Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-08-21


Il DRIVE us fRom OUR sosrr1os. ''--Jaeks,
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stopped at one of the large clustered
i houses that ffanked the cathedralin their
I;well>bred gloom and stiffness. She rang
the bell, and was quickly admitted into
the drawing room. She opened her mu-
sic, laid aside her wrappings, and reYeal-
ed. the face of Margaret Merton. Full,
Igey. handsome, and careless. with be-
/ witehing drollery about the mouth, and a
rather masterful eye. Presently, the
door was opened, and tall and wilful>
looking girl. with pair of flashing blue
eyes, almost ran in. She would have
embraced Margaret on the spot, but the
latter drowned the effort In her own sig
nifcant ways she laid her hand on the
young lady's shoulder, saying. "Well,
Cecile, how is the voice. and how have
you progressed with the song?"
80, Miss Merton. papa says ! am
hoarse, and that have cold; but let me
try" g
For myself, Think it an undoubted
fact that school girls pay greater atten-
ton to lessons received from masters than
from their own sex; aud / make no ques-
tion that. when the enlightened and pla>
tonic nature of the age admits of youths
being instructed by female professors, the
converse of the proposition will hold
good. AT the same time, there is anoth-
er fact to be placed against this, as has
always been the case with every fact
since the world began; and that is, that
woman of certain age. who has self.
fascination, can, if she chooses to do it,
acquire an influence over young girls
which almost amounts to idolatry on the
one side. and against which even q
lover can hardly hold his own. So, Mar
garet Merton. who liked to be charming.
and was necessitated in her character as
music-teacher to eschew flirting, made
herself particularly charming to her pu-
pills. who all adored her after the fashion
of young girls. We may also suppose, il
we like. that she thought little Of poor
Stephen, and for his sake did not wish to
lose her skill in the art Of being delight.
full for want Of practice. So the two sat
down and proceeded very amicably for
some time. AT last the fantasy seized
Margaret that this Miss Vereker should
repeat a certain passage given number
of times. as panalty for falling short in
the mode of performing it. The young
girls spirit did not bear this burden very
meekly; first her pride rose. then morti.
fication did battle with pride. and lastly,
the spirit of sullenness decended, and ut
terly paralyzed Miss Yereker's vocal pow>
ers. A decided pause ensued. Mar
garet, smiling to herself as the altered in.
tona,ion fell on her ear, turned round,
and met such blaze of indignation on
the pretty face as we are sorry to re-
cord it) made her smile great deal
more. Then she commenced the song
herself. The refrain was.
Better trust all, and be deceived,
AND weep that trust and that deceiyipg,
Than doubt one word which, If believed,
Had blessed thy life with true believing.
She sang it deliciously. and in so dos
ing forgot, or seemed to forget, her pupil,
her home, aud her fathers people. The
inexorable spirit of music spoke to her
OF other things; and. as her fingers wan.
dered over the keys, her face grew very
wis!ful, almost sad, and she no longer re>
membered even to tease Miss Vereker,
who was affected like Saul, in SO far that
the mutinous demon was in some sort
charmed out Of her; and she was ponder.
ing how she might best descend from her
pedestal of pride, and make submission
to Margaret, without losing her dignity.
The song was finished, and both came
back to realities. Margaret did not care
about conquering herself. but was won
drously fond of conquering other people;
SO she devoted an instant to Miss We're.
ker. and having asoertained by an almost
imperceptible glance that young lsdy's
state of mind, she proceeded to apply the
actual cautery. She took the song, and
gave it to her, saying very sadly, "Until
pleasure, Ceciie, but you have joined to
it "a less pleasant memory; / hope you
will like it better from this time than
SHALL" and she bent over it, and with her
pencil wrote on the margin. Reyolte.
Cecile Vereker gave convulsive gulp;
but. before she could utter the words OF
contrision which hung on her lips.
youth of seventeen years, the fac. c.simile
Of his sister. entered hastily. "May
see you home, Miss Meriton7 1 have
stayed in on purpose" he added. in a
boyish pleading manner.
Margaret was arranging her shawl
round her shoulders, and she did this
very deliberately. bending down her