Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-09-15
ROMANCE OF A GLOVE.
TCoNTNUED.1


was now almost set. The prairie was still
and cool; the heavy dews were beginning tn
fall: the shadows of the green and Powered
undulations filed the hollows, like risin =
tide;the headland, seen at first so far and sma
was growing gradually large and near; the
horses moved at a quicker pace, WestwoOd
lighted his cigar, draw few whifis, and pro-
ce' ded.
We had a voyage of eleven days. But to
me an immense amount of experience was
crowded into that brief period. The fine eX-
hilaration of the start-the breeze gradual
increasing to gale; then horrible sea sick
ness. home sickness, lovesickness; after
which the weather which sailors love,
games, gayety and Irritation. There is no
such social freedom to be enjoyed any where
as on board an ocean steamer. The breaking
up Of old associations, the opening of fresh
existence, the necessity of new relationship
this fuses the crust of cOnventionality,
quickens the springs of life, and renders
character sympathetic and 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, elOquence and
fine susceptibility, which we did not before
dream we possessed.
This freedom is especially provocative of
Irritation. We see each fair brow touched
with halo whose cOlors are the reflections
of our own beautiful dreams. LONELINESS is
ten-fold more lovely, lighted in this atmos-
phere of romance, and manhood is invested
with ideal grace. The love within us rushes,
with swift sweetheart-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 1 fell in love
With
We will call her Flora. The most superb,
captivating creature that ever ensnared the
heart of the sons of Adam. A fine olive
compilations; magnificent dark auburn hair;
eyes full of fire and softness; lips that could
pout or smile with incompatible fascination;
a figure of surprising symmetry, just voluptu-
GUS enough. But, after all, her great power
lay in her freedom from all affectatiOn and
conventionality-in her spontaneity, her free,
sparkling, and vivacious manners. She was
the most daring and dazzling OF women.
without ever appearing immodest or repul-
sive. She walked with such proud, secure
steps over the commonly accepted barriers of
social intercourse, that even those who
blamed her and pretended to be shocked,
were compelled to admire. She was the belle,
of the ladies cabin, the Juno of the saloon,
the supreme ornament of the upper deck.
Just twenty,-not without wit and culture,
full of poetry and enthusiasm. Do you
blame me?
Not whit" I said; but for Margaret p
"Ah. Margret." said Westwood, with a
sigh But, you see l had given her up.
And when one love is lost, there sink such
awful chasms into the soul, that, though
they cannot he filed. we must at least bridge
them over with new affection. The number
of marriages built in this way, upon false
foundations of hollowness and despair, is
l. II. IL e
disappointed girls marrying tout of spite
No doubt, such petty feelings hurrie forward
many premature matches. But it is the
heart, left shaken. unsupported, wretchedly
sinking, which reaches out its teelers for
sympathy. catches at the first penetrable
point and clngs like helpless vine to the
sunny-sded wall of the nearest consolation.
If you wish to marry a girl and can't and are
weak enough to desire her still, this is what
you should do get some capable man to jilt
her. Then seize your chance. All the
affections which have gone out to him, unmet,
ready to druop, quivering with the painful,
hungry instinct to grasp some object. may
POSSIBLY lay hold Of you. Let the world
sheer; but God pity such natures, which lack
the faith and fortitude to live and die true to
their best love.
..Out of my mouth do 1 condemn myself?
Very well, condemn myself; peccaUi! If l
ntlu ever lONtu SItl tllcH uIl uOJ iONt
Flora The same heart cannot find its
counterpart indiferently in two such
opposites What charmed me in one was her
purity, softness, and depth of soul.-What
fascinated me in the other was her bloom,
beauty, and passion. Which was the true
sympathy?
IL did not stop to ask that question when
it was most important that it should be Sc
riously considered. | rushed into the crowd
of competitors for Flora's smiles, and dis
tanced them all L was pleased and proud
that she took no pains to conceal her pre-
ference 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 prOmenaded the deck at sunset her
hand upon my arm, her lips forever turn
ing up tenderly towards me: her eyes
pouring their passion into me. Then those
glorious nights, when the ocean was a vast,
wild, fuctuating stream, flashing and spark
ling about the ship, spanned with quivering
bridge of splendor on one side, and rolling
off into a woful darkness and mystery on the
other; when the moon seemed swinging among
the shrouds like ball of white fire; when
the few ships went by like silent ghosts, and
Flora and in long trance of happiness
kept the deck, headless of the throng of pro-
menadors, forgetful of the past, reckless of
the future, aware Only Vi our OWL
and the richness of the present 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 extolled Flora's beauty, piquancy,
and supremacy; related how she made all the
women jealous and all the men mad; and
limited at my triumph. / knew that that
letter would meet Margaret's eyes, and was
vain enough to be pleased
AT last one morning, at day break. | went
on deck and saw the shores of England. Only
few days before. we had left America
behind us, brown and lealess, just emerging
from the long gloom of winter; and now the
slopes of another world arose green and in
viting 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, meeting,
lacking, plunging, swaying, gracefully under
the full-swelling canvas, presented a picture
of wonderful animation; and the mingling
hues of sunshine and mist hung over all. l
paced the deck, solemnly, joyful, swift
thoughts pulsing though me of dim, far-off
Margaret, of near radiant Flora, of hope
and happiness superior to fate. Ii was one of
those times when the excited soul transfgures
the world and we marvel how we could ever
succumb to a transient sorrow while the
whole universe blooms, and an infinite
future waits to open for US its doors OF wonder
and joy.
"In this state of mind, l was joined by
Flora. She laid her hand on my arm, and
we walked up and down together. She was
serious, almost sad and she viewed the Eng
fish hills with pehsiveness which became
her better than mirth.
$50 she sighed, all our little romances
come to an endr
Not so,' / said, 'or if one romance ends,
il is to give place to another, still truer and
sweeter. Our lives may be all a succession
of romances, if We will make them SO. /
think now will never doubt the future, for
find, that, when l have given up nay dearest
hopes, my best-beloved friends, aud accepted