The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-11-12

WV" .P0n INC ue'oteu paper. Nothing thai
you write tor my eyes, Signora, shall be 80 des
eerated and ne took up the letter, put thai
also among the carrots, and fed on it, and then
proceeded to read it.
Gracious me! Mr.. Slope" said she. 81
hope you don't mean to say that Won keen al
the trash write you. Half my time, / DOM
know what write, and when l do, know i,
IS only tit for the back of the fire. hone Won
have not that ugly trick of keeping letters"
AT any rate, don't throw them into waste
paper basket. If destruction is their doomed
lot they perish worthily, and are burned on q
pyre, as DIDO was of old"
With steel pen stuck through them. q,
course" said she, 4" to make the smile more
complete. Of ali the ladies of nv acouaint
snce, think Lady Dido was the most absurd
Why did she not do as Cleopatra did? WHY
did she not take out her ships, and insist or
going with him2 She could not bear to lose
the land shs had got by swindle, and ther
she could ks. bear the loss Of her lover. So
she fell between two stools. Mr.. Slope, what
ever you do, never mingle love and business.
Mr. Slope bushed up to his eyes, and over
his notified forehead to the very roots of his
hair. He felt sure that the Signora knew al
about his intentions with reference TO Mrs
Bold. His conscience told him that he was de-
tected. bis doom WAS to be Spoken he was
to be punished for his duplicty, and rejected
oy the beautiful creature before him. Poor
man He little dreamed that, had all his in.
tentions with reference to Mrs Bold been
known to The Signora, it would ONLY have add
ed zast to that ladys amusement. 1t was all
very well to have Mr.. Slope at her feet, to show
her power by making an utter fool of clergy.
man, to crafty her own infdelity by thus
proving the little strength which religion had in
controlling the passions, even of religious
man; but it would be an increased gratifca.
ton if she could be made to understand that
she was at the same time alluring her victim
away from another, whose love, if secured.
would be IN every way benefcent and salutary.
The Signora had indeed discovered, with the
keen intellect of such woman, that Mr.. Slope
was bent on matrimony with Mrs. Bold but,
in abiding to Dido, she had not thought of it..
She instantly perceived, however, from her
lovers bushes what was on his mind, and was
not slow in taking advantage of it,
She looked him full in the face, not anprily.
nor yet with q emile, but with an intense and
overpowering gazs; and then, holding up her
forehnger, and slightly shaking her head, she
said
Whatever you do. my friend. do not mingle
love and business. Either stick to your treas
ure and your city of wealth, or else follow your
love, like true man but never attempt both.
Ii you do, you'll have TO die of broken heart.
as DID poor Dido Which is it to be with you,
Mr.. Siope-love or money ?"
MI slope was not so ready with pathetic
answer as he usually was with touching cpl.
sode IN his extempore sermons He felt that
he ought to say something pretty. something
also that should remove the impression on the
mind of his lady-love; but he was rather put
about how to do it.
Love" said he, true, overpowering love.
must be the strongest passion a man can feel /;
IL must control every other wish, and put aside
every other pursuit. But with me, love will
"DSeL act IN that way, unless it be returned I"
~: ne Threw upon her a sigh of tenderness
taeiSe- t~'as 1etepded to make M for the def.
Take my advice" said she. "Never mind
love. After all, what is it The dream of
few weeks That is all its Joy. The disap-
pointment of life is its Nemesis. Who was
ever successful in true love? Success in love
argues that the love is false. True love is al
ways respondent or tragical Junius loved.
Haidee loved, Dido loved; and what came Of it :?
Troius loved, and ceased to be a man."
Troilus loved, and was fooled" said the
more manly chaplain. "a man may love,
and yet not be Troilus. All women are not
Cressidas"
No, all women are not Cressidas. The
falsehood Is not always on the womsn's side.
Imogen was true, but how was she rewarded ?
Her lord believed her to be the paramour of the
first who came near her in bis absence. Des-
demona was true, and was smothered. Ophe-
liza WAS true, and went mad. There is no hap
pinesS in love, except at the end of an English
novel. But in wealth, money, houses, lands,
goods, and chattels, in the good thirgs of this
word-yes, In them there is something tangi.
BILE, something that can be retained and en-.
joyed."
"Oh! no." said Mr.. Slope, feeling bound to
enter come protest against so very unorthodox
doctrine" this worlds wealth will make no
one happy"
Sand what will make you happy-you-
you ?" said she, raising herself up, and sneak.
lug to him with energy across the table "From
what source do you look for happiness? Do
not say that you lock for none. / shall not be-
lieve you. 1t is a search in which every human
being spends an existence"
And the search is always in vain" said Mr..
Slope " We look for happiness on earth, while
we ought to be content to hope for it in
heaven"
"Pshaw you preach o doctrine which you
know you don't believe. 1t is the way with
you all. If you know that there is no earthly
happiness, why do you long to be q bishop or
deanY Why do you want lands and income2 4"
" | have the natural ambition of a man."
said he.
"Of course you have, and the natural pas.
sions, and therefore l say that you don't be.
lieve the doctrine you preach. st. Paul was
an enthusiast. He believed so that his ami ition
and passions did not war against his creed
SO does the eastern fanatic, who passes half his
life erect upon pillar. AS for me, | will be
lieve in no belief that does not make itself
manifest by outward signs. / will think no
preaching sincere that is not recommended BY
the practice of the preacher"
Mr.. Slope was startled and Mortified, but he
felt that he could not answer. How could he
stand up and preach the lessons of his Master,
being then as he was On the Devils business ?
He was true believer, otherwise this would have
been nothing to him. He had audacty for most
things, but he had not audacity to make play.
thing of the Lords Word. ALI this the Signora
understood, and felt much interest as she saw
her cockchafer whirl round upon her pin.
"Your wit delights in such arguments, u
said he, " but your heart and your reason do
not 60 along with theml"
"My heart " said she. "You quite mis-.
take the principles of my composition, if YOU
imagine that there is such thing about me. >
After all, there was very little that was false
in anything the Signora said. If Mr.. Slope al
lowed himself to be deceived, it was his own
fault. Nothing could have been more open
than her declarations about herself.
The little writing table with her desk was
still standing before her, barrier, as it were,
against the enemy. She was sitting as nearly
upright as she ever did, and he had brought a
chair close TO the sofa, so that there was only
the corner of the table between him and her.
1t so happened that, as she spoke, her hand 10y
upon the table; and as Mr.. Slope answered