Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1857-07-09

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best years we're wasted, and worse than vast
ed, for Gas we have said) they gave colo
to her whole existence, which time and cir
cumstances never did entirely efface.
At last he came, this rara aUis-this non
pariel-this thing of beauty-this man will
an angels soul, at last bowed down before
her. Attracted by her beauty--interestet
by her intellect, and fascinated by that which
oftenest fascinates man, the evident interes
himself excited he became for time en-
chained, and in return for this temporary
passion, this consequence of his vanity, this
little episode in his life, she gave that deep.
enduring, self.immolating devotion, which
few of either sex can feel, or even under
stand. Devotioa, said we? 1t is an ex,
pressive word, but far too tame-too weak
to convey an idea of the feelings entertained
by that enthusiastic and romantic girl. We
should call it "IDoLArRY," for such it was.
"And bliss
Shone Ger her heart from every look of his;
And but to see him, hear him. breathe the air
In which he dwelt, was her souls fondest prayer
And round him hung such perpetual spell,
Whateer he did, none ever did so WELL
Too happy days! when if he touched flower
Or gem of hers, twas sacred from that hour;
When she did study him, till every tone,
And gesture, and dear look became her own,
Her voice like his, the changes of his face
In hers reflected with still loveler grace"
Nature had given this man the appearance
of gentleman, some education-and much
reading and travel had so cultivated his IN
tellect, that if he had not talent, he had so
keen an appreciation of it in others, that he
could not be supposed entirely destitute of
it himself. His was not only hackneyed
heart, whose freshness and purity had long
been worn away by contact with the degra-
ded of both sexes, but he was constitutionally
incapable of strong feeling; yet he knew
how to clothe that which he had in burning
language. He could write letters filled with
words (meaningless sounds) which would
sink to the bottom of the heart which so
loved him, and lay glowing there, lighting
the eye, crimsoning the cheek, and making
existence exstacy, when he had totally for
gotten them. He had no innate delcacy,
no refinement of mind, but then he had such
perfect manner; his language was so pure,
it would not have seemed to her possibility
that mouth so faultess in its beauty, could
ever utter other than noble sentiments-tha
it could ever be distorted by anger, polluted
by oaths, or degraded by the intoxicating
cup; that the broad white forehead which
vas shaded by dark brown ringlets, which
yirliSh hnnnty might have onvina onnla n~"~
be flushed and contracted by the excitements
Of the gaming table-but so it was; and ere
long, partial knowledge dawned upon her.
She was shocked and BUNDLED, but not pros
trated by the blow, and like true, love-
blinded woman, she soon began to make ex-
cuses for him. His errors were all of the
past-before he knew her-love had not
then refined his soul he would sin no more
she would be his guardian angel, and "with
all his imperfections on his head" was he
not still superior to all that she had seen or
known? In one blissful certainty (and such
made it) she found deep con-
ISOLATION. She was his first, and only love,
"the bright particular star" to whom he gave
a fresh and undivided worship; his voice of
music had never whispered in another's ear
his dark blue eyes had never rested fond
ly on another's face-she would rest her
head upon his bosom with certainty that no
other head had ever rested there. "Non-
sense" exclaims the sagacious male reader,
and so it was nonsense. We, the scathed,
experience-taught, time-hardened denizens
of this work.a.day world know that it was
sheer nonsense. But to the girl it was Gas
we have said) consolation, and without this
first ordeal, this premonitory blow, she could
not have borne that which soon came--the
total demolition of every hope which rested
on the honor, morality, or undivided love of
her idol.
Her dream was suddenly, and rudely
broken, it matters not how, or why--it would
be an old story if told. AT first her reason
reeled, then her health failed, but youth
and..a vigorous constitution bore her through,
and after many months of physical and men,
tai suffering, she was apparently restored;
outwardly she was the same as in ether days,
but "her soul was sad )" she felt as the wri-
ter to whom we have alluded, speaks; and
like him she gave vent to her anguish in
poetry-only the impassioned language which
in poetry is licensed, could describe her wild
despair-expressed in plain prose, it would
have seemed madness.
Had hers been properly disciplined
mind, it would never have thus succumbed;
it would have found an immediate cure for
the pain in the knowledge of the unworthi-
ness of its cause. 1t would not have con-
tinucd to cherish the serpent which had
stung it, nor have constantly aggravated the
wound by poisonous palliatives. 1t would
rather with a determined hand have cut it
all away, and time would soon have oblitera-
ted even the scar; but not so, 'her soul was
sad" and she resolutely closed it against all
influences which might have dissipated its
gloom. 1t was long thus, but at last, ''time
the restorcr," in spite of herself, wore off the
edge of her grief; she was no longer hope
less, despairing, but her mind never became
healthy-she was never what she should
have been. Excitable, eccentric, subject to
fits of melancholy, or intervals of unnatural
gaiety, longing for fame which she had not
the talent to win; craving wealth, not for its