Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-02-06
LADIES' DEPARTMENT..
Written for tho Spirit Of the Age.
WALTER LEE;
ny lone.
THE FALL OF GENIUS.
RrsrEcrrrLLY described TO THE IDIroRs or "AGE."

Aicohol! ALcoHoLll How many are there ,
who have felt tho blight of that word-how ,
many high and noble aspirations have been
cast down by it, which otherwise would have
been an ornament to society-how many gi-
gantic minds has it bound down and crushed,
minds that could stoop and examine the small
est atom or grapple with the mighty uni
yersc-how many noble i~ntcllocts and grand
conceptions has il buried beneath its dark
and Ominous cloak.
Walter Lee was an orphan. In blooming
childhood his parents were snatched from
him by the hand Of death, and he was thrown
upon the charity Of an cid friend Of his faith
or; at least he volunteered to take charge of
him and educate him for his profession, which
was law. At an early age, Walter gave
striking proofs Of highly intellectual mind,
which his kind guardian, the venerable Mr..
Walton, used every means to improve. lie
enjoyed the advantage Of the best literary in
situations, and the benefit Of the best profess
sors which his wealth could procure. After
completing his studies ut college, he returned
home and was received ioyfully by his worthy
friend, who now entrusted his business to
him, and so we'll did he conduct all his cases
that he won the confidence and admiration
of all. Business flowed in from all sides,
and it was with mingled emotions Of esteem
and love, that the old man viewed his rising
talents. lie was the centre Of the little cir
Gle in his native village he was highly ac-
complished, and his conversation was the adj
miration Of the young bellies, who tried their
powers of fascination upon him, but in vain
he was proof against their arts. Shortly af-
ter his return from college, he met the beau
tiful and accomplished Kate Merton, the
daughter Of a retired merchant. Kate was
his beau ideatof female loneliness. She was
proud, but not supercilious, and was Just the
one to c~aptiyatc young Walters untutored
heart, after his long stay with his musty col
lege books. The mighty energies Of love
had long lain dormant in his heart, and
might have lain there and slept forever,
had she not appeared upon his pathway like
n lovely yision-and 10 it his heart bowed in
humble homage. lie loved her, and that
with no ordinary love his ideal dreams were
oil realized the torch that had long slum-
bored in Ills heart was now lighted, and burn
ell with the most intense fury the god of
love had taken the citadel of his heart, and
reigncd king Of it.
There was one thing about her that he ne
yer discovered until, alas too late that she
was u coquetteof the worst stamp, thathatejut
and despicdLie thing in the shape Of woman.
Walter for sometime received her cold Sights,
for he was blindly in love; but at last the
truth suddenly flashed upon his mind, and
he discovered that he was unloved by her
that he had no place in her affectiOns-that
the spot whereon no wished to rear the tenn.
pie Of affection was destitute of all tho
warm attributes Of love. She was to hin
like o fiery meteor, dazzling his eyes for al
instant, and then fading away forever. ShC
had treated him rs an accepted lover, unit
she had become weary Of her conquest, ant
longcd for another heart to conquer and la,
upon her shrine; and that wish was soon era
tilted for so lovely n girl as she could no
long remain without %suitors some were al
tracted by her beauty, some by her gay cor
versation, and some the greater part by he
reputed wealth but such was not the cas-
with Walter; h. loved with all that pure an
holy feeling inspirel hYg the . t5a4ssx GOD hi AiH4
was he mistaken, for the purencss Of min
which he so much admired was merely afet
tation, and the goodness Of heart nothin
more than vanity.
When lie perceived his bright dreams f
the future blasted, and his dearest hop,
crushed, all his manly courage deserted hi
and he bowed himself like the meanost N
NAL the shock was too great for him |
cringed before the fury Of the tempest,
tho it had no end. His was not love SOC
10 be forgotten, for it was craven in deep al
burning characters upon the tablet of h
heart and now, when he knew that his 10,
aud devotion were sighted, the vandal
hand of despair clutched his throbbing hea
in it's whitening grasp, and seeing the hop
o.. the future in ruins, he rushed into the gi
dy vortex Of passion and folly to drown i
sorrow in their "gilded thrall :" but the
tempt was an abortiye one-their empty pie
sures could afford no balm to his bleedil
heart. AS yet he had stood aloof from d
allurements Of the bowl. lie knew the diref
effects of its poisonous draught, and he b,
tied m~anfully with his desire for it, for
feared 20 touch one drop Of it's sparkling CO
tents but nc last, having no wall of 10
around him, he yielded to his passions a
plunged headlong into its vices, and in thu
he found n momcntary balm for his woe
but soon they multiplied, and then he plur
cd deeper still into the source from when
they flowed. 1t vas in vain his friends ga
cred around him and sought to avert his
cyitable doom-it was in vain they sought
lead him back to the paths Of virtue-in va
they pictured to him n drunkard's horriI
death and dishonored grave even the
treaties of the venerable Mr.. Walton were
no avail; he turned u deaf car to all tn
prayers. His business, too, was totally NJ
lccted one after another of his clients wi
drew their eases from his hands, until at Il
not one remained but this only served
exaspcrate him the more, and with a reckl
disregard Of future consequences he dra
the deeper, while the temptcr stood by
side and urged him on the slippery path
ruin. Ills excuses brought on diseases.
teebled and debilitated his iron constitute,
bluntcd his hrtlllnnt faculties, and made
wreck Of him, once the JOY and pride of
circle of friends, and the full, rich and me
dious tones of cloqucnce were turned il
obscene language, and the vilest blasphel
against his Maker. But "my Spirit shall
always strive with man" saith the Lord.
grieved the spirit until the dove took its fig
lie was seized with o fever then prevalC
and laid upon his death-bed. lie had n
no friends; but that beautiful, noble and
selfish band Of brothers, the Sons of Tenn
ance, came to him in his day of trouble, !
yidcd him with medical aid, and saw that
was well cared for. For a few days
nights he lay and rolled on his feyerish /
His disease was seemingly yielding to
skill ofhis physician. One evening he Sc,
cd much better, and he even sat up and c
yerscd with some Of his new friends. II
then entertained the most s~anguine hope
his recovery but newborn and fallaci
hopes! how soon were they To be blighted!
the conyalcsccncc which they so earne.
thought at hand. was but the calm VIII
prccedes the angry storm. That night
fever showed itself in a new and more ma
nant form, anu bafled the skill and iudgm
Of his physicians: it was with dismay t
Vowed the ravagos it had made within a
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