The River Falls journal. (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1857-1861, 1858-11-24

"'Si - ASoo y va SSO iIstt htil
her up. And when love is lost theresinS
such awful chasms into the soul, that, al
: though they cannot be filled, We must al
least bridge them over with new affec-
ton. The number of marriages built in
this way, upon false foundations of loL
lowness and despair, is incom, utah G.
We talk Of disappointed girls and Tilted
lovers marrying 'out Of spite No doubt
such pretty feeling hurries forward many
premature matches. BIT it is the heart
left shaken, unsupported, wretchedly sin
king, which reaches out its feelcrs for SYN
pathy, catches at the first penetrabI,
point and clings like helpless vine t.
tho sunnv-sided wall of the nearest con.
ISOLATION. If you wish to marry cir
and can't. and are weak enough to desire
her STILL this is what you should do; get
some capable man to jill her. Then seize
your chance. All the affections which
have gone out to him, unmet, ready to
droop, quiver;ns with the painful, hungry
instinct to grasp some object, may posi-
bly, lay hold on you. Let the world
sheer; but God pity such natures, which
lack the faith and fortitudo to live and
die true to Their best love!
"Out of my own mouth do condemn
myself? Very well, | condemn myself:
peccav! If had ever loved Margaret,
then | did not love Flora. The same
heart cannot find its counterpart indiftr-
emily in two such opposites. What charm
ed me in one was her purity, sottness and
depth Of soul. What fascinated me in
the other was her bloom, beauty and pas
sion. Which was the true sympathy?
II did not stop to ask that question
when it was most important that it should
be seriously considered. l rushed into
the crowd of competitors for Flora's slnil-
es, and distanced them all. was pleased
and proud that she took no pains to con
ceal her preference for me. We played
chess, we read poetry out of the same
book, we ate at the same table, we sat
and watched the sea together, in those
clear, bright days; we promenaded the
dock at sunset, her hand upon my arm,
her lips forever turn NJ up tender'y to-
wards me; her eyes pouring their passion
into me. Then those glorious nights,
| when the ocean was s. vast, wild, fuctua
ting stream, flashing and sparkling about
tho ship: spanned wit a quivering bridge
of splendor on one side, and rolling off
into awful darkness and mystery on. the
other; when the moon seemed swinging
among the clouds like a ball of white fiji G
when the ships went by like silent ghosts
and Flora and [, in n long trance Of hap
piness, kept the deck, needless of the
throng Of promonaders, forgstful Of the
past, reckless of the future, aware only
of our own romance, and the richness of
the present hour
'Joscph, my travelling companion,l ID ok
ed Oh, and wrote letters. He showed
me one of these, addressed to a friend of
Margarets. In 1t he cxtoled Flora's
beauty, piquancy, and supremacy; rela-
ted how she made all the women Jealous
and all the men mad, and limited at my
triumph. knew that that letter would
meet Margaret's eyes, and was vain and
foolish enough to be pleased.
cat last, one morning at davbreak, |
went on deck and saw the shores OF En-
gland. Only few days before. we had
left America behind Us brown and leaf
less. Just emerging from the long gloom
of winter; and now the slopes Of anoth-
er world arose green and inviting i'll the
flush Of Spring. There was a bracing
breeze; the dingy waters of the Marsey
rolled up in wreaths Of beauty; the fleets
of ships, steamers, sloops, lighters, pilot
boats, bounding over the waves, meeting,
lacking, plunging. swaying gracefully I'M
der the full swelling canvas, presented q
picture of wonderful animation; and the
minging hues Of sunshine and mist hung
over all. paced the deck solelnnly joy
full, swift thoughts puls:ng through me Of
q dim, far-otf Margaret, of a near, radiant
Flora, Of hope and happiness superior to
fate. 1t was one of those times when
the excited soul transfgures the world,
and we wonder how we could ever sue
cumb to transient sorrow while the whole
universe blooms, and an infinite future
waits to open for US its doors of wonder
and joy.
'In this state Of mind I was joined BY
Flora. She laid her hand on my arm,
and we walked up and down together.
She was serious almo t sad, and she gAz-
ed st the ENGLISH hills with a pensiveness
which became her better than mirth or
enthusiasm.
$50 she sighed. ';ll our little roman
ces come to an end
sNot so" said, cor if one romance
ends, it is to give place to another, trucr
and sweeter Our lives may all be sue
cession of romances, if we will make them
so. think now | will ntver dc ubt the
. future, for find that when | have 81 Ell
: up my dearest hopes, my best-beioved
: friends and acquaintance. and accepted
the gloomy belief that all Life besi,les is
: barren-then comes new experience, fill
ing my empty cup with still more dc
Iicious wine"
) aDou't vex me with your philosophy,
f said Flora. 81 don't konw anything a
) bout it. All know is this present
, this sky, this earth, this sea, and the JOY
: between, which l can't give up quite Sc
. easily as you can, with your beautiful
: theory that something better awaits you.
f Il have told you," | replied for | hac
9 been quite frank with her-"how I lef
America-what blank life was to M
: then; and did | not turn my back uro1
al that, to meet face TO face the creates