The Georgetown news., 1856-04-24

OF my mother oyerspread with an ashy pale
ness. She, however, took the document
from my hand, slowly turned the leaves
leaves not alone tinged by the breath OF
time, but containing lines half obIiterated
by her tears-tears shed long years ago, to
relieve broken heart--pointcd to the last
few lines she had euer traced, and whis-
pered-
"Nettie, my darling child, read! and may
God forgive your erring mother!'
Sacred to me as these lines are, l submit
a portion OF them to the reader. Here they
are:
"Night! night alike DER lonely tower and
sleeping cemetery; night over all nature,
but oh, how much more fearful this mid
night of the SOUL One o'clock peals forth,
trenbles and dies upon the breeze, and yet
no sleep for these weary eyes. no potion for
this sufocating, sitting agony of the heart!
The pale moon looks coldly in at my win
dow, quietly mocking the storm which ra-
ges in my heart. Yonder CLEANS my eve
ming star; but methinks its bright eye, too,
seems dimmed with tear. The streets are
deserted, and repose has been her nightly
rounds, lightly placing a finger upon each
dropping lid, but at my Threshold she fall
tiers. Her low, soothing voice would be
unheeded and lost mid the tumult and COM
motion of these furious elements, and with
sigh for my woes, she drops tear and is
gone. Adieu, sweet dreamer; heaven alone
knows when we may meet again!
"Nettie, my first born, how sweetly you
breathe away those fragments of your exist
encel Are your baby visions tarnished by
contact with the wailings of wretched
mother? Must you, too, wear this CALLING
chain? Did Fate, when preparing my bit
ter draught, dip his pen in the cup and
write the destiny of my child? God forbid!
ooh! what to me has the marriage vow
proven to be? But passive obedience to a
tyranical will! helpless submission to the die
tates of forbidding and uncongenial ma
ture. How exacting is the human heart!
how like the night-plant It longs and sighs
for the kindly dew of sympathy! And
wherefore is it withheld from my thirSting,
painting SOUL Did Astrea, in her dealings
of justice, unconsciously weigh inexperience
in the balance?
"But joy is not an entire stranger to my
bosom. There are moments when the light
struggles through the darkness and breaks
in food over my soul, deluging it in sea
OF rapture; moments when Peace, with her
burning taper, glides in and lights up the
dark recesses of my benighted heart mo-
ments when sublime picture in nature,
twilight cloud, or stray moonbeam, awakes
a thrill in my soul, which | would not ex-
change for aught less than heavenly Wis
ion. And this is the rod that smites me.
By this l have learned that L possess a
heart as acutely susceptible to pleasure as
to pain. But these moments, laden as they
are with imaginary happiness. are of but
short duration; for again reality marches
along, and | turn, but to sec Despair, in sa-
BILE robes, seated like a sentinel upon the
dark walls Of my future. But bark! foot
step! Is it he who the world calls my hus-
band, my protector? he who would wanton-
ly trample my last earthly joy beneath his
feet! he who has-shall | write it?-driven
me to the stage for the furtherance of his
own mercenary motives! God help mel
And am now an actress! Aye, an actress
indeed! To-day | have been pointed to
dim star in my future horizon, which they
say is Fame! What care l, when the heart
is all desolate? They call me unrivalled in
tragedy; and why not? My career thus far
has been marked by tragedy, and, my life
will be the sacrifice; yet, the truth falls
lightly upon has senses as snowflake upon
the ocean. But it is well! Somewhere the
heart must find vent, else the pent-up emo
tlons would stifie me. They little think ]
am clothing my own hearts sorrows in the
garb of borrowed eloquence, and laying
them before the critical gaze of an envious
world. But so 1t is. must so counterfeit
and assimilate the genuine happy heart
that even the eye Of the connoiseur shall fail
to detect it.
But see! the stars are growing pale, and
the daughters of light, clad in their tinted
robes, hasten to loop back the curtains of
night and usher in another day, while /
shall sit and eagerly listen for the voice of
the announcing angel, summoning me to
that laud, where He leadeth them beside
the still waters and maketh them to lie
down IN green pastures y
dropped the journal upon my lap and
looked abroad The storm had subsidized,
and all was still. Leaf and shrub was alike
Laden with silvery tears. The sun had sunk
TO rest, and bright star looked from the
SKY. but q heecy cloud quickly passed over
lts lace. turned for the first lime to gaze
upon my mother, but saw only deserted
structure. Once only thepale lip quivered,
ana then grew still in death. j shrieked for
help, but "too late" came up from the por-
tails OF despair. Her pure spirit was silent
y Winging Its way to the regions Of eternal
ilght. The night-bird passed by, breathing
his evening song, but the ever listening ear
was drinking yet sweeter melody. The
eioud passed from the little star, leaving it
70 shed ITS feeble light upon sleeping form,
1or she had received her passport from
earth to that bright sphere where 'the