Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1855-02-07
Cbuits gittraturs.
7 II E vow .

lcOTrISuED FRoM OUR hAsE1
~ CHAPTER III.
There's nanght on earth could charm or force
Ny spirit from its destind course
There's naught could make this soul foEeet
The bond 10 which It's soal Is set"
bALLA RooKH.
Il was the beaefh night Of Miss K,
that brightest and most ascendant star of
the drama. The theatre was crowded to
sufocation. The array Of beauty and
fash' Aazzling 10 behold, enhanced
- I hest adornment Of dress and
jewels bright. Many brilliant eye glanced
its soft bewitehing ray from the dress cir
Gle on some favored lover, either at her
side, or detected in the dark moving mass
Of the jolly free pit. The play was the |
inimitable Hunchback. Every heart throb-
bed with intense expectation and anxiety
TO welcome the celebrated actress, whose
soul-like personatioa Of julia had even far
transcribed the most sanguine anticipa-
tions Of the gifted dramatist. 1t might
have been presumed, from the very frequent
performance OF the piece, that the plaudit
Of admiration would have become faint, and
Naes sAV hhoh VI hVNOAbJ WOulu udNC Wdncu
before the most caprieious of all tastes
that Of the dramatic world but, instead
Of thus losing It's charm, it seemed as if
the soul Of Siddons breathed inspiration
upon them again. and even the deep.toued
enunciation of those fatal words Of Julia's,
DO IT, was sufficiently fascinating to ban
ish all feeling Of safety or Indifference.
Besides, il would have been treason Of the
deepest dye towards the Goddess of Fashion
to have withheld the hearts incense of
applause or the hand Of patronage from her
reigning favorite Of the season
Eugene Maus6eld's eye had been anx-
iously bent for some tune on the vacant
box next him, when the door was opened
by Sidney Atberton, who, on finding it un-
occupied, was about to leave, but the quick
beckon Of Eugene arrested his attention.
Why have you selected this obscure
scat behind curtain, Mansfield For
once in your life you seem desrous of being
incog-but,' added he, archly, Il perceive
your view of certain box is entirely un-
obstructed.'
As usual, your sapiency is correct.
came hither for particular reason, and
wish to be unobserved of all Observers
not the observed, as you always accuse me
of. My mind has weighed, well, certain
expressions Of yours in our last conversa-
tion, and am determined to indulGe- q
SSY1o Toa need not for rsl ys1f's san naSe
';.o 'OHo c3f my guessing g that famous
exerVioO nat trouble. lEth Miss Carlton in
yUS yyUSument you ha1n IA, when she acknow
defence Of the SOtally opposed to it, y0
SSaped, althoN possibly move her sym
e any play Che Hunchback and l alsc
nathy, it bw you denounced her outr
.ss.suahouble-refned refinement to me
taste Erceive, my man@uvering fellow
Co 5mewhat Of the Argus nature, wher
Ind she arc concerned Pray, how di
know the Irwin party were to be here
r. the ladies told me they had not see
you since our last visit =
'GrAham said he was Miss Twins esco
here to night-but it is late-I have
boon to ask Of you-be silent about n
proximity nay, about my very presenC
See they have arrived-remember my 7
quest
You are an incorrigible, plot-workir
fellow replied Sidney, as he left him.
1 suppose | must humor your mysterio
humor.'
The next moment found Sidney AthC
ton at the side of the pensive-lookiI
Irene; but her usual abstraction was
most unnoticed, so charmed was he by
certain merry voice near, whose slight
tone never failed to fall upon his ear il
entraucing music How Eugene envi
his position! The commotion of applar
incident to the appearance of favorlte P
former had subsided, and feeling
breathless interest seemed to prevail throu!
out the audiercei but, glowing as eve
face was with an intensity of exciteme
that of Irene Carlton's retained its cold, p
sionless expression-nOt movement of
beautifully-lined features betrayed the lc
effect of an awakened seusibility. I
fifth act came on All hearts yearned W
anxious sympathy for the doomed Julia
Even Eugene's eye was Withdrawn fir
Irene, fascinated by the fair actress ini
table histrionic representation aud fc
moment he forgot every thing but her
seeching appeal,
-" The hour Of sacrifice
1s near Anon the immolating priest
Will summon me Devise some speedy mea.
TO cheat the altar Of fts victim DO It,"
Instinotively he turned to look at Ir
The lively red had forsaken her lip
lustre of her eye was dimmed, as she ca
ly leaned to hear Julia's repeated quest
/" is there no way to escape those hated nupti
Answered by Master Walter. There
rigid compression of her mouth, '
she heard him say,
"a promise made admits Of no release,
Save by consent or forfeiture Of those
who hold 1t. Ere man should say
broke tho word had the power to keep,
Ia loose the life l had the power to part wi
Present thyself before thy bridegroom,
Show him thy heart-
And to his honor leavs't To SET tbaa f,oo
Or hold theo bound.
Irene's head dropped her dark
shaded her face, but only for a NOR
and when it was raised, Eugene heal
chilled more than over by that same
Of apathetic indifference. What a co
TO Olia's bright face. suffused with 1
ful emotion, as also that of every on
even the most stole eye and aspect