The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1859-03-24
XIV.
Hoso Ruth Looked at the Anchor.

Mrs. Fleming and Ruth have arranged lit.
tie pilgrimage between them to the shrine of
love and hope, previous to Jasper's return
home. For he is to return home now they
have the good gardeners letter, announcing his
successful quest, Jasper's varied fortunes, his
dangerous illness, and his rapid convalescence.
He is to return home soon, their own Jasper,
their darling, strong, hopeful man now, the
raging fire Of youth converted into the genial
focal flame of manhood, warming and invigo-
rating. He is to return home, he has said in
that short postscript to Richards letter, written
tremblingly, line at the time, but oh, so full
of love, 80 full of thanks, not only to them, but
to One Higher; SO full of humility, asking
their forgiveness, not dreaming of aught that
he had to forgive; so that they are almost glad
of their long trial and sorrow, since it has per-
mitted them to reap such wealth of joys. And
they are very proud of their Jasper the strong
man, who has already learned his power over
mems hearts, and has gloriously welded it for
humanity's sake, They have wept over the
papers sent them by thoughtful Richard, in
which "the speech of our talented and eloquent
young fellow ownsman, Jasper Fleming, on the
occasion of the mob the other night" is edi-
torially noticed and extolled, and bright augu-
ries drawn for life that has begun so nobly.
Proud of him with the grand, unsel6sh pride of
halo reflected hack to them from the loved ones
crown.
THEY do not know of those dark DAYS in San
Francisco, when this loved and honored one
was in contact with and furnished by such black
baseness and infamy. They would not believe
it, were they told.
huth is very lovely now, indeed. She has
acquired, in its fullest extent and most copious
measure, that lovelest thing upon which it is
permitted man to gaze-the loneliness of the
pure-thoughted and high-minded woman, chas.
tened and refined by sorrow, enlarged and
strengthened by study and activity, enriched
and beautified by love and hope. As the gold
from the furnace, so comes the holy-thoughted
woman out of sorrow; as the Heaven s CLEAN
lights the martyrs eye, and irradiates his brow
with a halo and his lip with smile, so do the
halo and the smile beam forth from the hope
raised, love-sustained woman's countenapce.
Oh ye, Godgiven love, God-giyen hope, fiow
We not from the eternal river whose source is at
Gods right nand take we not your everlasting
glow and radiance from the light of His crown,
and the glory of His smile? Before this world
was, We peryaded Heaven; before the angels
sang, We lninistered in Chaos
There IL health and strength in this Young
woman health, and strength, and peace and
loving kindness, in her mind. Her calm con.
scousness Of Heaven has triply armed her for
the Earth and, like milk.white doe in the
forest by summer brook, with airy tread
spurning the bosky turf, yet loving it gapcing
her Calm round eye ct all thas is lovely, uncon
sclous that the violet under the bank and the
rose on its briar bow before her as superior, so
moves on Ruth through the happy days,
None like her, none.n
She is loved of all the village swains stand
clumsily gaping in wonder as she passes them,
and will break their sturdy necks to do her a
favor; the village maidens come rosily to her
with their sweet loves and little sorrows the
old grandames follow her with their eyes and
their blessings while the children peal Joyous
cries when they see her. and nestle coddlingly
to her, sweet blushing consciousness coming
over her face as she pets and fondles them,
"her darlings." And her mother, how her mother
loves her, and clings to her, and smiles respon-
sive to her smiling, and grows gentle in obedi-
enoe TO her gentleness. Shall we say love is q
thing for ourselves, to be locked up ip a casket
and worn next our hearts, out of sight, when
we daily witness these things Mol | tell you
love is 4 gift which we are put in possession of
and enjoy for humanity's sake, and we are
bound to give as we receive gift it is to us
like the rose, which was not made to be fos-
SLICED, or to wither in some herbarium, dryly
superseded r. setigerd, or II. rubiginosd as the
case may be nor to be shut up in a conserva.
tory, but to feed the senses of our fellows with
food that eleyates and humanizes to render
the whole world fragrant if it were possible.
What hast thou done with thy talent, oh be-
loved2
Mrs. Fleming wears no more camelias ia her
hair, and Clinquant's sneer of La dame axz
Cdmelias has lost its point, The naughty pride
thus tokened has gone forever, and she has for
ever put away its symbol. Life's old dark
struggle is over, and, having risen above it, she
has found life ever holding out to her new and
lovely flowers, the very existence of which her
old narrow botany had kept her ignorant Of
But these flowers she wears in her soul, and, by
a reverse process from that of old time, gives
evidence of the wearing by the light on her
brow, the liquid eloquence of her eye, and the
placid smile on her lip And not less lovely is
she than Of old to him who studies her in
proper light, although society speaks of her as
q frightfully broken" and "our set takes her
abdication for granted. Her hair is thinned
now, and much streaked with silvery threads,
SO that the effect of the camelia in its former
contrast to the satin blackness would anyhow
be lost but it is still very lovely hair, says
Ruth, when she dissuades her mother from
wearing caps, still very lovely and most becom.
ing. The great brown eye is none but Mrs.
Fleming's, and none but Jaspers mother ever
! i 4 II