The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-08-20

me, and all of us, and he perfectly at home. !
that we can enjoy ourselves and enjoy eac
other. Are you really so bashful as Tom savsP
she asked, suddenly raising her eyes to nv fac,
her tone and mannes we're so entirely conf
dental, frank, and childlike, that a weigh
seemed lifted from my heart, and answered
almost gaiy y - ;"
So you and Tom have been discussing m
merits and dement's Well, Miss Wynne, yes
1t is extremely probable Tom has not exae
gerated. l should have trembled far more vic
lently before the lady than before her fierce pro
tector. Yet, truly, now do not feel modest in tn
least degree. On the contrary, l could fame,
myself monarch of all l survey 1t seems n,
otherwise than as if we were old friends"
That is right. / am glad" she said, will
honest pleasure shining in her face. "That il
sensible. Be sure you stay sensible 1t would
distress me beyond measure to know that 70,
were really 30 annoyed and unhappy as Ton
Gleason says; and, above all things, that yor
should be afraid of mel
Were you ever afraid of any one i? " asked
No, can't remember that ever was" she
answered, laughing. Is it very bold to say 80
or rather to feel so, or rather not to feel so?
can't help it. would be very glad to be fright
ened if it is necessary and proper, only l cam
see anything frightful"
mot in room-full of ladies and gentle
menu"
Not unless they are, individually and col
iectively, one and all, intolerably stupid; in
winch case, am as greatly dismayed as you
can possibly be-"
"And you can walk, and talk, and laugh, with
as much ease SIS if they were your brothers and
sisters 2"
"Precisely. You see they are either nv su.
DerlOrS. IL
riors, all have to do is to profit by their supe.
riority-repose under the shadow of their
wings. Nobody will notice me- If equals or
superiors, L just circulate among them, and
make the best Of it. But they cannot terrify
me. If people don't like me, console myself
with saying they have not good taste, and l
would not have them like me for the world: or
sometimes think, no wonder they don't ike
me. very often don't ike myself at ALL But
you are so proud; you will have every one
worship at your shrine. You are like Poor
Noll:. am very impudent, am / not ?"
GU are, indeed"
However, it is extremely wrong for you to
say So And another advantage have besides
my humilty-that l am pretty, or, at least,
think L am; and -
That is proof of your humility, 1 sup
pose?"
Yes, it is, sir, notwithstanding your sarcas
TIC tone. Jeremy Taylor says that humility
consists IN having real mean and low opinion
OF yourself In my opinion, Jeremy Taylor is en-
ureiy wrong. Christ was humble, certainly, but
ne could not have had mean and low opinion
OF himself, because he was not mean and low I
think humility consists in Just this-to make an
exact estimate of yourself, neither too high nor
too low. If l think am handsome, it is sheer
hypocrisy to pretend that l don't l do not
suppose myself Hebe or Helen, but a suffi
GENTLY welllooking girl not to attract attention.
should not consider it essential to obtrnde nv
opinion on that point gratuitously, but only if
1t comes up naturally in the way Of argument
as now"
Your opinions are not very largely EN-.
braced. Girls are not generally supposed to be
conscious of beauty. To say Of one, she is
pretty, and she knows it, would not be consid-
dr.. !. mpimensg she said, earnestly, all
wrong. girl cannot see in glass her own
face more beautiful than any picture, without
observing it; and she has a perfect right to
admire it. child ought to be familiarized
with the fact, that she may learn its true value
from her parents, and know that she is no
more to be vain of it than she ia to be vain
of having a father, or mother, or any other
blessing which she is in no wise instrumental in
turned, by hearing it first from the lips of some
foolish admirer. see you do not more than
half believe me-"
~ must confess the ideas are somewhat
novel. You must give me time enough to turn
them over in my head, before pass judgment"
You must bestir yourself, then; for, very
likely, before that revolution is completed,
l shall have another package for you and they
might jostle each other uncomfortable"
You will allow me, then, little more ca
pacity than Walter Van Twiller, who had only
room for one"
II will allow you all the capacity you shall
prove" she said, rising and placing the vase on
a table, and no more. L shall make no allow
snce for dormant genius or untoward circum
stances. If you go away by yourself, sullen
and sulky, shall say you are sullen and sulky.
Whereas, if you will be social and agreeable,
the stamp of my gracious appreciation. Now
you may go on with Godfrey; )" and she glided
from the room.
Decidedly, / had gained ground--a surer
footing. A selfsatisfed complacency diffused
itself through my frame, and l thought that,
after all. woman, even though young and fair
and lively, may "roar you as gently as any
sucking dove"
The days rolled on-rapidly, happily. We
had already prolonged our visit beyond the
usual time, but Mr.. Gleason had urged us to
remain, recounting the various losses we should
sustain by an untimely departure. Tom was
In no hurry to go, and / was acquiescent.
Business assumed less Importance than
health, and evidently my health was improv-
ing. Earth was greener, skies were bluer, life
was sweeter, and hope brighter, than when L
came. woke in the morning with sense of
underlined happiness "a gentle warmth and
glow about the heart. Merle and became ex-
cellent friends. We never talked together very
much in company, for /, though considerably
improved, had not yet grown eloquent. l left
the business of conversation chiefly to Tom,
satisfied, myself, to look and listen but if
met her by chance alone, we always conversed
in the most animated and familiar way. 1
learned the books she read, the songs she sung,
the flowers she loved and, in all things, her
taste was the taste Of noble and generous
woman. A little wild and maynard; warmly
impetueus, and willful; she some.
times, in moments of excitement, expressed her
opinions in very intense Anglo-Saxon; but the
tenor of her life was pure, refined, and benevo,
lent. NJ
One afternoon, she entered the room with az
expression of tragic horror on her face. Re,
moving her bonnet, she tossed it dramatically
on the table. Her shawl, by another energetic
action, lodged on the piano. One silken glove
was sent to one corner of the room, and itH
mate to the other, and then the silent lady sank
languidly into an arm chair. Thereupon, the
whole company, who had been watching her pro
ceedings, burst into simultaneous laugh.
Too bad, too bad, Merle," said Mr.. Gea-
son, soothingly. owe were Just talking abou;
you. You know we never talk of an angel, bus
we hear the rustling of his wings"
"Ohl don't be 80 refined ! I" cried Merle, pet
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