Amador weekly ledger., 1858-05-01


pers of truth-you smile-but it is true new
ertheless ; and might you, dared yon preserve
your primitive truthfulness of heart, we should
fall down and worship you"
But digress, and am describing Anne
rather as she appeared when, like Spenser's
Amoret, she reclined in the lap of woman
hood than while she sat upon my knee,
tender and simple child"
!" | would scarcely assert that Anne was
endowed with genius and yet know not
at any rate is was thoroughly womans gen.
ius-earnest, truthful, affeclionate, dependent
and yet nobly self-sustained-im -impassioned
and yet never mistaking or perverting her
emotions-emboying every quality of her
sex, and yet elevating all-gay as bird, sim
pie as child her own bright nature invest
ing all things with an ideal halo. and yet with
singular cearness of perception and sound
ness of judgment correcting all such illusions;
creature of contradictions, and yet grand in
her consistency; true woman; the lfe-study
of man, aye, and were he the wisest of his
sex, he migh6 never exhaust the sweet subject;
just not an angel, but all woman
A creature not too bright nor good,
For human natures ally food
For transient sorrows simple wiles,
Praise, blame, love, kisses. tears and smiles
The ship that had wrecked our own
good barque, was bound on three years
cruise and all that time Anne was the only
one of her sex on board She never seemed
to feel the pecuiarty of her situation, all she
said and did was feminine and becoming, and
her little state room worthy of Goethe's
Margery. 1T is not every maiden keeps her
room so chary,' might have been said of her"
Never shall forget the wild delight with
which she hailed our approach to land, nor
the care with which she nurtnred the plants
that were to relieve the monotony of the
voyage-the touching gratitude with which
she received the gift OF bird or animal that
was to be her special pet. And then to mark
her many little expedients to preserve the Or
der and taste of her poor garments true,
nothing could be more picturesque than her
half oriental costume, the loose trowsers and
robe confined by girde that every sailor
We'd in keeping tasteful. Her dark change
ful eyes and luxuriant hair might well afford
to meet skin embrowned by exposure, but
rich with the brightest hue Of health. The
sailors called her the little queen, from her
proud air, and the officers applied a thousand
aristocratic epithets, all indicating a playful
reverence She was child in heart, but a
woman in manner"
g / need not recount her studies, nor that
pretty reserve that made her apply to me,
and to me only, for aid. Alas l knew not
the poison thus imbibed | dreamed not
that that sweet child could ever be aught to
me but a sister"
At length after an absence of four years,
| placed the dear girl under the protection Of
my mother. | was an only child, and she re-
ceived Anne as the gift of God, new OBJ
ject of attachment"
But why dwell upon these thugs ? Why
tell how the child repned into womanhood-
beautiful, most beautiful, not in feature mere
ly, though even but few of her sex were
her equals but beautiful in thought, in voice
and motlon-that combination of parts, that
wondrous result of grace, even where shades
may be defective yet producing an harmoni
GUS whole Why tell how her con6ding, sis
terly attachment remained mistaken, while
learned to love her with all the fervor of man
hood | felt it was hopeless, and became
ali exile from home, that | might not inficI
a pang upon her trusting heart. After long
absence, in which time, which had only soft
ened, fondly trusted had cured me of my
passion, | returned to find Anne but more
lovely and attaching, and now doubly lost tC
me. When she pressed her maidenly lips L
my cheek, and again called me brother, | re
beIled at the term and madly revealed tb'
truth"
Poor Anne she recoiled from me trem
bling and in tears. At length she put he
arms about my neck, and with the same gen
tie accent, the same con6ding tenderness tha
remembered upon that fearful night at sea
she uttered"
Dear, dear brother Charles, am l no
your sister, Yon do love me, you will no
cast me from you, though-though | hay,
dared to love another"
al raised her head, and her calm eyes me
mine, though her cheeks and bosom wer
with bushes
Never, dear Anne, you shall be my sis
ter; God help me to regard you as such only
"I kept my promise. Oh God did
not through years of agony that tongu
might never utter !"
"Anne became the wife Of another, an,
never, never can | enough admire her refne
womanly department. Her whole soul, wit
all its unutterable wealth of loving, was nov
his and yet in my presence all was chast
ened TO tranquil content, as if she, trutbfr
as she was, dreaded | should know her dee
iount Of feeling, lest it might enhance m
own sense of solitude. Most exceller
wretch Othelo would have said; everywher
| traced the evidences Of her beuevolenc,
and everywhere was she mindful of my har