True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1856-07-09
Selett Gale,
MARY OF MANTUA.
A CHAPTER IN HER HISTORY.

BY the tomb Of her departed mother,
now dead for many years, stood the love-
ly girl, celebrated in story as Mary of
Mantua. She had gone OUT at twilight,
amid the ruins of the ancient chapel of
her ancestors, 20 muse at that holy time,
and to chaun, few simple strains from II
book that had charmed her soul by the
tender melancholy Of its music, and the
gentle spirit Of its poetry. She was an
orphan, and, alIgough her uncle and
aunt had heed(ully prepared her youth
for the realiues of womanhood, yet she
had learned, that love maternal and pa
ternaI can never be replaced by any
friendship or kindness, however strong or
sincere. She had felt, TOO, how necessa-
ry i! is for every one to rely upon the
spirit within for counsel and guidance in
this working day worId-.she had thrown
by. almost entirely, the dream like Wis.
ions OF g'rl.ho d, and began to discern
through The shad IVY vista Of the future,
the uncertain path, which, if she lived,
it was her destiny to traverse, In a
neighhnrng convent had she been educa-
led, aud now that the Duchy of Manlua
was IN conluslun; consequent. upon the
clmmenls for the succession, which was
warmly disputed by the friends of sever
al preenders in Lumbardy, she had been
instructed that she must be prepared tn
sustain The position which rightly WIS
hers. 1t was he tomb OF her mother
which she had sought, we say, as much
for The hope Of being guided by truth, rs
to brgulie her melancholy of those pangs,
which. assuagrd in degree, leave the
spirit twilight OF the sui as soft and
soothing rs IS that Of IN Italian sumner.
As Mary was concluding the last stan
~ of song, which finished with the
lines,
"The hopes, the passions which life shall
Disclose,
Will fall aud fade as the leaves Of the rose,
The sentiment OF lhe poet Was received
= win a deeper IMPRESSION than otherwise
would have been the case, Tor she saw
the petals oi the huwer, which she hat
placed IN her bosum an h0nr before, fall
ling one, by one, upo. the tomb, where
she mad placed The book from which she
was gathering Includes for memory; ant
she heard, too, the step OF some one ap-
preaching with stealth through the ru
ms. SO that she turned her head, al,nos
involuntary. to the spot whence the nOlsr
seemed 10 proceed, not anticipating tina
she should discover. as she soon did, the
form of an interesting stranger by her side
The cal,u and coutemplative character o
her counteuance, was rather the result o
what had passed, than of that which wa
now passing through her mind yet tn,
stranger, deeming he perceived an inqui
ry in her look, rebukng himself Tor hi
boldness, at the same time, spoke to tn,
lady in such gentle accents. that she could
not find any Cause tor displeasure. Nay
she bade hun 10 make known his errand
for the tones of his voice indicated tn
friendIiness Of his intentions, while hi
ewes we're filed with sIncere meanin,
which strangely attracted her attention
There was something noble in his aspec
aud hearing, although his dress was tha
OF a student, and his face of that paIenes
which bespeaks that the mind is more ex
erciscd than the body. Still, there wa
strength slumbering in his well shape
limbs and frame and his lips, when i
repose. werc curved so rs to be The tuken
ola decision and energy of charac'e
which had not otherwise been apparen
except under different circumstances.
MARY Of Mantua,' SAID the stranger
'you are summoned to morrow, as yo
,elready know, 10 attend upon the ne,
Duke, Vincenzo, the faithless priest, tn
welded cardinal !
TOO we'll know it, breathed th
gentle girl. :,
Three princes contend for your hand,
ne continued, The first, Vincenzo, Duk
OF Manlua. ..,..
What, my uncle = calculated Mary.
'Truiy, replied the stranger; but lii
ten; the mex. is Ferrand. Prince {
Guastella--the third, CHARLES, Duke {
Rhetel.'
The second I abhor,' said Mary
the last is the son Of my dead father
enemy
The stranger smiled, and as sever
members Of The household were approach
inc the ruins, he hastily said, Mary I
Mantua, agains. these three PRINCES sir
ple gentleman, nobly born, dare to coater
for thee. Enough! Tomorrow, as yo
go 10 The city. take not the common roa'
but turn 10 the left al the Perro'sl vim
ward the Prince Of Gaustella is in Il
territory, aud may attempt 10 sieze 20
Mind my counsel, and ldanger be nea
there will be shields to protect yo
FAREWELL
Thus having spoken. he quickly d
parted, and The agilaled Mary returned
t. .I....kar xuhora aha nasgpd The Illpl