Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1858-08-20

woman on earth, and especially one, who,
| by her, devotion to me, in the hour of sick.
ness aud in land Of strangers, has i'm
posed upon me obligations of the highest
character. Were I capable Of such con-
duct, should merit the execration of ev-
cry honest heart. But may / not ac-
knowledge the claims of gratitude with
out endangering my happiness by the
manner of paying the debt2"
"No, Henry, I do not believe you capa-
bic of deceiving any woman, and Helen
you cannot deceive, even if you wish it.
She reads every thought of your mind,
and every impulse of your heart; she
knows that you doubt her still, and it is
for this reason that she refuses to accede
to your wishes-that she will not enter
into an engagement which you may after
wards repent"
II am not silly enough" he replied, "to
expect absolute perfection in any woman,
yet the influences of education--of early
habit, are not to be overcome in an hour
and no matter how perfect woman may
be, by nature,--no matter how many of
the higher endowments may be her birth
right, exercise is essential to their full
development, and the want of it is neces-
sarily followed by deterioration, These
are the considerations that caused me to
shrink back from the danger of an un-
ion with a woman whose character has
felt the impropitious influences to which
/ have alluded. That Helen regrets the
past, do not doubt-that her resolves,
for the future, are virtuous, is equally true;
but to regret an error is one thing, to re-
form it, quite another; and time, alone,
can test her sincerity, in the one case, and
her powers of resistance, in the other"
"Then leave it to time, Henry. The
vacillating course you are pursuing will
certainly ALLEVIATE affections, whilst it can
contribute nothing to the work of reform
1t were better for you to go home, and
leave the issue to time, than remain here
with your present feelings, unless you can
veil them from Helen's acute and penetra-
ting perception, for if she sees you falter
again, final breach will be the conse-
quence."
"Yes, Ann, if my suspicious are again
aroused, there will be final breach--one
that can never be closed. But there is no
danger of such a catastrophe; ! am fully
satisfied that all is right, and nothing short
of occular demonstration can again shake
my faith. So make yourself easy my dear
Ann"
II will, Henry. And now let us rejoin
our friends who are moving towards the
spring; and if I mistake not, Helen is
leaning on the arm of Mr.. Hart, and he is
no contemplate rival, as you may learn
when too late"
When they mingled with the crowd
collected around the healing fountain, an
animated discussion was going on between
Messrs. Motley and Hart, in which several,
of both sexes, took part, as they favored
the one or the other side. Mr.. Motley for
sake of argument, was ever ready for an
argument upon any subject, whether he
knew anything about it, or notj and moth
ing gave him more pleasure than to cate
chise-as he termed it-professional gen.
tlemen upon their proficiency in their re-
spective callings. Mr.. Hart was lawyer
of high standing, and took great delight
in discussing knOtty points; and knowing
that Mr.. Motley had been educated for a
lawyer, he thus addressed him.
~ am surprised, Mr.. Motley, that a
man of your talents should have aban-
dOned the study of law, when you had SO
far mastered the subject as to be qualified
for the practice"
"No matter what may be mans tai
ents," Mr.. Motley replied, "he can never
succeed in any pursuit to which he has a
decided distaste. My father is welded to
the law, and to crafty him, l prosecuted
the study for some Ii me, and became some
what partial to it; but when attended
the courts for the purpose of gaining
practical knowledge, / became disgusted
with the whole subject, and firmly resolved
never to try to gain wealth or fame by a
pursuit so repugnant to my feelings, and
so remote, in its application, from the
great ends of justice"
"Why, Mr.. Motley, the end of law is
justice; it is based upon the broad princi.
Piles of justice-upon an intimate knowl-
edge of human nature, and the wants,