True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-03-29
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From the Waverly Magazine.
TWO SIDES OF LIES PATHWAY,
BY AMANDA NJ. DOUGLASS.
G II A PIE r IL.
(CoNCLUDED.)

THE human heart has been likened to a
book, SO / will unscal this, and let you
read from its pages; but, ah! many of
them bear the impress of deep, bitter grief
tears that have well nigh blotted words
and deeds out. We have opened to pic
ture, scene fairer than pencil hath ever
drawn-that of a pure-hearted boy
Brightly doth his wavy curls gleam, and
from underneath the long lashes peeps an
eye Of love, hardly equalled by heavens
mr. gems. And his words come like
thS chime of distant music, falling on
listening ear, with power none but n
w;feless father can know. Day by day
foes he roam at his fathers side, gather
ing flowers, watching birds, and chasing
butterflies and when night comes, he
falls asleep cntwined by a loving fathers
arm, Wheu the fair boy is sick, the pa
rent is his only watcher; when the hucs
Of health return, an ardent thankfulncss
fills his bosom. They are two gems SO
closely entwined, that taking away one
would break the other. The bright boy
has no mother-at least, so they told him
and he is too happy, too full of innocent
gaiety ever to think of her; yes, long ago
sho was forgotten by both-crased from
thoir memory as blot, an unseenly thing
not worth remembrance. There is laugh
ringing through the ears of the patient
sewer, sweet laugh of sunny childhood,
ere cure hath dampened one spring-a
full, free, sweet sound, waking an echo
among the flowers and trees, and dying
away as the gushing melody Of summer
bird, How it thrilled every fecling-ah !!
1t was only fancy; yet if she could see
him once more, clasp him to her bosom,
and hear him murmur "mother !" then
she could lay down and die with every
wish of life grantcd-every hope fulfilled.
o, that could never be, for he would gaze
vacantly on her, and turn away as from
the veriest stranger.
Strange, strange that she could thus
have lost her way in path of unwavering
light-strange, she should have sought
strangers in preference to those who had
loved long and sincerely-and yet, thank
God, she had preserved her woman's es-
tate pure amidst it all. Never once had
words of love passed her lips for other
than the husband of her early choice; but
she had been feqrfully blinded by pride,
whom she thought the fault was his. She
had wreathed her lip in smiles for stran-
gers; she had danced, and sung-Aitted
about like the butterfly, knowingly casting
from her, pure lasting happiness, for q
sparkling beam that faded like sunshine
on the waters, And tho tempter-wel
did she remember him-how each word
he had uttered, sent fire through her ev
cry vein, and taught her to look upon hel
cottage home as prison; each day had
worn away link, and seen it replaced
with steppipg-stone of future suffering
blindly she had let it pass without one ef
fort of resistance. When the handsome
stranger knelt by her, there were words o
love, on his tongue, not for her, no, woulC
it had been, for there the temptcr nigh
have stood in her presence unveiled, ant
she could have Stunned him; but h
spoke of music, his passion--her passion
and she had listened, entranced, fascina
ted; not with one unkindly Thought o
him who had been all in all to her, in he
heart, but the tcmpter's words had woke
spirit of the beautiful in her inmost soul
and when she met her husband, and hear,
his tauntipg words, she answered proudl
in innocence Of heart. One kind wor,
would have forced open tho' gates of hi
heart, and love gushcd forth fondly
warmly as before, but she would not sa
even one in extcuuation or sorrow, ah'
thus she had loft her carly home. None.
could purchase stranger friends, but no
love, as she we'll knew by this time. The
once the tcmptcr crossed her pathway, ant
whispered words that made her shrink il