Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1858-06-23
CHAPTER ".

"a perfect woman, noble planned,
To warn, to comfort, and command;
And yet a spirit still and bright,
With something of an angels light"
He has thus left me, sighed Marion
perhaps forever-left without one kind
word to cheer me in his absence. He
shall see my pride! He may win and wed
another; but he will yet rue the day he
sighted the love of Marion Moredon.
Marion devoted her time almost exclu-
sively to study her cheeks grew pale and
thin, while many friends, attributing it to
confinement, advised her to return home
until her health should become better
Three months passed ; Marion received a
letter from her mother stating the illness
of her brother and two sisters. A fatal cpl
demic was bearing many of the neighbor-
hood, in their youth, to the grave, and she
feared the effect on her children, but per-
suaded Marion to remain, as she would on
ly endanger her own life by coming to
them. This seemed more than Marion
could bear-shc pressed her aching heart,
and sighed. Tears, bitter tears of anguish
cameto her relief. She must go immedi-
ately-never could she bear the dreadful
suspense-she must be with them when
they needed her assistance, even though
she should endanger her life.
She arrived in time to receive a brothers
last blessing, and two more days saw her sis
tiers consigned to their mother dust.
Her mother was all that was now left her
of that once happy family, and she lay sick
with a burning fever. Could it be she must,
too, part with her? Yes, it was so; all were
taken. Marion was left without a kindred
tie. Sickness soon Frustrated her feeble frame,
and for many days she was thought to be
dying. She wished not for health-death to
her would now have been a welcome guest
but he stayed his hand. Through the kind
attention Of friends she recovered, to realize
the awful truth, that she was fatherless and
motherless, without sister or brother. In
two short weeks she had been bereft of al
that were bound to her by kindred ties.
Mr.. Moredon having emigrated to this
country about the time of his marriage, she
had not the most distant relative near; bu
in her old teacher she found a true friend
gladly would he have given her a situation
in his own school but she declined, know
ing that all around would remind her of he
happy, gleesome, childhood hours. There
too, it was, she had first met William Carl
ton.
Youths golden romances had now fade
~away-hcr only trust was in the Father of tn
orphan. Affection had rendered her NOR
pure, and equally as lovely !; her merry laug
was gone, but the calm resignation to the wi
of the Almighty, that was stamped on he
brow, compensated for all that was lost. He
oorly Love hol hoor rlsnhHaA che bod caa
those most dear enter the valley whose bour
dairy is limitless existence, with the impen,
trable vail of mortality hiding their farthe
progress from her mortal view-she ha
heard the cold clods falling heavily upon tt
!, coffin, and grating harshly upon the ear-ye
by the aid of a power from above, she WI
resigned to her fate.
Soon she accepted a situation as teacher
the sunny south, where she was surround,
by naught that was familiar, to remind h
of the loved and lost.