Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-10-01


will be quenched with sorrow-and the
happy heart which now beats lightly in
that bosom, will be weighed down like mine,
by the cares and misery of the world.
At length he came to me one day and
related the whole situation In tone of the
deepest despair. When heard him thro'
1 inquired, "Does, your wife know all
this ?" At this question he burst into an
agony of tears. " For Gods sake y cried
he, " if you have any pity on me don't
mention my wife; it is the thought Of her
that almost drives me to madness"
And why not 2" said !. " She must
knnE It sooner or later, you cannot keep it |,
froM her, aud rSsc Intelligence may break !
upon her in more startling manner than
if impaired by yourself, for the accents of
those we love soften the marshes: tidings.
Besides, you are depriving yourself of the
comforts of her sympathy; and not only
that, but you are endangering the only
bond that can keep you together-an un-
reserved community of thought and feel
ing. She will soon perceive that some
thing is preying upon your mind; and
true love will not brook reverse it feels
undervalued and outraged, when even the
sorrow of those it loves are concealed from
it."
ooh but, my friend, to think what
blow | am about to give to her future pros
pects-how am to strike her very soul to
) the earth, by telling her that her husband
, is beggar that she is to forego all the
pleasures of society-to shrink with me
into indigence and obscurity To tell her
that have dragged her down from the
sphere in which she might have continued
5 to move in constant brightness-th light
of every eye-the admiration of every
heart How can she bear poverty? She
has been the idol of society. Oh, it will
break her heart !"
: saw his grief was eloquent, and let
u it have its flow for sorrow relieves itself
by words When his paroxysm had sub
) sided, and he had relapsed into moody
silence, / resumed the subject gently and
e urged him to break his situation at once to
y his wife. He shook his head mournfully
> but positively.
y [" But how are you to keep it from her
u 1t is necessary that she should know it,
), that you may take the steps proper to the
q . alteration of your circumstances. You
u must change your style of living-nay,' -
g observing pang to pass across his counte-
} nance, Z" don't let that affect you. | am
p sure you have never placed your happiness
in outward show-you have yet friends
yes many warm friends, who will not think
/ the worse of you for being less splendidly
u lodged, and surely it does not require 9
l. palace to be happy with Mary"
D. "I could be happy with her." crieC
10 he convulsively, in hovel II coulC
re 90 down with her into poverty and th'
d. dust Il could-I could-God bless her y
lg cried he, bursting into transport Of grie
lis and tenderness.
~ ~ l must confess Notwithstanding all ha
~, said, | felt some little solicitude for tn
80 result. Who can calculate on the fortitud
- -. of one whose life had been round of pleas
m 49, ures. Her gay spirit might revolt at tn
20. 20 dark, downward path of low humility, sue
RI denly pointed out before her, and migf
- cling to sunny regions in which they ha
10 hitherto revelled. Besides, ruin in fasl
10 10 ionable life is accompanied by so many ga
- ling notifications, to which in no oth'
~ ranks, it is a burden. In short coul
~ not meet Leslie the next morning withOl
4'- = trepidation. He had made the disclosure
~ ~. "And how did she bear it 2"
-. :l' Like an angel. 1t seemed rather to
rJ 'l' relief to her mind, for she threw her arm
i"u around my neck and asked me if that W
thee all that had lately made me unhappy. b
'He - poor GIRL" added he, " she cannot reali
Us ., the change she must undergo. She h
VOC ~ no idea of poverty but in the abstract 81
pa pa has only read of it in poetry, where it
VI " allied to love- She feels as yet no priv
''' 70 ton, she suffers no loss of accustomed co
III ~ veniences nor elegancies. When we cor
anu practically to experience its petty wan
ou. and petty humiliations-then will be t
10 real trial
ous 'But,' said ], 'now that you have e
Of over the severest task, that Of breaking
ich to her, the sooner you let the world into t
of secret the better The disclosure may
the mortifying but then it is single miser
use. and soon over; whereas you otherwise 81
,ere fer it, in anticipation, every hour in
- day. 1t is not poverty so much as preten
orm that enhances ruined man, the strugs
r. between proud mind and an empty pul
she the keeping up of hollow show IL
III n must soon come to an end.-Have the CO,
hing age to appear poor and you disarm power
for, of its sharpest sting On this point
WELL found Leslie perfectly prepared. He b
ct of no false pride himself, and as to his W
she was anxious to conform to their alte
how fortunes
ty in He was now going to the cottage, VIII
been his wife had been all day experimenting
Gees arrangement My feelings had becc
him strongly interested in the progress of I
st TO family story, and as it was a fine eveniu
him offeredt to accompany him.
,oun- He was wearied with the fatigues of
was day, and as we walked out, fell into a f
ed it gloomy musing.
ty of Poor Mary = at length broke, wit
wife heavy sigh from his lips
helm And what Of her I? asked l, thas
ever, thing happened to her!
at all what said he, darting an impat
d his glance, SIS it nothing to be reduced to
IS not paltry situatiou-to be Gagged in miser
id at cottage-to be obliged to toll almost in
d all menial concerns of her wretched hal
ldish- ton?
), but Has she then repined at the cham
to his | asked.
e her, sRepined, she has been nothing
e was sweetness and good humor. Indeed