Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-06-18
LADIRs' DEPARTMENT..
Written for the Spirit of the Age.
Dedicated 10 The Social Circle.
EPISODES FROM LIFE.
THE MAIDEN.

=" Y III HWu 10 bOAN W
NJ the ornaments of Mrs. Glars drawing
rooms, sitter the entertainment is over,
Master Charlie 2" loughingiy asked a beau
tiful girl, as attired in an airy and becom-
ing evening costume she glided into the
parlor where a young man had been for
some time awaiting her.
For several moments before her entrance
his arm had rested upon the tall mantel,
supporting his head, which had dropped
half unconSciously upon it as he gazed
thoughtfully into a bed Of glowing coal
But it was hastily withdrawn as the first
glceful tone Of her voice fell upon his ear,
and the gloom which had been deepening
ON his fine earnest face vanished into a ra-
diant smile as be replied:
"Not one of the ornaments, certainly,
dear Lana; for to pe you will be emphati-
cally tic ornamontefher sumptuous rooms"
"Thank you, sir, thank you y returned
the lady gaily, making a graceful move
ment Of acknowledgement before him.
"You arc putting me in an excellent hu-
NOR with myself"
"And with me too, | hope, Lima? I"
"0h fc! now you are spelling all your
gallant speech by the bare %insinuation that
i ever give way to tempers Of a contrary
character"
"But the insinuation was warrantable
from yoar own words, / think, lady fair"
Granted still a gallant knight should
not dare to repeat them, or even give them
credit beyond their being an amiable show
of humanity upon the part of his lady love-"
" ain BOO unaccustomed to the charac-
ter Of extreme chivalry to enact it well, l
admit; and so / had better retain my nat
ural one, which, by the way, reminds me
Of a request | had resolved to make Of you
before your animated entrance drove it for
the time away,
GA request Of me! Then indeed l am
serious returned the fair girl and her
slender white fagers, upon which no jewel
glittCrod save a chastc gold ring, was laid
confdingly upon his arm, and her eyes
were raised with a subdued and tender ex-
preston TO bis face. "Let me have it al
once, Charles"
ais il granted before asked 2"
"Hardly a wise promise that ; still you
cannot doubt my disposition to oblige you"
at is simply this, Lina-that you will
drink no wine at Mrs. Glars party to
night"
"Why not ?" And the lovelit CLEAN
in her gentle eye gave place to a look o
blank bewilderment, whilst her whole coun
tenaHce betrayed the wonder she felt.
The young man took that delicat
hand which had been withdrawn into hi
own, and looked down upon the simple rim
he had PLACED there months before, Wills
. n flush swept Ger his brow such as earl
manhood always scorns to feel, as he Re
Piled
because, Lima, | do not wish to tast
it myself, and perhaps of all that gay con
.pany l should stand alone. A position
fear / am scarce strong enough to occupy.
Light aud wild and free as the trillir
of the spring birds song burst the musi
fraught laughter from the coral lips of Il
fair young girl, ringing merrily and swec
ly for a moment through the lofty room e
she replied "And so these tcmperan
notions have taken possession of you
last, have they Charlie 7"
"Nothing has taken possession of n
Lima, save the firm and serious convict
that | should refrain from all such indl
geuce. l have just learned my own wea
ness, and know that even the slight draug
/ should be expected to take to-nigl
would create an unhealthy fire in my bra
perhaps cause the ensuing reaction, how
ever slight, TO be equally far removed fir
the clear, healthy and composed state
mindI should carry to to-morrow's occu
ton"
"Nay, Charles, now you are not spe
ing Of . few simple glasses of wine on
but Of drunkenness and that l an sure
~ much dsspised by society as yoursel
al know it," returned her compan
with some bitterness" society, that wi
out the disposition or power to discri
nate between circumstances and const
tional differences, leads its individual IN,
bers on alike by chains all wreathed in /
liant flowers, that its ~hidcousness may
appear nor thorns pierce. But yet SO s
as one holder or more reckless than
rest tCas the gorgeous wrapping av
thus disclosing the native horrors O
ranking fetters, instead Of strippin
bare at once and disowning all interco
with such monstrous deformity, I
straightway' assidnously repair therent
thrust the luckless victim out as unwo,
TO sit at the SANE board or enjoy the s
pleasures, simply because he drank a
more than they"
You are sarcastic, Charlie"
"Aye, and it is enough to make ont
Lima. Day in and day out, | am urge
triAe with alcoholic compound, and s.
tvs demands are brought up to su:
their entreaties. / have told them
fear to tamper with it-that / feel 81
thing within which tells me | should
darS TO dc so. But they smile in my
and tell me back again that the usag
society are too well regulated for any
excuka-that there is no danger in its
grant cordials and delicately favored w
and now for you-though you could
have known all this-to tell me the
thing, was really more than ! could
ly bear"
al did not know you were so ca
upon the subject" replied the lady W
quiet smile, which far more than the
seemed to say how childish be was mi
himself appear in her eyes by such a
about so small n thing.
II was the sneer which that smile '
tried to cover, far more than the wore
had uttered, that went to the young
heart-for as he had said he was just
wakeniHg up to the allurements and
tations which were to beset his pat
49,