Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-03-26

SAO oe1
of danger but, oh, what a wreck of lowell
ness lay in that darkened chamber! The
delicate skin, scanned and spotted even to ex-
ceeding responsiveness the brighteye dimmed
and nearly sightless; and that wealth of
bright, silky, wavy hair, had all disappeared,
giving place to unseemly and entire badness.
1t was well for Ida that she could not as
yet see the ruin that disease had wrought
Not so with her weak and vain mother. The
daughters beauty had been a source of inor-
dinate pride, the one object of supreme wor-
ship and now her idol was stripped of its
ornaments, and lay before her a helpless mass
of clay. By turns she raved and wept, la
menting the sore bereavement, as if the jewel
was of no value now the casket was married.
1t was happy for Ida that Cousin Harriet,
with her gentle ministrations, was ever at
hand, to prevent her witnessing these childish
outbreaks of feeling on the part of her moth
er. She soothed and amused the sufferer,
and spoke words of consolation to the frantic
mother. Above all, she impressed on her
mind the necessity of cheerfulness in 1da's
presence.
Ida's father was a man much absorbed in
business, never troubling himself about do
nestle matters, yielding in all things of that
sort to the direction of his weak and proud
wife. fully satisfied that in supplying all de-
mands for money he was a goodhusband and
father. He loved his children that is, when
he had time to remember he had any. He
was sorry to find that Ida was sick; babe
his wife let her have whatever she wished
went to his warehouse, and forgot every thing
but ships and merchandise.
3 But Cousin Harriet thought of every thing,
9 and what she did was always donejudicious-
! ly. AS Ida grew stronger, the weak and in-
/ famed state of her eyes made it still needful
!. to remain in her darkened room, where few
but the members of the household were per.
, mitted to enter. Of Ida's young friends,
: some were deferred from visiting her from
e fear of contagion others were denied admit
lance on one pretext or another. Her moth
er dreaded to exhibit her changed appear
i ance. Cousin Harriet feared some sudden
d exclamation or look ofsurprise should reveal
70 to her yet feeble patient the extent of her
misfortune.
10 During these long and lonely days, Cousin
Harriet never RENTED her kindness. She
Id stayed by her, conversed with her, read to her,
and amused her solitary hours, until Ida
of began to wonder how it was that in her dark
i. ened chamber, shut out from all that used
m to interest her, she was sohappy. The truth
&c was, she had just begun to realize the plea
Il sure of thought and reflection, apart from
er that whirl of gayety in which she had lived,
No one was better qualified to reconcile he1
n, to herself, and to commune with her own
as heart, than Cousin Harriet. She drew from
,rt her own rich store house treasures of mine
,ro and memory, and she taught the newly-awak
- ened mind to unfold its soaring pinions.-
~ But there was one source ofanxiety to all he
~ friends Ida had once been an accepted love
lc- she faneied she was still-if one could b.
in. called a lover who had been dazzled by mer
rs. external glitter, who was as gay and incon
~ . ciHarato 10 tho TOW ho bod hOpaJ 20 1ooI,o \;
~ own. Ida had been fattered and her vanit
gratiied by the preference of one who wa
ndU the heir of considerable wealth, polished i
lnu his manners, handsome in his person, and
in her opinion, every inch a gentleman
)et- He was the idol of that circle sometime
ma known as Japonicadom and so far as he
elf unfinished soul could love, Ida loved hin
During her long illness and convalescenc
be had often solicited permission to see he
Jus and was as often, on various p~retexts, denie,
ad- At length, however, he grew importunat
en- and insisted on seeing his future pride. 4
her he must sooner or later know the truth, Co
it'll sin Harriet deemed it best to admit him.
hat She had prepared his mind to see a great q
- ~teration in Ida's looks; and though she h;
/. never beheld her own features since her s
Anu we're illness, Cousin Harriet anxiously stro
1ere to fortify her mind for the shock she fl
the sure awaited her.
are The impatient lover was admitted but
10Th was evident his mind was u~nprepared
,Jo1 the sight that awaited him, from the inv
~ untary exclamation of surprise and disa
wing ised for the first time the full extent Of
deformity. Her lover made but a brief Wis
) ar his conduct was constrained aud immature
lie to and when ne rose to go, he did not speak
her coming again. Ida summoned all her '
.,,It;- manly pride, and preserved a show Of co
~. posure until he left her, when, in the de,
: ~ of her modification, she determined to
ouch and know for herself what havoc disease /
ousln made and Selling the momentary absel
1usin of her attendant, she ~tottered into anot
old room, for thoughtful Cousin Harriet lad
dale moved all means of seeing herself; and n
:, for the first time, the whole truth was rev,
ed to her. When her careful nurse return
Ca alarmed at her absence, she sought her in
ol adjoining apartment, and there she fol
iding her. cold and senseless, lying on the fool
ousin The shock had been too great for her
elf or feebled frame, and a severe relapse of fl
,w of was the consequence. Perhaps it was
~ for Ida that debility and delirium for a
te time swept from the memory all ~recollec
1Iniul of that day. When her mind was a,
sacred clear, her former admirer was in ano
I'd her hemisphere. But health came slowly,
til the with it some remains of her former bea
Slowly the hair, and eyes, and skin, if
.r do. brilliant, yet be came agreeable to the 81
- She would never again be a belle, but
: nei was not repulsive.
q the And now Cousin Harriet had the
l were difficult part of her mission to fulfill.
escrip- had SO long held her by the side of the
d. in a lid, that love, such as we may suppose
Of at gels can feel for erring and feeble MOI
nIotod now filled her heart and she determine,
RASO~A cnr nc low IN hop pOrror IN All my tha rp
ten naess in the hearts tablet to store
both mind with treasures which accident 81
| look not rob her of or efface. TWAS no light
raceful however, to redeem the waste Of years,
E! Did to overcome the Incidence and petulan
~ ora a neglected temper. But what will no
-. tient and assiduous love fulfill? By de
tonP' the mind, suddenly withdrawn from al
LESS Is former pursuits, began TO unfold its n
We powers, and to Stake its thirst at the
as tain of wisdom at the same time its ft
follow susceptibilities were drawn out and Gu
~ressino ted. Ida began to look away from the
bo he row circle ofselfsh qualification, and to
- pathize with the more ennobling pursu
: "ou'u others. To pursue the symbol of the CT
it was less brilliant, but the jewel it COZ
10 Har- ed was receiving so beautiful a polish,
"array- it's surroundings were little needed.
~unsit,'" steady perseverance, Cousin Harriet t
"tgLo- her to find pleasure in rational pursuits
at length she saw, with emotions of
al ~fulness, that her labors were crowned
VIZ abundant success.
larmIug Ida could now look back with reioici