The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1857-07-08
= All, Clarence, you are very

any further, and deeper love ,-never once
| fancied it even
All, Clarence, you are very
young
And yet there are some things that
puzzle you in Nelly. You have found,
accidentally, in one of her treasured books,
"A book that lies almost always ON her
| dressing table,-a little withered flower
with its stem in slip Of paper; and on
the paper the initials of-your old friend
Frank. You recall in connection with
this, her indisposition to talk of him on
the first evening of your return. Il
seems,-you scarce know why--that these
are tokens of something very like lean
ing of the heart. 1t does occur to you,
that you try one day, very adroitly, to
take look into this casket.
You will learn, later in life, that the
heart of a modest gentle girl, is very
hard matter, for even brother to probe
it is at once the most tender, and the most
| unapproachable of all Businesses It admits
feeling, by armies, with great trains OF
artillery,-but not q single scout. 1t is
as calm and pure as the polar SHOWS; but
deep underneath, where 10 footsteps have
gone, and where no eve can reach, but
one, lies the warm, and ~5Arobbing earth.
Make what you will OF the slight, quiv-
ering bushes, and of the half broken ex-
pressions, - more you cannot get The
love that delicate minded girl will tell
is short sighted, and outside love; but
her true love viii mould her secret
sympathies, and her deepest, fondest year
nings, either to quiet the world of Joy, OF
to world Of placid suference. The true
voice of her love she viii keep back long
and late, fearful ever of her most priced
jewel,-fearful to strange sensitiveness
she will show kindness, but theopening Of
the real flood-gates of the heart, which be-
long to its nature, come far later. And
fearful, thrice fearful is the shock, if these
| flow out unmet
That deep, thrilling voice bearing all
the prefume of the womanly soul in its
| flow, rarely finds utterance; and if uttered
vainly,-if called out by tempting devices
and by trust that is abused, -desolate
indeed u the maiden heart,-widowed OF
its chastest thought! The soul shrinks
affrighted within itself. Like a tired
bird, lost at sea,-futtering around what
seem friendly boughs, it stops at length,
and finding only cold, slippery spars, with
no bloom and no foliage-its last hope
gone-it sinks to wild, ocean grave!
Nelly-and the thought brings tear o.
sympathy to your eye-must have such
heart: it speaks in every shadow of hel
action And this very deicacy seems tc
lend her charm, that would make her q
wife. to be loved and honored.
Aye, there is somethingin the maiden.
ly modesty, retiring from you, as you ad.
vance,-retreating timidly from all bold
approaches, fearful and yet joyous, which
wins upon the iron hardness of mans
nature, like rising flame. To force Of
action and resolve, he opposes force: to
strong will, he mates his own but to
true affection he yields with a gush Of
tenderness that nothing else can call out
He will never be subjugated on his own
ground of action and energy; but let him
be lured to that border country, over
which the delicacy, and fondness of a
womanly nature presides, and his energy
yields, his naughty determination faints,
he is proud OF submission
And with this thought of modesty,
and gentleness to illuminate your dream
of an ideal wife, you chase the pleasant
phantom to that shadawy home,-iying
far off in the future,-of which she is the
the glory, and the crown. I know it is
the fashion nowadays with many, to
look for woman's excellencies, and in
fluence,- away from her home; but [
know too, that vast many eager, and
hopeful hearts, still cherish the belief that
her virtues will range highest, and live
longest within those sacred walls.
Where indeed, can the modest and ear
nest virtue of a woman, tell stronger
story of its worth, than upon the dawning
habit of child? Where can her grace
of charity win higher, and ripper effect,
than upon the action of her household p
What mean those noisy declaimers who
talk of the feeble influence, and Of the
pushed faculties of woman7