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

she gently detained me and said
"Dsayou receive-your glove?
ssOh, yes, | said, and thanked her
fer mending it.
"And is that all-all you have to say
she asked.
q have nothing moro to say-except
good bye.
''She held my hand. Nothing else9
"No-it is useless to talk of the past,
Margaret; and of the futurc-may you
be happy! Goodbye!
81 thought she would speak; I could
not believe she would let me 20; but she
did. bore up we'll until night-then
came revulsion. walked three times
past the house, wofuly tempted my love
and my will at cruel warfare; but / did
not go in. AT midnight | saw the light
in her room extingu:shed; | knew she
had retired, but whether to sleep or weep
or pray-how could [ tell? | went
home. | did not c'ose my eyes that
night. ] was CAD to see the morning
come, after such night.
"The steamer was to sail at ten. The
hustle of embarkation, strange scenes and
faces, parting from friends, ringing the
bell, last adieus-some who were to 90
with us hurrying aboard, others who were
to stay behind as hastily going ashore;
the Withdrawal Of the plank--sad sight to
many eyes! casting off the lines, the
steamer swinging heavily around, the rush
ing irregular motion of the great slow
paddles; the waving of handkcrchiefs
from the decks and the responsive signals
from the crowd lining the wharf; off at
last-the faces of friends, the crowd the
piers and lastly the city itself, fading
from sight; the dash of spray. the fresh
ening breeze, the novel sight of our little
world dctaching itself and floating away;
the feeling that America was past and
Europe was next all this filed my
mind with animation and excitement.
which shut out thoughts of Margaret.
Could l have looked with clairvoyant
vision and bched hel then, locked i'll her
chamber, should | have been so happy
then? Oh, what fools vanity makes of
us! Even then, with my heart high
strung with hope and courage, had [
known the truth, 1 should have abandon
ed my friends. the voyage, and Europe,
and returned in the pilots boat to find
something moro precious than all the
continents and countries Of the globe, in
the love of that heart which | was care
lcssly flinging away"
Here Westwood took breath. The
sun was now almost set. The prairie
was still and cool; the heavy dews were
beginning to fall; the shadows of the
green and lowered un6luations filled the
holows like rising tide; the headland,
seen at first SO far and small, was growing
gradually large and near, and the horses
moved at a quicker pace. Westwood
lighted his cigar, drew q few whiffs and
proceeded =
awe had VOYAGE Of eleven days.
But to me an immense amount of eXpa-
rience was crowded into that brief period.
The fine exhilcration of the start--the
breeze gradually increasing to a gale;
then horrible sea-sickness, inconsistencies,
love-sickness; after which. the weather
that sailors love, games, gaycty. and fin ia
tons. There is no such social freedom
to be enjoyed anywhere as on board an
ocean steamer. The breaking up of old
associations, the opening Of fresh exist
ence, the necessity Of new relationships
this fuses the crust of convcntionality,
quickens the springs Of life, and renders
character sympathetic an fluent. The
past is easily put away, we become plastic
to new influences, we are delighted at
the discovery of unexpected affinities, and
astonished to find in ourselves so much
wit, cloquence, and fine susceptibility,
which we did not before dream we pos
sessed.
"Th:s freedom is especially provocative
of Irritation. We see each fair brow
touched with halo whose colors are but
the reflection Of our own beautiful dreams.
LONELINESS is tenfold more Lowell y, bathed
in this atmosphere of romance; and man
hood is invested with ideal graces. The
love within US rushes. with swift, sweet
heart beats, to meet the love responsive
in some other. Don't think | am now
artfully preparing your mind to excuse
what | am about to confess. Take these
things into consideration, if you will then
think as you please of the weakness and
wild impulse with which | fell in love
with
ave will call her Flora. The most
superb captivating creature that ever en-
shared the heart Of a son of Adam. A
fine olive complexion, magnificent dark
auburn hair, eyes full of fire and softness,
lips that could pout or smile with incom-
parable fascination, and . figure of sur
prisng symmetry, just yoluptuous enough.
But, after all, her great power lay in her
freedom from all affectation and conven-
tionality-her free, sparkling and viva
cious manners. She was the most daring
and dazzling of women, without ever APP
pearing ilnmodest or repulsive. She
walked with such proud, secure steps
over the commonly acce ted barriers OF
social intercourse, that even those who
blamed her and pretended to be shocked,
were compelled to admire. She was the
belle, the Juno of the saloon, the supreme
ornament of the upper deck. Just TWEEN
ty-not without wit and culture-full OF
poetry and enthusiasm. Do you blame
mel"
Not whit" | sail *5pt for poor
Margafet''