The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1858-06-16

joke. 1t is very polite way, suspect,
of saying that you think me foolish, and
at the same time you lay kind of trap
for me, so that may be deceived by your
grave tone, and confirm your opinion by
foolishly taking you to be in earnest Is
it not so? Irony is the weapon of an as
sassin. if you will excuse the expression. "
You are unquestionably in the right"
| remarked, quite crest-fallen in my as
tonishment at finding my best sneer re-
turned on my hands in this way.
You must forgive me, Ihave habit
of being ironical now and then, but / mean
nothing dissespectful by it; believe me-"
az do believe you. 1 complain of it
because it is generally so unmeaning; but
that is little harm compared with the pain
it inAicts."
Her manner was singulary frank and
gentle, and the spirit which she so uncx-
pectedly betrayed left my mind in glow
of interest which hours of sentimental con.
versation would not have kindled. She
deemed me, then, not worth the pains of a
sisterly correction.
Il am in earnest" l said. advancing
the position that an unmixed friendship
between the sexes is impossible, morally
and physically. You cannot make such
heaven of our earth as it might be, so
long as there is marrying and giving in
marriage upon it; whenever the lamb
shall safely associate with the wolf, man
may court the society of your sex without
precaution of apprehension"
Cor child play about the den of the
cockatrice That I suppose, sir, is bet
ter simile the innocence Of your sex and
the subtlety of mine ?"
Irony is the weapon of an assassin"
murmered l.
She did not hear my faint retort.
you are not in earnest, Mr.. P, but I
will not suffer myself to be laughed out Of
my enthusiasm. know how entirely you
are dependent on US for the refinement of
manner which is indispensable to you as
gentlemen. There you are absolutely at
our mercy; even you yourself will confess
twill you not ?"
II will"
But you are still more indebted to us,
l believe, for that refinement Of the mind
which is necessary to make your abilities
appear to the best advantage among men.
We have it in our own power, am sure
to give the polish, which is quite as essen
tial to the brilliant use of your intellectual
strength as it is to the keenDess of sword.
Where else except in the society Of tho
"softer sex" can you acquire the faculty
of being alive to the fainter impressions of
beauty and poetry in life? Where else
can you learn how graceful thought may
by? Look at the moonshins near the foot
of that tree how beautifully it fickers
upon the earth among the shadows of quiv.
ering leaves So it is with the inspiration
Of poet it falls upon his soul cold and
monotenous as the unbroken moonlight.
We must come between him and the source
Of his inspiration. and then--and only then
recollect-will the light play and sparkle
with life, and take thousand fantastic
shapes, and become Genius. Do not think
me boastiu fer moment | have forgot.
ten that am woman"
| had by no means forgotten it.
We had passed at the end of the lane,
and turned towards low fence, which
bounded wide, lonely field she WAS
leaning her folded arms upon the unhewn
upper rail, having become lost in thought.
The rough bark of the log contrast0d
strangely with those round, white arms,
resting, warm with youth. luxuriently upon
it. wondered if, in spite of their pro-
verbal reputation, logs were quite insensi-
Bile, and was sorry for them if they were.
Would that l might convey the slightest
impression of the unutterable, absorbing
glory Of the night; there seemed to be no
tomorrow never to have been such a
thing as daylight. She and / were the
only dwelers in an empty world moon.
light island amid dusky ocean, the air
of which was ever whispering like sea-
shell. The field before US sent up an end
less chorus of insect sounds every blade
of grass was tongue signing all manner
of drowsiness, yet so as to provoke the
most intensely wakeful spirit in the listen
sr, whose every faculty became ksenly
alive to the dreamy delight of that music.
| was soothed into a holy feeling, a
sense of pleasant mystery and of boundless
thrilling life, such as we are subject to in