Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-12-17
III.

"But few returned from folly's giddy chase.
Few heard the voice Of wisdom or oboy.d."
POLLOK.
Old time had swept by as the wind, and
summers aud winters we're waited to cter-
nifty. Earth in the embrace of winter,
slept in her fearless shroud, enriched here
aud there by sparkling gems aud gllvery
girdles, formed by the icc-bound lakes and
rivers.
The wind whistled and whiled by, re-
scmbling as We imagine the Ddtterlng OF de-
mons. that meets tho ear of the departed
spirit MS Il passes through the "valley and
shadow ofdeath." Twas a night when we
Look from the window Of our comfortable
a-partment. and shudder at the thought of
a fellow beings having TO face the blast
without shelter. | sat before q blazing
Ere. and a fantastic cloud arose from a fine
hayanna slowly towards the ceiling, and
wrought itself into a h1usand fanciful
shapes, now by some nice whirl revealing
some old familiar wood, when in child
holds gay sunshine | uscl to Gull wild
flowers, or some loved old bower, when love
began to stir the latent fires of passion, | used
t. drink the soul light that shone calmly
from the eyes ofmy Observation-Disclosures, and
now with its unsSbstantial mason work,
building the Aladdin palace, so quickly re-
eoguised in the hopes Of every youth
Gradually by some strange association my
thoughts are turned into another channel,
and tie future OF a blushing brilc peer at
me from the fantastic mist, the smoke falls
down into the gorgeous folds OF silkcn dra-
p3ry, AMI u bridal chamber is spread out
before me, aud the grave old minister, with
his solemn, deep-toned voice pronounced,
Charles Manly, and Emmy Cleyton, "man
and WIFE" "A change came Ger the spirit
Of my dream" The bridal as usual had
changed to q parting scene. The village of
Wustbridgc bad asseuBblcd to bid adieu to
Charles and Emma, aud iu my vision / saw
the tears trickle down the mothers check,
and fall, sparkling aud bright as diamonds,
among Emma's raven tresses. The father
wept, all Of us wept as we babe them adieu,
and they left Wcstbridge for their distant
home. ga change cam DER the spirit o.
my dream" The pale, wan, anxious fea
lures Of Mrs. Clcytoa appeared before me
Her daughter had net written to her TO
twelve months. She had written to tn
postmaster at the village where they haC
located, but he could tell nothing of them
Mr.. Cleyton went in search of them, an,
on arriving at their former home he learn
ol that Manly had become an outcast an,
had left a year before. The Cleytons an
Manlys had used every effort to find them
but had not succeeded, and as | behel
Mrs. Cleyton's pale, wan, anxious face i
the smoke wreathes, all these facts wer
passing dream-like through my mind, whe
/ was aroused from my rcvery by a knoc
Mt the door Of my little smetum, and befor
i could fully arouse myself the door opel
cd, and the nearest perfect specimen Of hi
man misery 1 had ever seen, stood befo1
me. 1t was half clad female, whose for
bore signs Of better days, but upon who
brow despair was too plainly written. r,
a moment she regarded me in silence, al
az She did SO / thought that | saw in tn
chastity, careworn face, features / had sec
before, bat where, or when / knew not
1hA wrung her hands convulsively, fell
INJECT, and, said, almost shrieked, q
hus 4 is dying, will you go and see hir
tolcN r to get up, but she had swoone
traisedN n to a chair, she looked wild