Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1856-07-02

ohA t0Ah W III III Y | III
OF her lost parent as to something holy and u
dear. She would sit for hours alone, re- 5,
calling his every look and tone, and dwell O
ing fondly upon hiswords oflove. At such t.
times she would remember all his precepts,
and breathe a PRAYER that they might guide Il
her safely through the p%erilous path of life. o
With a spirit chastened by sorrow, she d
sought the home of her brothers. They a
had lived apart from her since the days of t
childhood, and they had none of those gem v
tie and pleasant memories which linger so q
sweetly around the hearts of those who v
have been reared in the genial atmosphere e
of home. They received their sister as a I
stranger, and greeted her with the chilling a
words of unkindness. They feared she /,
would become a dependant on their bounty, {
and consume a portion of the patrimony $
which they had 50 recently inherited. How
strange a passion is avarice-how it con-
tracts every lofty principle Of the mind,
and chills every warm emotion of the heart;
degrades every noble sentiment of humani-
ty! Leontius had withheld his worldly
riches from his daughter, in order to bes-
tow all upon his sons, thinking, no doubt,
that they would gladly share the dowry
with their only sister. But the spirit Of
avarice had entered their hearts, and they
grudged the gentle Athenais a home. They
frowned upon her when che asked their
protection, and unWillingly granted the
shelter they were ashamed to refuse. She
would have turned away from such unnat-
ural kindred, to seek a home among stran-
gers, but she had been reared in retirement,
and Ennvu pOEhiN. &C Eeo coUo rrhok che
had learned from study, and she dared not
90 forth into the world friendless and a
lone. Thus, compelled to accept the boon
so ungraciously granted, she became an
unwelcome dweller with her inhospitable
brothers. But though with them, she was
not one of their family, fol their fresides
never shed a cheering radiance for her, and
their household gods never smiled upon
her spirit. She was desolate and unhappy
the memory of a fathers kindness was
everlingering around her heart, making her
altered situation more sad and more diff
cult to endure.
Still, in the treasures of the mind, those
which her father had deemed so rich a leg
acy, she found a resource and shield from
despair. There were moments when she
could steal from the troublous cares that
oppressed her, and forget, in study, and
the intellectual pursuits she loved, the ma
ny ills to which she was subjected. But
even these brief intervals of consolation
were denied, and the last flower that bloc
0 med in her darkened pathway, seemed about
a to perish.
Roman of high birth, namedMarulles
- II H. -. 4 l4I-o
theirs, became charmed with her beauty
He numbered more than twice her years, ant
d was a man of corrupt character. He hat
led dissolute life, and wandered through
the garden of Pleasure, until there SCENE,
not a solitary flower rare and beautiful
enough to please his satiated fancy. Sur
feited with pernicious sweets, and almoS
r weary of the life that could afford him II
n new enjoyment, he continually sighed fo
e. some novelty to awaken the sluggish emo
lions of his heart. That novelty he seen
s. ed now to have found in Athenais. He
70 beauty at first attracted his admiration, br
y it was her purity Of thought and modest
D. of demeanor that fixed his attention, an
X inspired a love such as he had never know
i! before. He looked upon her as a treasul
IN which he had long sought in vain, an
of which he was at last blessed with the hop
= of obtaining. He resolved to make he
,h his wife, and accordingly sought an opport'
al of declaring his love. lie blindly imagil
of ed that his birth and wealth would insul
x success, forgetting that he possessed not
as single quality that could win the %affectiC
lie of a pure young heart. Athenais, gent
but firmly refused his offers, but when /
repeated them again, she became displeasC
1t with his perseverance, and repealed hi
lr. with disdain. This seemed rather to /
crease than diminish his admiration, al
he he determined to obtain her at any ~sacriiC
est He made known his wishes to the brothe
18th and besought their aid. Then was Athens
The constantly prosecuted with entreaties, to
come the wife of Marbles. Commar
ing followed entreaties, and threats follow
ma commands, until she had scarce a mOmer
of peace. The brothers, seeing a chance
escaping the duty of maintaining her, V
hus thew regarded as an incumbrance, were t
rth. in their resolve to make her accept
last offer, that they feigned to consider adv
hen ~tageous and desirable. They embra
sing every opportunity to throw Athenais
for the now hated company of her admire
they made her home more wretched t
sunk ever, they wounded her heart by the i
aved unkind and unfeelinS words; in short
made use of every means that cruelty C
,ene. suggest, to force her into a compliance
ton their wishes. Weary of continual pers
emily ton, and overcome by dependency
the grief, the unhappy Athenais knew not
.hich course to pursue. Sometimes she wa
eve most tempted to yield to the sad fate
S his threatened her, and then, the thong
Dung sacrificing herself where she felt onlydis
and and of being ~irrevocably united to age
arble vice, made her pure heart shudder
des- dread. At length she asked and obta
the boon Of three days respite from sol
!, i'm tions, during which time she was not
osing persecuted with threats or e%ntreatie
even spoken to on the subject that
had her so much pain. This favor was g
5 had cd, on condition that she would spen
It was time in endeavoring to think more ia
4 the bly of Marulles, and in learning to
voice upon a union with him as an event '
,raise, she could not hope to avoid.
n the Those three days seemed, to Ath
been like a short respite granted to a condo
al her criminal. At one moment a joyous
mind of freedom would thrill her heart
been then a dark remembrance immed
,eptor, usurp it's place. Now a ray of hope