzling his brains with his clients CLAIM
/ -or porting over the last method of impro
ing lands-should think / do, else why do
toll and bend all the energies of my natu
to that money-making process which pr
cures pleasure for my wife and family !?
Why do ] surround them with every luxul
shelter them from every care, myself Il
only one doomed to stem the adverse storr
of life, and battle with difficulties and vex
tons, hardihOod and vice, under every shal
Is and form. What folly woman can writ
- and he twirls the offending paper aside wi
the injured air Of one decidedly impos
RS upon, and as if to prove the truth of his ov
I'll words, treads his way home-ward with
W frowning brow and word if not exactly Gro
)" still neither gentle nor very kind, to a 81
ny child, aims q direct blow through a neglige
~ servant ut the heart Of his wife, then sett
IN himself in his luxurious chair, saying by
lis manner, do as you please, only spare me
W.. infection of a single word. His wife's he
OF is full of little matters, but interesting to b
which she should like to discuss with hi
but the needle is piled in silence. And ii
noble, impetSous boy can scarce keep his m
down to his evening studies, he is so anxi'
to tell papa of the days exploits or homo
.ze bat the sombre brow forbids it still.
he Do you love any one? Well it is none
lot my business, | know, but then it does str
by me sometimes that it is an excuse for IN
at folly and disregard Of human feeling than
or mall and beautiful word ought to be, ths
tn all.