Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1855-04-11

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From the Southern Literary Messenger.
SHADE AND SUNSHINE.
BY AUGUSTA GREENWOOD.
CHAPTER !.
"Whati is life it is no cleaning
OF the vagares of chance,
r Nor visionary dreaming
OF romance;
For this life is but portal
To the bright eternal skies
Where the soul in robe immortal
Never dies"
Anna Eastland and Alice Stanley were
cousins. Their fathers, who were hall
brothers, had been left penniless while
mere boys, and thrown entirely upon their
own exertions for support. But,perhaps,
as the natural consequence of this fac., by
patient industry and perseve rance, they
accumulated considerable wealth in the
meantime acquiring as good an education
as their limited resources would permit.
Mr.. Stanley married gay and fashion
able lady Of Richmond, Virginia, where he
was engaged in an extensive mercantile
trade. His wife, the spoiled child of veal
thy parents, gradually developed into a
vain, ambitious, extravagant woman; and
hence mentally and morally, had little fit
ness and less taste for managing a house
hold, or nstiling into the mind of her
beautiful daughter Alice those high and
virtuous principles so necessary to render
her a woman of character and usefulness
in the world. She moreover evaded her
responsibility by conslgnng her only child
to the tender mercies Of a fashionable board
ing school.
There-according to the catalogue-were
Metaphysics, Mathematics, As
tronomy, Geology ct ceiera' studies to
which the time allotted for the acquisition
of all was insufficient, if devoted exclusive
ly to a single branch, for more than reali-
zina the danger of little learniug-that
mere tasting of the Pierean spring )
studies too, so uncoagenlal to the heads
and hearts of youthful grlS-so remote
from their present and prospective associa-
tons as to awaken no interest in the stu
dents, and, consequently, TO make no more
lasting impression on their minds than
spray drops make on ocean-rocks.
Alice, with an intellect naturally bright
and inquisitive, wanting only faithful cul-
ture TO yield golden fruits, was Of needs in
such school, left to follow the bent oil
youthful fancies and follies, stimulated by
association with her many schoolmates OF
like propensites, and gratifying any men,
tai appetite which might be excited by
ready recourse to gosslp-talk or tale-boolls.
It need not surprise then, that .rom the
mental and moral exercise ofsuch school,
and the example Of such a mother, she
should become vain and heartless, esteem
ing dress and worldly admiration the high
est aim, aud the early capture of dashing
husband the sole object Of ambition IN
life.
Mr.. Eastand, on the other hand had
been united to lovely, intelligent, and
we'll educated woman; and was residing
on his elegant estate upon the southern
the metropolis. OF several children, all
were buried in infancy save one daughter,
Anna. The doting parents hence felt the
preciousness of their charge too deeply to
remove her from their own immediate su-
pervision-and expose her plastic young
spirit to the influence OF unguarded chance.
Mrs. Eastland thought that Annals edu-
cation should be conducted on an entirely
different plan from that pursued by the par
ents of Alice. Believing that If it were i'm
portant to educate daughter for the brief
time to be spent in the comparatively
irresponsible pursuit Of catching hus-
band much more important was it to
educate her for the duties of that longer
time, and far greater responsibility incident
to keeping aud cherishing husband and a
home for life. A system, therefore, Of
mental and moral training was pursued
which would moi only best develope the
peculiar qualities of woman's head and
heart, but would at the same time afford, If
necessary, self-support in state OF SIN
gle-bessedness, or fit her for the higher
post of woman, the almost exclusive guar
dianship of youth throughout that most i'm
portant period of life, when the mind is
rapidly developing and the characteris &C
tually formed-when the bending of the
.wig forever inclines the tree.
Anna was educated at home in accor-
dance with these views by judicious gov
erness, until at sufficiently advanced age,
she was sent for "a finish to we'll con-
Quoted school IN Philadelphia; and while
there living with her aunt, Mrs. Howard,
she enjoyed opportunities of association and
observation in a refined and educated soci-
ETY.. Nevertheless her mothers constant
and faithful supervision continued through
out, and doubtless her wise and gentle
counsels, with her amiable and pious exam
pie, contributed much to imbue her daugh-
ter's mind and heart with that holier
truth
'''Tis not the whole of life to live,
Nor all of death to die"
After completing her education, Anna re-
turned to her home and friends at Clifton,