The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1858-08-13

cannot ma ltS counterpart lnulHertntiy
in two such opposites. What charmed me
in one was her purity, softness and depth
of soul. What fascinated in the other
was her bloom, beauty and passion
Which was the true sympathy?
81 did not stop to ask the question
when it was most important that 1t should
be seriously considered. rushed into
the crowd of competitors for Flora's smiles,
and distanced them all ! was pleased
and proud that she took no pains to con-
ceal the 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, for hours
in those clear, bright days; we promenad-
ed the deck at sunset, her hand upon my
arm, her lips forever turning up tenderly
towards me, her eyes pouring their pas
sion into me, Then those glorious nights
when the ocean was vast, wild, funotu-
ating stream, flashing and sparkling
about the ship, spanned with quiyerlng
bridge of splendor on one.Sde, and rolling
off into awful darkness and mystery, on
the other; when the mooned swinging
among the shrouds like ball of white fire;
when the few ships went by like silent
ghosts; and Flora and /, in a long trace of
happiness, kept the deck, needless of the
throng of promenaders, forgetful of the
past, reckless of the future, aware only OF
our own romance, and the richness of the
hour.
Joseph, my travelling-companion
looked on, and wrote letters. He showed
me one of these addressed to friend Of
Margaret's. In it he eytolled Flora's
beauty, piquaney, and supremacy; rolat
ed how she made all the women jealous
and all the men mad and limited at my
triumph | knew that the letter would
meet Margsrets eyes, and was vain enough
to be pleased
At last, one morning, at daybreak, |
went on deck and saw the shores CT Eng
land Only few days before, We had
left America behind us, brown and leafcsS
just emerging from the long gloom Of win
ter; and now the sloops of another world
arose green and inviting in the flush Of
spring. There was a bracing breeze /; the
dingy waters of the Mersey rolled up in
wreaths of beauty; the fleets of ships,
steamers, sloops, lighters, pilot-boats,
bounding over the waves, meetings tack
ing, plunging. swaying gracefully under
the full-swelling canvas, presented PIC
ture of wonderful animation and the
mingling hues of sunshine and mist hung
over all. | paced the deck, solemnly joy
ful, swift thoughts pulsing through me Of
dim Iar-olf 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 marvel how we could ever succumb to
transient SORROW while the whole
universeblooms and an infinite future waits
to open for us its door of wonder and
JOY.
In this state of mind / was joined
by Flora She lald her hand on my
arm, and We walked up and down to-
gethcr. She was serious, almost sad, and
she viewed the English hills with pen
siveness which became her better than
mirth.
"' SO, she sighed, all our little romance
comes to an end I"
"' Not So | said 'or if one romance
ends, it is to give place to another, still
truer and sweeter Our lives may be all
succession of romances, if we will make
them 50. | think now | will never doubt
the future; for | find, that, when have
given up my dearest hopes, my best-be-
loved friends, and excepted the gloomy
belief that all life besides is barren, then
comes some new experience, filling my
empty cup with a still more delicious
wine
"E Don't vex' me with your philosophy ?
said Flora Il don't know anything
about It, All know is this present.
this sky, this earth, this sea, and the JOY
between, which can't give up quite so
easily as you can, with your beautiful
theory, that something better awaits
you
"' have told YOU Ireplicd, for had
been quite frank with her, how l left
America, what blank life was to me
then; and did not turn my back upon
all that to meet face to face the greatest
happiness which L have ever yet known
Ought not this to give me faith in the di
vinity that shapes our ends 2
I" And 50, she answered, 'when |
have lost you, ! shall have the satisfaction
of thinking that you are enjoying some
still more exquisite consolation for the
slight pangs you may have felt at parting
from me- Your philosophy will make it
easy for you to say, "Good-bye! it was a
pretty romance: ! 80 to find prettier ones
still )" and then forget me altogether
"And YOU | said, will that be easy
for you ?
90 Yes she cried, with spirit, ,-'any-
thing is easy to a proud, impetuous wo-
man, who finds that the brief romance of
a ten days acquaintance has already be
come tiresome to the second party. am
glad have enjoyed what / have; that is
so much gain, of which you cannot rob
me; and now l can say goodbye as coolly